By the sea

It won't be the same without the seaside. The decision by Labour's National Executive Committee to hold the party's 2006 conference not in Blackpool, as is traditional, but in Manchester is disappointing. That great city may have the resources to accommodate all those stout trade unionists and party hacks, but does it need the business as much as Blackpool? And for all Blackpool's shortcomings, there is a charm and tradition about the place that makes it ideal for a party conference. We hope to see the "Parliament of the North", as Blackpool was called by Tony Benn, welcoming back the brothers in 2007.

It won't be the same without the seaside. The decision by Labour's National Executive Committee to hold the party's 2006 conference not in Blackpool, as is traditional, but in Manchester is disappointing. That great city may have the resources to accommodate all those stout trade unionists and party hacks, but does it need the business as much as Blackpool? And for all Blackpool's shortcomings, there is a charm and tradition about the place that makes it ideal for a party conference. We hope to see the "Parliament of the North", as Blackpool was called by Tony Benn, welcoming back the brothers in 2007.