Which? Liberal Democrat conference guide, Autumn 2009

8/14/2019 Which? Liberal Democrat conference guide, Autumn 2009

1/24

INDEPENDENT EXPERT ADVICE

Burnemut

SPECIAl EDITIoN foR LiberaL democrat Party conference SEPTEMBER 09

Includes:

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Simply call 01992 822800 and quote WOCAMP today to try Which? o3 were conident youll discover new ways to save time and money

12

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LiBEraL dEmocraT parTy conFErEncE 09

03 A WelCome Rom WHiCH? welme frm w? cef Exeve, Peer Vry-Sm

04 ARouNd BouRNemouTH w? hldy kes y y frm e nferene ll

s y sme mre f brnem s ffer

07 iN SeARCH o SeRViCe Pee tynn nrdes w? Ll elpng y fnd relle,

ll rders nd serves, s remmended y w? memers

08 THe VoiCe o exPeRieNCe w 80 nferenes nder s el, ere n e fe mre

experened nferene-gers n heimesef pll

mmenr, Peer Rddell

10 WHiCH? ToP TiPSh ve sessfl pry nferene

12 YouR RigHTS i iT goeS WRoNg we ke lk sme ngs y mg ve se

mpln le nferene nd y n d

13 WHiCH? iNTeRVieW: NiCK Clegg w? ps e Lerl Demr leder n e sp

14 WHiCH? CAmPAigNSh w? nnes e peple n ms

17 WHiCH? PRoduCT ReVieWS tp-srng smrpnes, pls r selen f w? bes

bys nd neresng Frs Lks ge y rg nferene

22 did You KNoW?tngs y my n ve knn w? nd r memers

23 WHiCH? CoNTACT deTAilS h n s, nferene nd eynd...

CoNTENTS


3/24www.wc.co.

|3

a elme frm w?

ipe y enjy s nqe edn f w?,

prded spelly fr e 2009 pry nferene

sesn. i s een desgned gve y flvr

f w? pry nferene s.

we n y kn mkes w? e nmer

ne cnsmer cmpn, s, n re w? syle, s

spel pry nferene gde nldes n nnsense, n

s nd n ds.

w else ld e le rng y rly ndependennd rgly resered ser gde ellng y everyng

y need kn yr pry nferene n, frm

ere e nd fnd ll serves mpln f

yr el sn p e mrk?

hglgs nlde: w? hldys nferene n

rndp ngs see nd d n reks frm e

f pll nerkng, s ell s p n ples e,

resy fhe Good Food Guide.

and ge e nsde rk n e lls fvre ples

g nks w? Ll. amngs er ngs, fnd

ere ge yr lpp fxed, yr ses repred

nd e es ples slse rdng e resdens.Y n ek er ll remmendns n e

w? Ll ese.

w? Legl Serve ffers y p ps n d

sld ngs g rng, explnng snd p fr

yr nsmer rgs n everydy sns.

w? ned e erm bes by, nd ere e rng

y nmer f ndependen reves f yr essenl pry

nferene ger, frm e les smrpnes, lpps nd

mers, eres, rzrs nd rdryers.

b n nly , s gde prvdes y rl

nsmer nsgs ed f e nex generl elen.

as e ppr e elen, red e nsmer

prres s lned w? y yr pry leder.

Ler n s gde, e w? cmpgns em pdes

y n s rk lyng fr nge n nkng, el,

fd, energy nd e envrnmen, frmng r mnfes

n e rl nsmer sses.

Fr se dn kn m w?, y n

red mre eve eved, nldng

plns nd e med nk f s. and lk fr e

w? Pl affrs tems p ps fr sessfl pry

nferene.Ls, ernly y n mens les, i m delged

dsngsed jrnls Peer Rddell, he imes ledng

pll mmenr, prvdes s s prfessnl

ve f e gs nd ls f pry nferenes ver e yers.

in lsng, i n d n eer n qe Geffrey

he, en cnsmer affrs Mnser, n Lrd he

f aervn nd w? Presden, sd n 1972, e

nsmer needs ve ess nfrmn e

gds nd serves e mrke s ffer. te

nfrmn s e re nd n msledng.

i s e vlle n menngfl frm enles

e nsmer mke n nfrmed e.Nerly 40 yers n, ese se rds ve s m

resnne n s ey ever dd. w?s sness s

lys een e nsmer, nd e n y mke sre

s yrs, .

Enjy s spel edn f w?, nd plese d ke

e me me nd lk e w? em fnd

e n elp y, yr nsens nd skelders.

cn dels re nsde e k ver.

tnk y

Peter Vicary-Smith

Chief Executive, Which?

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know?

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4/24


bouRNEMouth

Rediscover the delights of the

British seaside from clean

beaches to pier entertainments,

Victorian gardens to modernrestaurants, there are plenty

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a hay r avc n yr rhts

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01992 822800, qtn WoCAmP.>>

MAGAZINESUBSCRIPTION

ofer

T two o Whch? Hoa o 3!

Good places to eat

n omw cl o m

Mp o j w o c

cg BiC? t loo

commo fom The

Good Food Guide 2010.

WestBeaChPier Approach

el: 01202 587785

www.west-beach.co.uk

Seafood, 25*

te fd perfely fs e srrndngs s glss-frned esde resrnlse e per. tp f e gend ssefd s s eve sllps rgrlled red psm sls (10)r se ss rs eer glzed ldfler nd vnll ney

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us vss. au 50

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sh. S www.bournemouth.co.uk.

ou s k The Good Food Guide 2010, whh

s vws h s sus, pus s h UK. all s

s k us sps. t p

8.50 plus 2.97 p&p (l p 16.99), ll 01903 828557 qu

GfGcP09. o vll ph l vl ul 15 o 2009.

