Scholar of the Labour party, its constituent trade unions and how they voted at the annual conference Lewis Minkin at the launch of his book Exits and Entrances at the Labour party conference, Brighton, 1997 Lewis Minkin at the launch of his book Exits and Entrances at the Labour party conference, Brighton, 1997 DavidHowell Mon 5 Apr 2021 13.19 EDT Last modified on Mon 5 Apr 2021 14.21 EDT In a past that was another country the annual Labour party conference was a significant gathering. Its set-piece debates were often truculent and sometimes sulphurous. The political analyst Lewis Minkin, who has died aged 84, was a perennial spectator. His interest lay not so much in the public spectacle as in its backstage hinterland.