Day two of the party conference is under way in Manchester. Time was when describing it as a ‘wet’ affair would have meant something different, but I mean it only in the conext of the weather. It is raining. A lot.
Inside the warmth of the conference venues, things are hot and packed, even first thing on the morning after what was, for some at least, a very late night in the bar.
It is perhaps not surprising that the mood here is very business like. There are exhibitors in the main hall that I have never seen at a conference before, including Marks and Spencer and Tesco. People want to know what Conservatives think and are planning. They believe we can win.
In the bars, there are plenty of meetings that feel like the kind you find at trade shows. It is the vibe given off by people getting things done and meeting new people that they think they will be working with. They think we can win.
And at the risk of offending some of our members and readers it is also worth saying that there are many more women here than I have noticed before. And they are young, attractive and very well tuned out. The se may be true of the guys, but I am afraid my radar doesn’t really pick that up. Whether these young ladies are candidates, activists or lobbyists and PR girls, does not really matter. They are a circumstantial sign of the belief that it is now worth coming to a Conservative Party conference even when it is a wet one.
They believe we can win. So do I.