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16/3/09 16:47:45

Enjoy BournEmouth

for frEEFg v m llow o o

fo f b mo o off:

Be a BeaCh BuM

Fr ll s er rms nd lres, eres n

gnrng brnems grges ees

s seven-mles r. Fr ees

ve rened ble Flgs s yer, le

brnem Per e s reeved e

ddnl lde f Qly cs ard.

tles sde, e ees emselves re free

frm ler, nd e ers re len. if e sn

rss Yrksre pddng(11.50) fr se smplerses nd ger dges.

the print rOOM

Richmond Hillel: 01202 789669

www.theprintroom-bournemouth.co.uk

Modern European, 25*te ld Dly E ldng s e sengfr s slng, lg nd ry rssere.te de mdern Erpen men sspplemened y express ems s seggs bened, nd e kng ssgd enl sklls. Llly sreddses nlde Drse Smkery me ndfs ssee sr, nd pn-fred flle fPle by se rem. te ne ls ssmeng s ll pkes.*Average price for a three-course meal

excluding wine

s sll snng n Sepemer, pll p dekr r gn n sme rk yll

fnd relly esy resse e gre

lve ffr e brs e resr.

Tip

GEttinG aroundall frnge meengs re lkle frm e b

f y need x brnem s ple

rnd 250 yell lensed xs nd 350 pr

re veles. Fnd rnks rss e n e

sde e sn nd rpr, nd sde

bic nd mn nferene els. Fr del

.rnem.gv.k/rnspr/rns

ll_rvel.sp r ll 0871 200 2233.i u lk uul lws, lk

u h Ws es cl ls.Tip

strOLL arOund the Gardens

Se n ree dfferen segmens f

Vrn splendr, e Grdens s e

mernme brnem lfe. te Ler

Grdens negr e se frn, e cenrl

Grdens s n e mddle f n, nd

eynd em y ve e upper Grden

te Ler Grdens ply s de

vrey f evens nd re me e

brnem Eye (see p5) nd avry.

Yll ls see sdens nd oaPs sng

y n e rzy glf rse. beeen

brnems y nd n yll mrss nless green spes, rngng fr

ilne rpl pn prdse.

expLOre and Learn

Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum

Russell-Cotes Road, East Cliff

el: 01202 451858

www.russell-cotes.bournemouth.gov.uk

te Rssell-ces Msem s sed n

f brnems ls remnng Vr

vlls nd dms vsrs free f rge. i

yre gng e Ryl b hel fr

frnge meeng, pp n sk p f

ll sry r js enjy e se ves.

(te msem s lsed n Mndys.)

G j pls

l wlk? S www.uuh

.uk .

Tip


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p tPeteheads up Which? Local and has worke

at Which? or 13 years making sure consumeget the inormation and advice they nee

Some local suggestions

Quoted distances are rom the Bournemouth International Centre

which? Local was set up in 2007

because there was such demand

rom consumers our members

to ind reliable local traders. From trusted

hairdressers to shoe repairers, Which? Local

is an easy-to-use website with 1000s o reviews

to help you ind reliable traders across the

UK, all tried and tested by Which? members.

Using local businesses can always be a bit

hit and miss, especially i you are rom out o

town. So i you dont know Bournemouth well,choosing a trader that comes recommended

can help guarantee a good service.

While you are at the Liberal Democrat

party conerence, you may not need a

plumber or window cleaner, but you might

want to know Which? Local members

preerred Bournemouth restaurants. Where

can you get your laptop ixed? Toothache?

Hair need doing?

To help you, weve listed a ew o our

members local recommendations. But i you

are looking or something else, you can

check out other local reliable traders by

logging onto www.wclocl.co. usingthe email address cofc@

wc.co. and password

BOURNEMOUTH2009.

.-ll..k

AWC (COMPuTer sHOP)

97 Commercial Road,Bournemouth, Dorset BH2 5R

el: 01202 789 269

Y dn n yr lpp fl y pry nferene. Experenng enldffles n ppen e rsmes s f yr lpp needs fx, awcmper repr sp ld elp sr eprlem. one w? memer sed awc reslve fled per spply nd wouldnot hesitate to recommends sness.

BArry C KniBBs (denTisT)81 Wimborne Road,

Bournemouth, Dorset BH3 7ANel: 01202 529552

te n se gre dsmfr,espelly en y re y frm me nferene. if yre n need f relledens brry c Kns s n fr y!one memer desred e denssextremely good dental caren w? Ll.

AnnABelles

(HAirdressers)22 Westbourne Arcade, Poole Road,Bournemouth, Dorset BH4 9AY

el: 01202 767162

if yre spekng frnge meeng ngnd e nferene s lef y dsevelled, y n pp dn annelles? one w? memer sd eyve great attention to detail, nd sredanelles vle s 5 f 5.

AruBA (MOdern eurOPeAnresTAurAnT)Pier Approach, Bournemouth,

Dorset BH2 5AAel: 01202 554211

if y n le yr r dn fer lngdy nferene, y n mke ar yrfrs sp. one w? memer re e good party atmospherend tasty foodand cocktailsn w? Ll nd red s

vle s 4 f 5.

