Birmingham Conference Diary - where have all the protestors gone?

One of the surprising things about this conference is how few protestors there are outside. Usually one gets lots even in opposition - and many more when in government.

I hope this doesn't mean people have given up on protesting - that would not be a healthy sign. And it can't be because the policing is particularly aggressive, because it isn't - the police and security people have been relaxed and friendly to delegates and the relatively few protestors alike and it is not under this government or at this party conference that opposition spokesmen could be arrested for being too effective in embarrassing the government or octogenarian holocaust survivors arrested under anti-terrorism legislation for shouting "liar" at the then foreign secretary.

(No sense of humour - they should have charged him under section II of the Official Secrets Act.)

Perhaps it may simply mean that people have wised up and realised that shouting facile slogans outside a party conference is simply not the most effective way to persuade people of their case. Yet another sense in which the UKIP gentleman with a megaphone who appeared this morning is behind the times ...

Now off to find the queue to hear the PM ...

Comments

Jim said…
People are waking up, yes you still get the odd one or two. But in general people are beginning to understand how the system really works. Is not for the public to begging cap in hand to the political class, just to get the scraps from the table.

Its down to the politicians to come cap in hand to the people to ask for money to fund there (often misguided) ideas.
5:54 pm
Jim said…
^ i told you I make good coffee :o)
5:55 pm
Chris Whiteside said…
I think you're right that this should be the relationship between people and politicians, and that times are changing.

6:37 pm
Jim said…
The only thing a politician dislikes more than an opposing view is irrelevance. HO hum.......
8:13 pm
Chris Whiteside said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
9:45 pm
Chris Whiteside said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
9:46 pm
Chris Whiteside said…
For the avoidance of doubt, I didn't suggest that protest, or expressing opposing views, is a bad thing - rather the contrary.

9:46 pm
Jim said…
I never said you did say that oposition was a bad thing, I was simply pointing out the fact that one thing a politician hates more than anything else is being ignored.

Protesters I guess invigorate a politicians sense of self importance. A lack of protesters makes them feel uneasy
5:17 pm
Chris Whiteside said…
Actually there is one response, at least if it is coming from your opponents or ordinary voters, which is even worse than hostility or indifference.

It is even harder to take when your opponents start showing sympathy ...
1:06 pm
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