It’s difficult to overstate the importance of annual conference to our political parties.

There’s the policy side, of course – all very worthy and democratic and everything. But far, far more important is the cash. The filthy lucre, the notes. Pound signs from wall to wall – that’s really what conference is about.

Without the sizeable income from exhibitors, visitors and the media, the large hole in the various parties’ finances would be even larger than they already are, hampering their ability to employ staff and run an effective election effort.

For years, the Labour Party’s brilliant conference team slowly built up the party’s portfolio of exhibitors, so successfully adding zeros to the annual accounts that the leadership barely even noticed. So long as the cash rolled in, they didn’t mind having to take a couple of hours out of their schedules to tour the stands, having their photos taken for various organisations’ annual reports.