Labour mulls ‘socially distanced’ conference because of Covid

A party leader who gives a speech to a half-empty hall would usually face questions about their popularity.

But Sir Keir Starmer could be forced to deliver a keynote address to a thin crowd this autumn, as Labour mulls the possibility of holding a “socially distanced” annual conference.

The idea is one of the options being considered by the party as it struggles to deal with the impact of Covid-19.

Last year, Labour, as well as the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, were forced to cancel their yearly conferences altogether because of the coronavirus crisis and hold virtual alternatives instead.

But the party is keen for this year’s event to go ahead.

“Conference is a very different thing for Labour than for some other parties,” a party insider said. “It is where decisions get made. It is not just a showcase like it is for others. Although we held an online event last year, it was not a conference in that traditional sense”.

Last year’s cancellation was seen as a blow to Sir Keir’s ability to establish himself with the party and the public, just months after he was elected.

Labour has recently been forced to defend their leader, after a number of opinion polls showed the party behind the government.

The leaders’ speech is viewed as a major moment in the political calendar.

Famous examples from the past include former Labour leader Neil Kinnock railing against Militant, telling the conference hall of his outrage at “the grotesque chaos of a Labour council hiring taxis to scuttle round a city handing out redundancy notices to its own workers”.

A socially distanced autumn conference would prove a major logistical headache. Thousands of people usually attend Labour’s autumn conference, which also plays host to hundreds of fringe events.

Some within the party believe a socially distanced conference could mean the party forced to limit attendance mainly, or even wholly, to delegates, leaving MPs, councillors and activists frozen out. They also believe there are question marks over whether businesses would want to pay for stalls seen by just a fraction of those who usually attend. Both issues were dismissed as “guesswork” by Labour sources. 

The issue of a socially distanced conference is understood to have been discussed at a recent meeting of the party’s ruling National Executive Committee.

A Labour spokesperson said no decisions had been made about the event.

He said: “Conference is one of the most important weeks in the calendar for the Labour Party but it has been hugely impacted by Covid-19. We will be laying out our plans nearer the time, prioritising the safety of attendees.”