Ruth Sheldon

Ruth Sheldon (ippr): Returning to my home town of Manchester this week, I've found little I recognise. The Labour Party Conference is once again dominating the city centre, complete with the associated security, the highly visible yellow plastic barriers which mark the ‘secure zone' behind which hurried-looking delegates and politicians rush between hotels and the GMEX conference centre. Interestingly enough, just down the road, freshers' week is in full swing too.  Yet Mancunians are left to look on as students and politicians alike set about frantic and sometimes alcohol-fuelled networking, apparently oblivious to each other and the impact they're having on the city.

Manchester City Council and the Labour Party have been at pains to emphasise what they believe to be a mutual benefit of the conference coming to the city. But a poll in the Manchester Evening News suggests that Mancunians don't share the same view. Just over 75 per cent of respondents said they believed the conference would not benefit Manchester. This in itself demonstrates that there is a disconnect between politicians and the public.

Ippr north organised an event at conference that sought to redress the balance, by focusing solely on the public's views. With no ministers, no speakers and no pre-determined discussion topic it handed over the agenda to the participants.  Terry Christian hosted the event which involved residents from across the North West, including those involved in community groups as well as some local labour party activists.