By Freddie Walker, second year BA (Hons) History and Politics

For the third year running, the Labour Party Annual Conference was held in Liverpool, however for the first time in 14 years, with Labour as the governing party. For this reason, the conference was bigger than ever, holding over 20,000 delegates across the 5-day period from the 21st-25th of September. We attended the final day of the conference and were able to speak to both MPs and Ministers, and learned a lot about how a political party conference works, thus gaining vital experience and knowledge.

With Party morale high after Labour’s recent election victory, the first thing we noticed when we walked into the ACC Centre was a demonstration by Unite the Union members, protesting the removal by the Starmer Government of the winter fuel allowance for pensioners. That same day, the union won a conference vote calling for the allowance to be retained, making national news. This gave me a great insight into the scrutiny aspect of politics and why conferences such as this hold a great opportunity for people to voice their opinions, even by the Government’s own members and supporters.

Once inside the Conference Centre, we explored a vast number of stalls and had some interesting conversations with those running them. The various stalls all proposed or supported different causes and agendas, in hopes of influencing the wider Labour Party. One stall I found interesting was the Voice of Domestic Workers, who believe “democracy works best when we all participate”, critical of how a million people in the UK have no right to vote at all. Being a young person and a student, this resonated with me, as a lot of people in my age range don’t always feel obliged to vote, giving me a great perspective into the importance of the right to vote in our democracy.

A highlight of the conference was meeting the Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner. It was an enjoyable opportunity to hear how much she enjoys attending conference, and what it was like to speak to a large crowd. It was also refreshing to hear her support for us attending the conference on behalf of Edge Hill University, as young people can often feel ignored by politicians (of all parties).

Towards the end of the Conference, we spoke to both Andrew Western (MP for Stretford and Urmston, and a Junior Minister in the Department for Work and Pensions) and Matthew Trafford, a former Edge Hill student (History and Politics, 2018-21), now an advisor in Andrew’s office. Both spoke highly of the importance of ‘grassroots politics’. giving great insight how getting experience in day-to-day politics can help form a career. Andrew offered us a window into what an MPs day-to-day life looks like, and how he balances his duties in his constituency and in Westminster, always focusing on his key principle for any MPs, which is to serve his constituency above all else.

The conference was overall a fantastic experience for my studies, in particular, the conversations with Andrew and Matthew gave me a different perspective on the practical side of politics. Labour will be returning to Liverpool again for their 2025 Conference, and the Conservatives will be in Manchester. Along with other Edge Hill students, we hope to visit and gain more first-hand political insight and experience.

For more information on a Politics degree with Edge Hill University, visit: https://www.edgehill.ac.uk/subject/undergraduate/politics-and-international-relations/