Need something a bit more

unusual?

dJ Burgess (ClOCKsAnd WATCH sHOP)368 Poole Road, Branksome,

Poole, Dorset BH12 1AW

el: 01202 751 111Keepng n eye n me ll e essenl pry nferene. if yr reks,DJ brgess reprs ld elp sr e prlem. one w? memerspke f DJ brgess very good jobn repr ey ve mde se f erserve n mre n ne sn.

4.4MIlES

AwAy

1.4MIlESAwAy

1.1MIlESAwAy

0.1MIlESAwAy

1.7MIlESAwAy

iN SEaRch oF

SERVicE


8/24

thE VoicEoF EXPERiENcE

p rll is Chief Political

Commentator of The Times and

a Senior Fellow of the Institute for

Government. He has attended party

conferences for nearly 30 years,

apart from a couple of autumns

away in Washington DC

hearing, the great men and women o

their party. And there is always the tense

build-up to the big LEADERS SPEECH

(invariably in capital letters), which is

drated and redrated many times, and

then usually orgotten. Fewer than 10 o

the leaders speeches have stayed in my

memory, among them one or two o

Margaret Thatchers ater the Falklands

war in 1982 and ater the Brighton bomb

in 1984; I remember Neil Kinnock

conronting the Liverpool Militants in 1985;

the battles over nuclear deence policy at

the Liberal conerence in Eastbourne in

N, e pres rekeen presen

dfferen mge nd ld nferenes nbrns g es.

i you like hot, sweaty rooms; late

nights; lengthy security checks;

aded seaside resorts; warm white

wine; and, above all, are a political

obsessive, then thats why youve

blocked o three weeks in late

September and early October in your

diary. That is the party conerence

season, that annual ritual in which political

leaders, local activists, the media, and

lobbyists troop around the country on

a pilgrimage o power.

Over nearly 30 years I have attended

perhaps survived 80 conerences

o the main parties. I have the battle

honours o Blackpool, Brighton and

Bournemouth even, once, to

Eastbourne and, away rom the

seaside, to Harrogate and, more

recently, Manchester and Birmingham.

Some eatures are unchanged:

the same, eager buzz o earnest

conversations among local activists

relishing their chance o meeting, and

1986; John Smith ater Black Wednes

in 1992; Tony Blair proposing to rewr

Labours clause our in 1994 (though h

never mentioned this explicitly), and a

9/11 in 2001; and David Camerons tou

de orce in 2005 in seeking to becom

Tory leader.

Blackpool was the classic coneren

venue, but that is now in the past

because the main parties have turned

their back on the jewel o the north-w

or being too old-ashioned. Now, the

parties are keen to present a dieren

image and to hold conerences in

Britains big cities.

The spirit is now dierent, relecting

three big changes. First, a greater

concern with external impressions. U

the second hal o the 1980s, the

leadership used to sit behind tables o

the platorm staring out at the rank-an

ile, not only epitomising an us-and-th

attitude, but producing poor televisio

pictures. Peter Mandelson, then Labo

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9/24

1geT OFF TO A gOOd sTArT

Try to have a good morning walk

or swim any exercise will do

because you are going to spend the

rest o the day in hot rooms.

2

THinK AHeAd

Plan which ringe meetings you

want to attend. They tend to be

overcrowded. All the conerences

have good guides to what is on,

where. Avoid small hotels because

the meetings will be overcrowded,

and you will not get anything to eat.

3Be in THe rigHT PlACe

I you want to talk to a party

spokesman, go the headquarters

hotel since you are much more likely

to ind one there than by loitering at

the conerence centre.

4MAKe dinner reserVATiOns

Each o this years conerence

centres Bournemouth, Brighton

and Manchester has many good,

reasonably priced restaurants. But do

book ahead i you want to make sure

youre ed, and go reasonably early.

5eAsy dOes iT...

Part o the un o the conerences

is talking late into the night. But

remember, every hour, and every drink,

ater midnight means you will eel awul

the next day.

30 years conference-going experience, condensed into

five pearls of wisdom. Ignore at your peril...

Peer Rddells p fve srvvl ps

head o communications, changed all that

with his Red Rose branding o the party,

and the conerence. So increasingly

conerences have looked like a stage or

television set aimed at viewers at home

with constituency activists relegated to

being a studio audience. That has been

linked with greater stage management

o conerences, with rank-and-ile

motions being downgraded and the

leadership controlling agenda. The era

when Denis Healey, as Chancellor o the

Exchequer, was only given a ew minutes

at the podium during the 1976 inancial

crisis, and was booed or his pains, is

long gone.

Second, until the mid-1980s,

conerences were still airly inormal. But

the Brighton bomb at the Grand Hotel in

1984 changed all that. (I was staying at

the next door Metropole Hotel and slept

through the bomb since the noise o the

blast went out to sea and I was only

awoken by the helicopters as dawn

broke.) Since then, security has been very

tight both at conerence centres and

hotels. This has reinorced the sense o

conerences being cut o rom the towns

they are in.

Third, conerences have now become

trade airs commercial as well as political

events. The growth o privatisation,

contracting-out and the use o consultants

has increased the number o

organisations seeking to inluence

politicians, both locally and nationally.

The prolieration o stalls around the main

conerence hall has been a big source o

revenue or the parties in meeting the

cost o conerences. And outside groups

are also keen to sponsor ringe meetings

by think-tanks and the like with oten

two dozen on at the same time.

But, above all, conerences are

exhausting and unreal. I always eel that

I have returned to the real world when

I step o the train at Euston, Victoria or

Waterloo. And, even more poignantly,

they mark the transition rom late summer

to the colder, wetter weather o autumn.

