This General Election is fought as our troops are bravely fighting to defend the safety of the British people and the security of the world in Afghanistan. They bring great pride and credit to our country: we honour and will always support them. At the same time the world has been rocked by the first great crisis of the new global economic age.

Next year the Labour Party will be returning to Manchester for Annual Conference. The Labour Party’s Conference is the largest political conference in Europe, and I hope you will join us there. The Labour Party Exhibition is one of the highlights of our Conference. The stands are always highly informative, well-designed, and visited by a huge number of party activists, delegates, voluntary and business organisations, as well as many MPs. It is an ideal opportunity to share your message with a large audience, and to take part in a range of interesting