The party conference season is already under way (the Lib Dems were in Brighton this week, apparently) and with it the chance for lobbyists and thinktanks to bend the ear of politicians.

Usually this is done through hosting fringe events, where a handful of delegates who couldn’t get into more popular events demolish the free sandwiches and lukewarm white wine.

One organisation that will not be indulging in such activity this year is the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Obiter noticed as it planned its conference itinerary that the regulator was conspicuous by its absence. The SRA has hosted fringe events at all three main party conferences in recent years, with little discernible effect.

Indeed, in 2022 at the Labour conference in Liverpool, one SRA head honcho was ambushed by a lawyer wanting to know what business it was of the solicitors’ regulator to be involving itself in party politics at all.

‘All of this is paid for with my practising certificate fee and that’s high enough already, thank you very much,’ the delegate told a chastened SRA man.

The organisation confirmed to Obiter it has opted to stay at home this year and will not be hosting any events. We will judge in the coming weeks whether anyone notices the difference.

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