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10/24

ouR toP tiPS

how to haVE a SuccESSFu

Peter Riddells top tips lead neatly into our advice on

how to get the most rom conerence. We hope thesetips will help you, whatever type o conerence person

you are party member, corporate visitor, working at

conerence, international guest or journalist and

whether you are a virgin attendee or, like Peter Riddell,

a veteran o many years standing

Our suggestions:

Pln yr dy y lkng e d

s n gde. te nferene

gde ll ve een prned eeks g s

n e ng p de. (ts ls y

e ven een le mke ny

remmendns n s gde n ms d

frnge evens, flr dees r ng-me

pres). and, f rse, rememer

gde n ls e es evens, s s

reepns sed y e g med mp

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11/24

M McLWhich? Public Aair

A political lobbyist or 15 yearwho has attended over 25 part

conerences. He works on issuesuch as legal services and pensions

PaRtY coNFERENcE

Dn gnre e peple gve

flyers le y qee fr sery

eks. if y d, y ldn ve g

py f s spel edn w?. in 2008,

s ls f deleges fnd

e w? mpgne se es (srry,

mpgne lvers, e re n ldng

even s yer!) Gven e g sery, pk

lg fr e dy ed.

Lk smr: dress fr e sn

nd er mfrle ses ll mes

yre gng e spendng lng me n

yr fee.

asde frm mprn flr dees,

qe mes re lys md-mrnng

nd md-fernn. Gr yr pprny

fll w? hldys dve n ngs

d llly, r even p n yr nrml

dy j.

if yre very keen, s gd me

mender rg e exn

snds. agrp ners n fll e

pll ViPs s ey ke er rgnsed

rs nd dn frge ve fr yr

fvre exn snd.

Frm ps experene, e nespper-

sed frnge meengs re lys

ms pl nd slly ge e ges

prfle spekers: cere b he Suns

cnservve Pry nferene frnge meeng

n 2008 mes mnd.

Rememer , despe e mssve

nges Peer Rddell s seen,

nferene s ls ppens n

e flr f e ll. Sk p e mspere

f y ve pss gves y flr ess.

if n, lsen n e Leders Spee n e

g sreens rnd e enre ( knd f

pll versn f wmledns henmn

hll/Mrry Mn).

Y dn need lg rnd

lpp s e nferene enre

nerne fs n sep n e re

f neessry.

if o o g

bg, cofc

w oo o

omo l

, og mg wll

l lo of oo ql ol

wc. if o c, o

wgl olf vo o

b ll l

g m cofc

ol. nwog, wm o, b o ob!

use w? Ll fnd ll

remmendns frngs y need

(see pge 7)

.-ll..k

N need leve e nferene

enre ge s r smps; e

n-se Ps offe ll ve s mne

nd my even ve smped psrds

send lved ne.

Exrs re redy sre f gs,

sees nd er freees (espelly

fr se ldren).

Dn frge yr mle pne

rger, f y d, pp n e

exn enre ere sme f e

exrs ll ll y p p yr

ery lfe.

d l of w. avo

bg f w fo

ov. almo 75% of o mmb

wll fo w w

o. i Wc? lf of

Wc? mmb c

ffc bw bol w.

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12/24


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|12

n v kg jus w kw ? Whh? Lgl

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lws hlp u. W xs l hlp u xs u ghs.

f u susg .leglserve..k

accommodationYoure disappointed with your

conference hotel. What can you do?

Accommodation at conerence is oten

Youve not cometoconference tohaveabad timebutwhat areyour rights ifthings go

wrong?Herewe takea lookatsomethingsthatyoumight havecause tocomplain a

boutwhileatconferenceandwhat youcandoabout it. Forouradviceon othermatterslikereturninggoods toashoporyour rights whenpayingforgoodsand servicesbycreditcard, takealookatourwebsite

www.which.co.uk/advice/your-rights

YouR

RiGhtS

train dElaysWhat are your rights if you miss

a fringe meeting at conference

because your train was late?

Each train operator has a passenge

charter setting out the amount you

can claim i your train is delayed.

Your claim will vary rom company t

company and the type o ticket, as

will compensation which may take

the orm o cash or vouchers. For

example or a daily ticket, Southern

Railways provides a 50% reund or

delays o more than an hour and a

ull reund or delays over two hour

Virgin would provide a 25% reund

ater an hour delay and a ull reund

i the delay exceeds two hours.

South West will give you a ull reun

i your train is delayed by more than

an hour due to a ailure o the rail

industry. See operators websites

charters and claim procedures.

NEED MoRE aDVicE?

p McCo Which? Legal Servi

advises Which? members orange o consumer issu

rEstaurantsYour dinner for conference contacts

goes wrong. What can you do?

When you book a table or sit down to eat,

you enter a contract with the restaurant and

have a right to expect a certain standard o

service. You shouldnt, however, expect ine-

dining levels o service rom a burger joint.

I ood is not as described, the restaurant

is in breach o contract. I you were tempted

in by the sound o reshly caught ish but are

served something rozen, you have the right

to reject that item. You can order another dish

(and pay only or the replacement), or deduct

the cost o the rejected dish rom the bill.

Food o a poor standard or example

part-rozen or burnt can also be rejected

but youre not entitled to your whole meal

or ree i only one dish is poor. A decent

restaurant may well oer this, though.

