For a party so thoroughly rejected by voters at July’s general election, the mood at the Conservative Party conference was surprisingly upbeat.
Part of this may be the removal of governance burdens.
“Everything has gone terribly wrong, but it’s no longer our fault!” said one Conservative.
“You might think this would be a wake-up call, but it’s much better than that,” said a senior party official.
Sir Keir Starmer’s early missteps and governing difficulties have also brought huge joy to some in Birmingham.
“It turns out they find governance difficult,” said one former minister, barely concealing a smile.
After enduring years of Labour’s jibes about nepotism and nastiness, it’s now the Tories’ turn to laugh. Sir Keir Starmer’s expensive glasses have provided the punchline to many a speech.
The leadership contest that dominated the meeting this time put party members at the heart of the action.
The Conservative Party conference can feel a bit soulless at times. When the party is in power, activists face the danger of being outnumbered by corporate lobbyists.
But many lobbyists have now turned their attention to Labor and abandoned Birmingham.
Conservative officials said a record number of activists were speaking at the conference and they were enjoying unprecedented access to senior figures as the four leadership contenders courted and fawned over them.
Surrounded by novelty merchandise, from foam fingers to fake tans, they packed into the bar every night to discuss the relative merits of the four contenders.
But the Conservative leadership craze has not been felt by the public. An Ipsos Mori poll showed that 64% of the public did not care who won, and few had a clear idea of who the candidates were.
Not everyone in the conference bubble shared the celebratory sentiment.
One lawmaker – a vocal supporter of one of the leading candidates – said: “I don’t understand why everyone is so excited.
“I think it’s mainly MPs, not MPs. MPs seem to think it’s 2005 but it’s clear that no candidate is the new David Cameron.”
This refers to the last time the party turned its annual gathering into a talent competition to select a new leader.
Another former minister expressed concern that all the smiles in Birmingham were signs of denial and delusion.
The party is trying to learn from its disastrous electoral defeat.
They are encouraged by the idea that Labour’s majority is fragile and that Sir Keir is not as popular as Tony Blair was in 1997, the last time they were ousted by Labor in a landslide.
But they face a huge strategic challenge, both in winning back the support of Britain’s reformist right and Lib Dem voters.
They face the same huge demographic challenges.
Former minister Grant Shapps has struck a tone as he launches the new Conservatives United campaign, saying many 2024 Tory voters will not support them next time “because they will die”.
The same meeting was also told that the age at which most people vote Conservative rather than Labor has risen to 63.
Just because Tory members in Birmingham aren’t crying their beers down doesn’t mean the party is in good shape overall.
Those who give up their time and spend a small fortune on hotels and transportation to attend party meetings are a small minority of the most dedicated and motivated party members.
They do not necessarily reflect the mood of local party branches, which often struggle to muster enough troops to mount an effective campaign.
Former minister Mims Davies is among those calling for efforts to get young people on board.
The councilman suggested the party could start off less weird.
“I call it going to Narnia. You have to go through all the codes, get to the back of the wardrobe, break through and discover this strange and wonderful world full of strange customs.
“Everyone knows everyone. There’s always a meal and a raffle at the end.
“Once you’re in, you’re happier than you’ve ever been, but you forget to invite people in.”
No matter how bright the smiles are in Birmingham, whoever is elected as the new Tory leader on November 2 will have a job to turn things around.
