Party conference season

In contrast to its main opponents' conferences,[1][2] the Liberal Democrats grant all party members attending its conference, either in-person or online,[3] the right to vote on party policy, under a one member, one vote system.

[4][5] Among the three largest UK-wide parties, the Liberal Democrat conference is also unique in providing a ring-fenced access fund,[6] which defrays travel and accommodation costs for both disabled and low-income attendees.

[7] UK-wide political party conferences have traditionally taken place in seaside resorts, at places such as the Empress Ballroom at Winter Gardens in Blackpool, the Brighton Centre in Brighton and the Bournemouth International Centre in Bournemouth, largely due to there being plenty of cheap accommodation available in such towns at the end of the summer holiday season.

In 2012, for example, there was an overlap between the Liberal Democrat and United Kingdom Independence Party annual conferences, with the latter concluding on the opening day of the former, and in 2013 the Liberal Democrat and Green Party of England and Wales conferences overlapped by three days.

However, the commencement of daytime television in October 1986, and with it an extended children's programming clock, meant that the mid-morning interruption extended to 40 minutes from 1987 onwards, with further coverage breaks for hourly news summaries, with the notable exception of the Trades Union Congress which was shown on BBC2 due to it taking place before the commencement of the new term's schools broadcasts.

1992 saw the launch of The Parliamentary Channel and live, uninterrupted coverage of the three main party conferences was broadcast, without commentary or interviews.