I you are told about a compulsory service

charge, you must pay it, unless the service

was very poor, in which case you can reuse

some or all o it. I the charge is not clearly

shown you are within your rights not to pay it.

variable and hard to ind, but wherever

you stay it should match the brochure or

website description you relied on beore

deciding to book. I it doesnt you could

have a claim against the owners or

misrepresentation and breach o contract.

I your room is noisy, unclean or not up to

the advertised standard, complain to the

manager straight away. I the problems

cannot be resolved, ask to be moved i

thats possible. As a last resort you could

move hotel and claim back the extra cost

you incur in doing so.

dry clEanErsOn collecting your dry cleaning, you

found your trousers and jacket are now

different shades. Where do you stand?

The Supply o Goods and Services Act

1982 requires any trader providing a

service to do so using reasonable ca

and skill. In addition, any materials the

use, such as the cleaning agent, must

o satisactory quality and it or

purpose. I either alls below standard

you can claim or any damage caused


13/24


14/24


The credit crunch and the impact of the

recession have had a profound effect on

consumers. And as we enter the final months

before a general election, our campaigning

work is more important than ever

MaNiFESto:coNSuMERS = VotERS


15/24www.wc.co.

|15

Lo hoHead o Campaigns at Which

Louiseworks across a range o issues including oodhealth, retail and personal inance, and led the award

winning endowment action campaign helping consumer

claim compensation or mis-sold endowment policies

when asked about Which?,

most people naturally think

o our magazine. But we

also have a vital

campaigning role working on behal o all

consumers, not just our subscribers and

members. Thats why, over the last 50

years, weve been campaigning on issues

that deliver real beneits to consumers

everyday lives.

PuttinG consumErs

firstW o w w o

govm o fo com?

No political party can ignore the huge

impact business and public services have

on everyday consumer decisions. Thats

why we campaign so hard to put the

consumer at the oreront o public

policy-making.

And no political party can ignore

consumers, least o all 700,000 Which?

members. And according to our research,

91% o our members say they will vote in

the next general election.

Our main demand is that consumers

are put irst. All 45 million voters are also

consumers. Too oten the potential impact

o policy-making on consumers is an

aterthought.

We believe the eight consumer

principles should be the starting point or

making public policy work or consumers,

just as they should be or the private

sector. These principles apply in every

sector: rom health policy to the regulation

o inancial services.

WE Want intElliGEnt

rEGulationRegulation oten means more legislation

but or whose beneit? We want to see

intelligent regulation that puts consumers

irst. Headlines shout, nearly every day,

about red tape strangling Britain and

holding business back. Our public services

talk about serving their customers but

oten ail to match expectations. Politicians

used to vie to be the most deregulatory

and promise to reduce the burden on

business. All that has changed with recent

events in the economy.

The cost o regulation is ultimately borne

by the consumer in the orm o higher

prices (or taxes) so we support moves to

reduce the overall cost o regulation. But

as least as important as cost is the orm o

regulation.

W o w m b llg glo?

Consumer-acing regulation should be

viewed as setting the ramework or well

unctioning markets

Even the most open markets must

operate with minimum standards o

protection

Judgements about the need or

regulation should be made on a case-by-

case basis

Where there is a need or intervention

the possibility o lighter touch

interventions should be explored irst

The success o regulators depends on

clear objectives, high standards o

governance, transparency and eective

enorcement

At the next election, we hope political

parties will commit to backing our call

or intelligent regulation, with responsible

business and responsive public services

helping to deliver a competitive

UK economy and goods and

services that meet the needs

o the consumer.

Te eight

consumer principles

aCCess:are consumers leftout in the cold?

ChOiCe:are consumers facedwith no choice, Hobsons choice,

or even too much choice?

inFLuenCe andrepresentatiOn:do

consumers have a voice?

QuaLity:are services up to

scratch?

inFOrMatiOn andeduCatiOn:do consumers know

whats good and whats not?

redress: are consumerscompensated for shoddy service?

saFety: is anyone playing fastand loose with public wellbeing?

VaLue FOr MOney:areconsumers getting what they

pay for?


16/24www.wc.co.

|16

Fr mrenfrmn n

r mpgns rk vs

...k/mpgns

dElivErinG for

consumErsW w wog o ow w

o w w o ?

Our work is very broad. While the political

ocus may understandably lie on the state

o the economy, the business o

government goes on across a huge range

o issues that impact consumers. Thats

why our work encompasses health, ood

and energy policy, as well as the impact

o the current economic situation.

With the ongoing economic crisis,

Which? is campaigning or a root-and-

branch reorm o banking and inancial

services. We think banks should be

simpler, saer and stronger, and regulation

should have the consumers interest at its

heart. Consumers want core banking

services they can trust, delivered at a

competitive price in a air way.. W w b

oco fo vg;

f mogg

vg ; com

o

bo blc bo;

mo obl

lg cc.. W w govm o oll o fol mo gc vc.. W w o commo bov l wc l o

mllg o oc

bg ol o com.

Our latest research shows that our in

ive people are actively trying to choose a

healthy diet, but a number o actors still

make this diicult or many o them. O

nutrition campaign continues to call o

action to help consumers, such as

improved labelling and restrictions on

promotion o oods high in at, sugar asalt to children.. W w o

govm f

lo ow

cv c

omoo, c,

b c b

o l ol m

l foo coc.

Were challenging Ogem and the

government to do more to help

consumers understand their energy b

and taris. Conusing bills and an arra

complex taris make it very diicult o

consumers to understand and reduce

their energy consumption and costs. T

is unacceptable at a time when prices

high and there are increasing number

people in uel poverty. We are aced w

the potential or uture energy shortag

and drastic action is needed to comba

climate change.. W w o ml

g bll log w

, com

ff o m

fo com o

c

g vg mo

vom.

