Bright eyed and bushy-tailed, 16 OULCers arrived in Brighton desperate to believe. For some it was just the latest in a long career of Labour Party conferences, for others like myself this was just the start. For all it was clear that this was make-or-break time if we were to stand a chance of an historic fourth term next May.

After dumping our collective stuff at the hostel that electricity forgot, we headed straight for the conference hall to get our first taste of Brighton ‘09. And who greeted us on the big screen after only 30 seconds? None other than our very own Jacob Turner, Ben Lyons and Hannah Gomersall, paraded and showcased as perfect examples of how to campaign. Despite some sentiment that this was part of a giant plan of Jacob’s for world domination following his infamous stage seat at last conference, the sight of our illustrious leaders on the big screen was greeted with huge cheers, causing everyone around us large amounts of embarrassment. But we were not to be deterred, and when Martha Mackenzie and Hannah Cusworth helped collect Oxford East’s prize for the best campaigning PLC all hell broke loose on the balcony with an epic standing ovation.

Highlights of the next day included Mandy’s witty and rousing speech, collecting enough free stationary to fill a Rymans from the conference stalls, and the beginning of the Lyons-inspired fundraising drive that saw members of OULC cajoling celebrities and bothering innocent bystanders into sponsoring messages for Look Left. There was also time for some serious OULC bonding, with lunch at Zizzi’s and a generally acknowledged domination of Brighton freshers’ week at the local club!

The third day was the one we had all been waiting for, the big speech. Reflecting on the speech from the beach, there were mixed feelings from the Oxford contingent. Most were hugely supportive of the focus on policy, and electoral reform, while the scrapping of ID cards and green jobs were also warmly welcomed. On the other hand the rhetoric on single mothers was pretty roundly condemned, and nobody seemed quite as inspired as we all knew we had to be if the country was going to be convinced.

If I was to be brutally honest, the next two days saw a gradual dissipation of the initially excited conference mood. The feeling seemed to seep through the whole party that although we had been reminded of how important a Labour victory was, that victory seemed to be slipping excruciatingly from our grasp. In many ways the Labour Students Disco became a microcosm of the whole conference – the party faithful desperate to have a good time but restricted by some shocking choices of music which seemed to be desperately trying to convince us all it was still the 90’s. Even the sight of Ed Balls cutting some outrageous shapes on the dance floor couldn’t quite galvanise us.

In many ways then it was a tale of two Brightons – the first days marked by the enthusiasm and excitement of political engagement with OULC front and centre stage, the latter shrouded in scepticism and the creeping sense of how hard the election was going to be to turn round.