For once, it has been good to see pro-pub agendas in evidence. The Beer Group, British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) and CAMRA all had a presence at all three conferences.
The BBPA did a mass lobbying exercise of the Cameroonian Tory candidates, presuming that some of these individuals will be MPs after the election and possibly in the government.
However, they have their work cut out judging by the excruciating performance of Tobias Ellwood at the recent Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers debate.
Even the Prime Minister got pubs into his speech. But alas only by suggesting councils can restrict opening hours for even the good, responsible pubs.
All of us who believe in the pub are stuck in a political conflict between tabloid-led screams to deal with booze Britain and the campaign to save the Great British pub. Politicians feel they have to be seen to be dealing with the former and only pay lip service to the latter, amazingly not seeing the connection.
Thanks goodness for one man speaking sense: Stephen House, chief constable of Strathclyde Police) who has said the pub is a responsible drinking environment that helps counter problem drinking.
Buy that man a pint (when he is off duty, and in a pub, of course).
Compare this to the extraordinary policy ideas coming out of the British Medical Association. Considering the doctors I know, I can only wonder if this was conceived after a few too many, so flawed are its conclusions. Alas too many people involved in the 'alcohol' debate still just don't get it.
So we need a cross-party manifesto for pubs. But we need a real manifesto, not just soundbites and it must tackle all the issues damaging pubs.
We need real protection for pubs in the planning system; an end to ill-judged beer duty rises and to irresponsible supermarket pricing; we need real reform of the bankrupt business model of the pubco tie and we need a cutting up of red tape and a change to a supportive not a catch-you-out licensing regime.
The general election next year will be a challenging and interesting one.
But considering the situation, all of us who care about and believe in the pub must make sure this is an election issue. We need all MPs and candidates in all the main parties signed up to this manifesto to save the pub. I am. Only
1,938 members, Gordon, Dave and Nick included, left to convince!
Greg Mulholland is MP for Leeds North West and chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Save the Pub Group.