The Conservative Party conference has historically been a magnet for protesters, from climate change activists to opponents of Partygate.
But as Kemi Badenoch hosts its annual gathering in Manchester this week, the streets around the convention centre are eerily quiet.
Protesters, even including the notorious anti-Brexit demonstrator Steve Bray, have not bothered to show up, in a sign of the fading relevance of the Tories under Ms Badenoch.
Speaking to The Independent, one shadow minister on Monday noted that “something is missing”, noting that the usual crowds of protesters had failed to gather.
It is not just protesters, however, who are staying away from the conference this year. A walk around the conference hall or a trip into the main hall shows just how few activists thought it was worth the trip to Manchester.
And a look at the stalls spread throughout the conference centre show businesses, charities and lobby groups have concluded the party is not worth their time either. Many stalls, which would previously have been a key source of cash for the party being taken up by businesses, are left empty with Conservative branding in place instead.
All in, the conference exhibition hall is a shell of what it was in previous years, and attendees at the conference could be forgiven for forgetting who their leader is, as Ms Badenoch’s face is far from the most prominent in the exhibition centre.
Instead, the main hall is plastered with pictures of Margaret Thatcher as the party harks back to its days under the Iron Lady’s leadership.
The merchandise stall is flogging mugs, Christmas baubles and bottles of whisky bearing Thatcher’s face as the Conservatives celebrate what would have been her 100th birthday.
Despite the milestone, the prominence of Thatcher makes the absence of Ms Badenoch all the more stark. After polling guru Sir John Curtice said the Tory leader has failed to make an impression on the country, it is the sign of a party unsure of itself, clinging to a bygone era in which it had a strong, unwavering leader.
Another former leader is prominent in the conference arena, with attendees able to speak to an AI-generated Winston Churchill supplied by a digital consultancy.
Meanwhile, prime exhibition spots have been taken up by Conservative party gimmicks – including a funfair game called “Labour’s circus of despair”, where you can spin “Rachel Reeves” wheel of tax and “whack a taxpayer”.
And, in another indicator of the Conservative Party’s decline, what would usually have been a packed train from London to Manchester on the opening day of its conference was practically empty.
Meanwhile, the usually packed bars, restaurants and cafes dotted around the conference centre have hardly anybody in them. There was one big attraction, with a fringe event featuring Badenoch’s former leadership rival James Clevely filling up 15 minutes before it started.
And the Conservative Party was on the attack on Sunday, with press officers passing round a goody bag stuffed with its immigration plan as well as an anti-Rachel Reeves pamphlet and a fake box of Reform UK-branded cigarettes.
The pamphlet is based on claims the chancellor embellished parts of her CV, and features AI-generated photos alongside fake achievements, including Ms Reeves having built the pyramids of Giza and the Great Wall of China.
The empty cigarette box contained “detailed costings” of Reform’s policies, with a warning on the front that “unfunded promises can seriously harm economic health”.
Meanwhile, the merchandise stand has devoted significant attention to attacking Labour in its offerings – one example being a blank notebook titled “Leaked! Labour’s plan for the country”.
While in previous years, these may have been fun – if a little unnerving – political merchandise, one look at the polls renders them more awkward than anything else.
