One of the unintended consequences of Boris Johnson’s decision to prorogue Parliament is that his party is now afflicted with a big headache over just what will happen to its conference, which kicks off in Manchester on Saturday.
A key plank of the government’s case for suspending parliament was that three of the five weeks would have seen the Commons vacant for the annual conference recess anyway. Now it has been voided, the Tories face holding a conference while the House sits. That is a considerable logistical challenge that no major UK-wide governing party ever has to grapple with (the SNP, whose conference traditionally takes place the week after the Commons returns from its September recess, schedule theirs to coincide with Holyrood’s parliamentary recess).
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