We are campaigning or people to h

inormation on what dental treatments

and services they can get on the NHS

and what they should be paying or it.

Our research has ound that three mil

people tried but were unable to get a

appointment with an NHS dentist in th

past two years. People have also told

us theyre conused about what denta

treatments they can get on the NHS

and what they have to pay or.. W w ll com o b bl

g goo ql nhs

l c, lc

cov o m,

wll cl fom

bo m

co bfo .



17/24www.wc.co.

|17

Features head-to-head

Which mobile phone has the most smarts

Apples iPhone 3GS or the Blackberry Storm?

Which? put them through their paces

when it comes to smartphones, Apples

iPhone 3GS and Blackberrys Storm have

been grabbing headlines and wooing ans.

With both mobiles oering web suring, email, music

and movies on the go, Which? cuts through the hypewith our latest mobile phone tests. Its Apple against

Blackberry: lets get ready to crumble...

t

BlackBErry 9500 stormFree on Vodafone contractTh Bst By Backbrry Str s a antastc

b phn an ts th rst tchscrn

BackBrry. Cparsns wth th App Phn

ar bvs. Th Str s abt th sa sz,

an bth sartphns ar nat by ar,

car spays.

Th Strs nnvatv 8.25c tchscrn

ss a syst whr t sct sthn y

prss wn n th scrn sn yr nr,

wth th avanta that t sh stp y

r accntay anchn appcatns r

snn as.

entrn tt s strahtrwar. in anscap

, y s a cnt-sz Qwrty kypa.

in prtrat , tw r r charactrs shar

kys a stp that BackBrry srs w b

aar wth. Th BackBrry Str has

antan ts bsnss rts an ts st

capab tn mcrst oc cnts.

Thrs a cnt 3.2mp cara, athh

t strs n cntns. its ta

payr wrks w, an thrs as gPS an

BackBrry aps. ast ntrnt sps arpssb thanks t th 3g an HSdPA

cnnctns, bt n r tsts th Str str

t pay v r wbsts. Wr a tt

srprs that ts nt W- capab.

Ps: Tchscrn, abty t t mcrst

oc cnts

cs: N W-, avaab ny n a Vancntract

aPPLE

OFFiCe TAsKsaess wrd, spredsees, nd ffedmens n e g s essenl fr dyslys-nneed mle ser. Pne s ennevy, Srm js edges ssness fs.Winner: Blackberry Storm

COnneCTiViTyFrm g-speed w-F nerks fser3G nnens, y dn n frd dnld, nd e lk f w-Fndermnes e Srm.Winner:Apple iPhone 3GS

APPliCATiOnsapples app sre s ens f snds fpplns mny f em free ples lg yers ed f ny er mle pne.Winner:Apple iPhone 3GS

MulTiMediAte apple Pne s ls n Pd ferng

nsrpssed ms, vde nd p veng.Winner:Apple iPhone 3GS

CAMerANeer pne sprs e knd f mer ll e gd eng reple dgl mer, apples lk f feres les dn.Winner: Blackberry Storm

t

aPPlE iPhonE 3GsFree on O2 contractApp says ts atst , th Phn 3gS,

rs astr ntrnt wnas, a bttr

cara an battry , an ts r stra

r mP3, v an pht s. or tnsv

b phn tstn spprts any ths

cas, akn t n th bst phns

wv tst.

Sar n sn t ts prcssr, t

whs th sa hty 137 an s nat

by a ar 7.55c crysta-car tchscrn.

its sp t typ as sn th vrta

kybar, an wb pas k rat an ar

sp t navat. its qck, t w wr

ab t wna a ata-havy wb pa n

ha th t th Phn 3g.

Hwvr, th cara pra s st,

wth tt prvnt n pctr qaty,

thh t wrks qcky an has a tchscrn

atcs syst. Th ack a ash ans t

prrs pry n ht.

Whn t cs t payn sc, th Phn

s a car wnnr as ts as a -atr

P, wh Apps App str whr ycan wna tns thsans tn r

appcatns (r th ncrby s

t th wnrht wr) s a strn sn

pnt y k t a nw nctns.

Ps: astr prranc, nr battry ,an r stra capacty

cs: Cara st nrprrs, t to2 ntwrk

Fr mre prd nfrmn g ...k

79% 77%

bLacKbERRYversus


18/24


19/24

handshoE mousEmus 105As t rc th rsk rpttv

stran njry (RSi) whn sn yr sktp

cptr r aptp. Th sn rcs

y t v yr wh han an ar

whn y v th s whch, th

anactrrs ca, rsts n a r

natra pstn. W thnk t tak s

ttn s t, bt wth prsvranc

y sn n t s r natra.

www.wc.co.

|19

which? INVESTIGATION

Dry cleaners putthrough the wringer...

Y mg nk

prfessnl drylenerld e

le ge smple,everydy sns ffyr les ndrern em y n gdndn. well,nk gn.

we sned 48denl skrs red ne, dle

rem nd vngree(e sn s 25-50mmrss) nd k em n nd ndependendry leners rss euK e lened.

tese sns mefrm e ree mngrps (vegele,pren nd fy) ndre mng e msmmn mrks fndn les. te skrsd lels lerly

sed ey eremde f nd eysld e lened.

we sen skr sned n e sme y n ndependenlener e kne flled e rre predre, ndkep ne s mprsn.

