Cllr Iain Lindley’s Diary

I’m never entirely sure whether the Sunday before Conference actually counts as the first day or a bit of a precursor, but it was certainly a busy enough day!

I had a very productive afternoon down in Irlam and Cadishead with colleagues and friends delivering leaflets and talking to local residents about the issues that concern them. We had a warm welcome (as always) and the feedback was positive and constructive.

From there, a quick dash into Manchester for a meeting with representatives from GMITA, GMPTE, Network Rail and Stephen Hammond MP from our shadow transport team. This was a really productive session and I hope I was able to get across the concerns of commuters who use the stations at Walkden, Eccles, Patricroft and Irlam. This evening I’m going to the Network Rail and GMITA fringe meeting so I will return to this topic in more detail after that.

Later in the evening, it was great to catch up with friends and acquaintances from across the country in the Conference hotel bar.

Plan for today:

• Short meeting with representatives from the Royal British Legion later this morning.
• At lunchtime I’m chairing the Tower Hamlets fringe meeting, an invitation I was delighted to accept. The Conservatives in Tower Hamlets do a fantastic job in what traditionally is a difficult area politically for Conservatives and I look forward to listening to them.
• This evening I’m at the GMITA/Network Rail fringe on the future of rail travel in the north, with guest star host Andy Crane. Should be a great event.
• After that I’m attending the Scouts Speak Up event which is at a venue on Princess Street.

That’s before I even make it into the Conference hall…