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Showing posts from October, 2017

Labour Party Conference at Brighton

  As Chair of the International Affairs Unit, I attended the Labour Party Annual Conference in Brighton in September. It was fresh and it was loud. I constantly heard people saying “this is my first conference”, a reflection of how much the party membership has grown in recent years. Of course, there were still many familiar and friendly faces, particularly from the Labour Party Irish Society (LPIS). We’ve worked closely together on various campaigns and over the years myself and other Irish members have crossed the sea to join with the LPIS to canvas for candidates such as Ken Livingstone, John McDonnell and Catherine West. In turn, LPIS members have done likewise. For instance, former LPIS Chair Conor McGinn, now Labour MP for St Helens, canvassed for me in Slane in 2011. This year the topic on everyone’s lips was Brexit. Brendan Howlin gave a number of well-received speeches about its impact on Ireland, including a barnstorming one at the LPIS Reception. The LPIS als