Wheres the free bubbly gone?
Once – not so long ago – like some great autumn migration, the giants of industry made the annual trek to Labour’s seaside conference. British Airways, Virgin, British Midland, B&Q, Somerfield, Pfizer, Lockheed Martin, even the Institute of Directors, packed the roll-call of exhibitors in 1999. An exhibition stand and a high-profile reception in a swanky hotel were essential. No longer. None of these companies will have an exhibition in Blackpool this year. In fact, Labour’s exhibition hall will host just four FTSE-100 companies. As for those swanky receptions, they’ve become a rarity. The corporate champagne risks positively drying up. What changed? Yes, economic conditions are tougher now than in 1999. Since 11 September 2001, everyone has been scrutinising every penny of expenditure. But that is only part of the story. When Neil Kinnock and John Smith launched their charm offensive towards the private sector at the end of the 1980s, it was a novelty. The party of labour had never be