Our FindinGs Js fr f 48 dry leners rerned e skr n n

eple ndn.

try-ne fled len ff ll e sns.

Nne srnk r sreed e skr (knn s dsrn)y n neple mn, ey dd remve esns.

Fr fled press e skr eply, g ey ddmee e eple sndrd n sn remvl nddsrn.

one sp gve s k e skr vng fled len ffe ree sns nd er sns n s ell! asend srnk e snd y lms 3.5m.

Our experts said:is sers nern nsmers re

effevely engdefrded y leners dn delver eserve fr ey

re rgng.

satnavG nuv 860t 370Th bst crrnty avaab satnav

wv tst. it s asy t s, an

rs strn prranc acrss

a assssnt aras. it s asy t

nsta an th asst any t

prra r tstrs n th

vc rcntn syst vry

rspnsv an s. A

prran can b n sn

ths atr, wth n n t

tch th scrn at a.

diGital camErac dgl ixus 870 iS 225Ths s, stysh 10mp cara r

Cann s a Bst By ts spy,

an a qaty s prssv r a

cara ths cass. Th 4 ptca

z s ratvy sa, bt t starts

at a w an 28

ths s rat r takn rp shts

nrs r captrn w

anscaps. Thrs an ptca a

stabsr bt nt th ns t hp

rc th cts shaky hans.

t

PockEt

camcordEr

flp Ul Hd 160Ths asy-t-s vc cant

rva a -sz Hd cacrr

r qaty, bt ts a r

pan cps t YTb. it

s shty arr than a rn

b phn at ss than 3c

thck, bt t w asy t nt

st pckts. Thr ar sr

pckt cacrrs avaab,

hwvr, ncn th p mn

Hd an Cratv Va Hd.

t

t

t

W ar htn erp t nsrthat y rtan th rht t rtrnaty s wthn s yars

W chan th aw t svry tth ant anrs a s nchrns tys

Te full text of this investigation can be found in Which?,

April 2008.


20/24


www.wc.co.

|20

bEiNG

away

t

mEns WEt razor

Gll fus Pw Slh 9.99Th v-ba battry-pwr razr vs

an cptnay cs shav an cs wth

an n ba r bars an sbrns.

A battry n th han pwrs a vbratn

nctn t prv razr-, an thrs

a w battry ncatr, t. mana

vrsns ar as avaab.

I youre ill-groomed and exhausted

come day two o conerence, here

are some Best Buys and First Looks

to keep you going to the bitter end...

t

handPrEsso Wild80.00

Ths aks cnt sprss

yr wn t pt th rt n.

Wth th Hanprss, y crat

th prssr rathr than ryn n

sta-pwr prssr systs

tratna sprss akrs.

t

hairdryErbblss e d 17its sn t ry yr ha

ast as tp--th-ran 20

ryrs wh sn ny ha

nry. W n t v

ca t atch th ryn s

r pwr ryrs. it tsa t r r tstr t

n har whthr sh s

1000W BaByss ec dry r

2000W san-sty harry

>>Didyou

know?

W na an sha cpans that s cbrtsjnk n yr chrn

W ar wrkn t ak t asrr pp t n an arabnta tratnt

or wrk ans that y can nws what a gP ts an pyr rnsranc r abt y

Wr wrkn t stp cpanssnn y nsct crt carchqs r rasn yr crt t


21/24www.wc.co.

|21

which? INVESTIGATION

Switching frombottled to tap water

only 17% f w?

memers drnk sllled er me.

unsrprsngly,w? memersdrnk mre leder en eyre nd . wlenly 17% fmemers drnk sllled er me, 68% drnk en eyre

sppng r rvellng ne uK nd 41% se n fs nd resrns.b f yre ppy p er, y dn rellyneed y led.

pLan aheadcrry resle le ndp p p er me r rk. bppng p p ern e g n e rky.

one de s nsll p er refllng sns (smlr

vendng mnes) n pl spes. tmes wer,wse w nd e Greer Lndn ary vennned plns pl 10 f ese p er snsrnd Lndn.

tey ll prvde ygen y ydre Lndnersn e g nd ld e free. if e de spreds rss e uK ld ve rel mp n r er-drnkng s.

askinG FOr tap Water in restaurantsDn e emrrssed js sk e resrn fr jg f er yr mel.

Resrns verrge fr led er s 87%f y nk. clrdges s er men f 23 ers frmrnd e rld, e ms expensve sng eeqvlen f 40 lre. b f yre n er nnssernd smply n glss f er yr lnme sndr yr resrn mel, dn e frd sk fr p. Even eclrdges men ffers p er free f rge.

alms 75% f w? memers sy ey ll sk fr per en ey re eng . b 20% dm feelngemrrssed.

t

mEns ElEctric razorPhlps a rQ1075 210Wth th k darth Vaar abt t, ths

back an shny r Phps shavs

csy an crtaby. Th thr rtary

has ar ach sprn a, awn t

t ana aca cntrs ths aks r

a crtab shav that ts qt cs.

