11 IT LOOKS likely that Labour will return to Brighton for the party's 1999 conference and that this will cause less trouble than it did last year.

The security operation for Labour's first conference since gaining power was enormous, with the central buildings used for it being turned into a secure fortress. But the security will be less oppressive next time now that both police and Brighton and Hove Council have learned lessons from the 1997 event. There will be no need to close either the Russell Road car park or Cannon Place which will make access to the town centre much easier. Events such as the Labour conference bring a lot of money directly into Brighton and there is an indirect benefit through the enormous publicity. There has to be a balance between protecting members of the Cabinet, especially after the 1984 bomb blast, and letting Brighton get on with everyday life. Next year may come much closer to getting it right.

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