The country is failing to tap into conferences

As the political parties pack up after the conference season, a new poll has found that the vast majority of the public have no interest in the annual seaside gatherings.

New research for this website has shown that over 75 per cent of the public are not interested in the party political conferences, with only two per cent finding them very interesting.

When asked how "relevant" the annual conferences are to them, some 21 per cent found them "fairly irrelevant" with 52 per cent saying they were "not relevant at all" - and only two per cent found them "very relevant".

When it came to watching the party conferences, 77 per cent of the public say they "rarely or never" watch them on television.

"I think this research does mean the political parties need to consider the role of their conferences," said ePolitix.com editor Craig Hoy.

"While they do provide an ideal opportunity for party activists and those interested in policy and politics to mix, they are clearly leaving the vast majority of the public cold."

During this current conference season a number of major political figures from all parties have spoken of the need to use the platform to re-engage with the public and encourage support for their policies.

"What this research shows," added Hoy, "is that the structure and content of the current conferences will not bridge the gap between the general public and the politicians.

"It presents a demanding challenge for all parties to re-assess the role and format of the party conference season if they want to engage with the public."

The research was commissioned by ePolitix.com and carried out by nfpSynergy and TNS Consumer questioning 1,000 people in the week before the Liberal Democrat conference.