WomEns razorsGll Vus dv 6.55Th gtt Vns dvn has thr

sprn-a bas st n a ar

rn pvtn ha. usrs wr

prss by th csnss an

crt th shav an hw asy

t s t cntr. Th bas scr tp

arks r rabty, an thrs tt

rsk cttn yrs. Th Vns

dvn cs wth a hany cntanr

whch r srs v.

rEcharGEaBlE

aa BattEriEsdull rhgl

avchg 10 (packof four)

Ths AA rcharab battry

r drac w n r

tsts. its n th nw w

s-schar rcharab

battrs an cs

pr-char an ray t s.it cas t hav a capacty

2000Ah an r tsts

br ths t. onc y

char, th battrs ha

a typca rnnn t

arn 6.3 hrs.

alms 75% f rmemers sy ey llsk fr p er en

ey re eng .b 20% dm

feelng emrrsseden skng.

aa disPosaBlEsegz Ul Lhu 100%6.99 (pack of four)

Th enrzr lth s th ny

th AA battry n tst an ts

prranc cary shws th

avanta ths tchny as t

scrs tp arks n a r tsts.

its prcy bt t cs n hh-ran

statns whr t kp

sthn k a ta cara

wth spay rnnn r nary 4.5

hrs br bn hast.

t

t

t

Whch? bb t crat th StanarsAncy n rspns t th BSe crss, t hpnsr that yr s sa

W wrk wth cpans tak sr that thy t th ant at, sat an sar n thr prcts

Te original text of this investigation can be found in Which?,

August 2008.


22/24


www.wc.co.

|22

What people have said about Which?...

Which? is in rude healthits refused all placements, an

the pages are filled with rigoro

analysis. After half a century

that credibility is what still

makes Which? a best buy.

The Guardian, 2008

Which? is highly

selective in its campaignsand its research is thorough. So

when it exposes rip off products,

prices or services, it is immediately

trusted by consumers and

sends shock waves to affected

companies and traders.

The Times, 2007

Caveat Emptor is Latinfor for Gods sake read

Which? magazine and the small

print before you buy anything.

The late Miles Kington,

columnist.

WhiCh?thrOuGhthe deCad

Mre n mllnpeple ve engged r mpgns

n sses frmnkng refrm fd lellng.

or reser ss 91% f r ssrers

ved n e 2005 generlelen... nd 92% f em

sy ey ll ve n e nexgenerl elen.

Mre n 1.6 mllnpeple mn rss

e uK red w?.

Mre fs

>>Didyouknow

?

on verge, erere ell ver 1,000w? ssrers

n everyprlmenrynseny.

t

t

tt

t


23/24www.wc.co.

|23

PubLic aFFaiRS: or emFrom left to right:

M McL: Contact Mark about our

campaigning work in legal services,

pensions and housing. His email is

[email protected] sm: Michelle is the Public

Aairs Manager. Contact her about anything

to do with Which? or consumer issues both

in the UK and EU, but also about our

campaigning work on ood. Her email is

[email protected] p: Contact John about our

energy and environmental campaigning

work, as well as the impact o nano-

technology. His email [email protected] poj: Contact Paula about our

campaigning work in the health and social

care sectors, such as dentistry, long-term

care and cross-border health. Her email

is [email protected] Jo: Contact Phil about personal

inance issues, in particular banking,

mortgages and lending, as well as

mis-selling o PPI. His email is

[email protected] Wo: Contact Tori about personal

inance issues, in particular banking

regulation, competition issues and the

uture o inancial advice. Her email is

[email protected] Cl: Contact Julia about any issue

aecting Scotland, in particular thosedevolved to the Scottish Parliament and

Government. Her email is

[email protected]

Whch? lt 2009 Ths has bn prc r nra nratn an ntrst ny.

Whch? aks vry frt t nsr that th nratn n th s crrct bt w cann

arant that t s 100% r naccracs, rrrs an ssns. Th ay nt b

rprc, str n a rtrva syst, transtt n any r r thrws a avaab

t thr parts wtht th wrttn prssn martyn Hckn, etr, Whch?. Crca

s th s nt prtt.

Et mark mclarn; desge Sarah Bary;

put et mk Aat;

ptg Chartrhs Prnt manant

Charity number 296072

Whch? mch mo tha a

maaz w hav vao

vc to hp o t th bt

poct a vc, a ma

co av o mo.

WHiCH.CO.uK

gt hnrs rprts nn, wth th

atst Bst Bys, prcs an avc, as w

as brakn nws.

WHiCH? MAgAZine

ea [email protected]

t rspn t any artc.

ea [email protected] y

hav a stry r s t nvstat. us

[email protected] r r ask

th prts pa. ea hlpw@

whh..uk t hp r rsarch

MeMBers HelPline

r avc, Whch? brs can ca

01992 822800 (mn-r 8:30 18:00 an

Sat 9:00 13:00). ea whh@whh.

.uk r wrt t Whch?, gascyn Way,

Hrtr Sg14 1lH.

suBsCriPTiOn Queries

Ca 01992 822800.

WHiCH? legAl serViCe

www.whhlglsv..uk

01992 822828 Sbscrb t t nt

phn avc r r prt cnsr

an pynt awyrs.

WHiCH? lOCAl

N a trar y can trst? Ths brs-

ny srvc sts thsans ca

bsnsss rat by Whch? rars. r

r nratn, vst

www.whh-ll..uk

WHiCH? sWiTCH

uswww.whhswh..uk

(0800 533031) t cpar nry tarfs

an sav n bs wth r r swtchn

srvc.

cn w?

h n sa cofc, o c

coc b:

spott ao thcoc ct

r o patcoc ctamob cotact mb:07970 132 794

r o oc:020 7770 7214

emlg :

[email protected].

cve ge: Aay

ias; Bscb Pr,

Brnth, uK.


24/24


Which? exists to makeindividuals as powerful as the

organisations they have to deal

with in their daily lives.

Which? Liberal Democrat conference guide, Autumn 2009

Documents

Transcript of Which? Liberal Democrat conference guide, Autumn 2009