…this time via wi-fi on a swanky laptop (not mine, alas).

To the much-trailed bloggers’ reception last night, which was as enjoyable as promised. The headline story, of course, is that Oxford councillor and Nice Chap Stephen Tll won the Blog of the Year award, and well-deserved it was. Alex Wilcock gave a very good speech and I also met a number of bloggers for the first time, including Alex, Iain Dale and Millennium. (To the right, Iain and Mark Pack.)

After the reception, I pottered between bars, ending up in the ALG disco. To bed very late after a trip back to the conference hotel, but no worse for wear this morning. Not done much today – visited some stalls, played the BBC’s quiz (several times) on their stand, and missed Nick Clegg’s speech (excellent, so I’m told) because I go waylaid helping with a Killer Sudoku.

Off shortly to see Ming’s Q&A session and Ed Davey’s presentation on campaigning. But for now, lying in the sun…

BBC News 24 was reporting this morning that there will be a row over tax at this conference, and that Ming Campbell has denied the vote would of confidence in the leadership. He is right.

Much as this week is a nice holiday by the sea, we come down to debate real policy issues. The complaint levelled, fairly, against Labour and the Tories is that there is no real debate at their party conferences and the patry memberships only have a limited say. The Liberal Democrats are not like that – we’re a democratic party and we make policy together. Is it any wonder, though, that the other parties don’t risk this when substantive policy debate is repeatedly characterised as being about the media’s favourite subject, personalities.

When we debate the 50p tax rate amendment (which is an addition to, not a replacement for, Ming’s tax plan), we will deal with the substantive issue. Of course there will be disagreements: there is no absolute right or wrong on this. We will agree a position democratically, arguing which case is best for the party and, more importantly, for the country. Talk of the debate being a referendum on the leadership isn’t helpful and isn’t true.

If we always agreed on policy, there would be little point having a party conference.

Here I am again on the seafront, waiting this morning for the conference centre to open so I can, erm, go on teh internets. (And having written this on the seafront I have time travelled forward through the magic of waiting and am now editing it in the conference centre.)

Have just stuffed my face with a farmhouse breakfast, putting to rest any lingering after effects from last night. After a couple of trips to the LDYS Race Night, punctuated by popping out for chips, I enjoyed a couple more pints in the hotel bar. Then we went on to a mod club at the Royal Pavilion Tavern, where I switched to alcopops, danced a bit and sat at a table free associating (not on my own, you understand). There was too much soul music for my liking, but I deigned to swing my pants for The Jam, The Beatles and The Clash. Annoyingly, the venue’s “classic” indie night is on Fridays, so no chance to go this week.

Light agenda for today. Will pop along to the Liberal Democrats Online AGM at lunchtime. The highlight of today is, of course, the Bloggers’ Reception, featuring the eagerly anticipated Blog of the Year Award. (I ran into deservingly shortlisted blogger Stephen Tall on the beach last night, and Alex Wilcock in the bar who reported that Millennium Elephant was having a quiet night in. I have my doubts he would have got served in the bar anyway. But I digress.)