The UK’s Raucous Party Conferences Are Worth Emulating in the US

At the boozy parties in Liverpool’s bars and restaurants during the Labour Pary’s annual conference, the whisper was that Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham had overreached in his shamelessly overt challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer; the would-be contender was found wanting. By the end of the four-day gathering, it was generally agreed that the crisis hanging over the leader had abated — for now.

That’s the gift of conference season. It offers an annual check-in for political parties and their core voters, holding up a mirror to see how they feel about themselves, to try out potential future leaders and define the major issues facing the country.