The Progressive

Heros and zeros

I took the opportunity of the train journey back to London to reflect on the highs and lows of conference.
 
Five Heros
 
1. Peter Mandelson. Arriving at conference as Baron Mandelson of Foy in the County of Herefordshire and of Hartlepool in the County of Durham, he left as Our Mandy. A pitch perfect delivered speech that lifted the mood of conference and prepared it perfectly for the leader’s speech the day after.
 
2. Phil Packer. A very moving and powerful speech that was heard with respect and admiration by all those in the conference hall. I personally was very moved by the determination and commitment Phil has shown to overcome the challenges he now faces in his life. This was an inspirational speech by someone who has refused to allow the severe injuries he received in Iraq to define and confine his life from hereon.
 
3. Labour’s sisypheans. I was struck by the energy and passion displayed by delegates from constituencies that have never elected Labour MPs – even during the past 12 years. If Labour Party members from Tunbridge Wells, Taunton and Tewkesbury see the reason why we should campaign hard for a fourth term than those of us in Tooting, Tynemouth and Torfaen should do so as well.
 
4. Our excellent PPCs. As well as the talent we have in parliament already, Labour boasts some extremely bright and exciting candidates and conference was a platform for them to shine. Rachel Reeves (Leeds W), Stella Creasy (Walthamstow), Chuka Umanna (Streatham), Lucy Powell (Manchester) and Andrew Pakes (Milton Keynes) are amongst a number of younger candidates who show that a fourth term Labour government will have plenty of new talent to call upon.
 
5. Siobhan McDonagh MP. A really passionate speech on behalf of her Tamil constituents, whose friends and loved ones are being treated so appallingly by the Sri Lankan government. Here was a great example of how to use the floor of conference to speak directly to delegates about a cause close to one’s heart and to do so in a way guaranteed to ensure wider coverage for it.
 
Five Zeros
 
1. The Sun. The Sun clearly doesn’t shine on the righteous. People not papers determine elections.
 
2. Andrew Marr. I saw Andrew Marr a few times around Brighton and he looked extremely uncomfortable on each occasion, as he should. His question to the Prime Minister was completely inappropriate and a huge error of judgement.
 
3. Martin McGuinness. Northern Ireland’s peace process has come at a great cost to many, so would it really have been a hardship for Martin McGuinness to have declined the invitation to attend The Guardian’s reception in the Grand Hotel, scene of the IRA’s murderous bombing in 1984 (and a fortnight ahead of the 25th anniversary of that outrage)?
 
4. Grand Hotel. £3.50 for a coffee was one of a number of daylight robbery charges – with most of the Sussex constabulary present I am surprised no arrests were made!
 
5. Compass. Sorry comrades, but there is a time and a place for plural politics. It can NEVER be right to give a platform to a political opponent (in this case the Green’s Caroline Lucas) at a meeting taking place in the seat in which our opponent is a candidate.

Stuart King is Labour PPC for Putney

The fight back starts now

Conference was closed with the cry ‘Let’s go out fighting’. It may have been my post-Labour-Student-disco-beer-muddled brain but there is an unfortunate second reading of those closing remarks - that says that we should fight, but we can’t win. The one fear I have leaving conference this week is that people aren’t convinced that we can turn the polls around. There has been a sort of unspoken pessimism hovering around, which has just taken the edge of the enthusiasm stirred up. We’ve been shown how dreadful a Conservative government would be for the British people, we’ve been shown that we’ve got the ideas and passion for a fourth term, but no-one has quite shown the mechanics of a Labour victory. ‘Rage, rage against the dying of the light’ wrote Dylan Thomas. Well, I’ve been convinced of our capacity to rage, but now I want to see us start to believe that defeat is not inevitable, like the death of Thomas’ father was.

I’m not saying that I think conference necessarily should, or could, have made us believe that we can win. It was just four days in Brighton. I’m just saying that if we think this week will be enough to secure the success of our fight back, we need to think again. We secure our fight back by taking the messages of this week to the doorstep. It is only when we start increasing our contact rate in our local communities that we will start to believe in ourselves again. It’s not headlines and TV interviews that are going to win us this election - it will be well organised and motivated activists pounding the streets. And, with the campaigning that I know the party can deliver, I’m optimistic about our chances.

Overall, I think that this conference was just what we needed. It wasn’t a flashy conference, but it reminded us why we are Labour. It has been reported as a ‘safety first’ conference, and I don’t disagree with that analysis. This week we came across as calm, commanding and passionate about social justice. Safety first isn’t a slight as far as I’m concerned – it highlights the choice at the next election. Vote Labour, get good judgement and continued investment in public services. Vote Conservative, get untested ‘schoolboys’ (David Miliband’s words, not mine!) with proven lack of judgement and get dramatic cuts in all the places that will hurt the least well off the worst.

There were a number of highlights from the last day and a half of conference, not least the all night boogying at the Labour Students disco. It ran from 10.30 to 4.30 with no appreciable lessening of bodies - it's this kind of energy that will win us the next election! I also particularly enjoyed Harriet Harman’s take on the Sun – ‘On page 3 today there’s a young woman who’s really concerned about jobs for women as well as men… The only problem is that Harriet is so concerned about jobs that she’s forgotten to get dressed.’ Brilliant.

Comrades, let’s not go gentle in to election night. Let’s use this fight back conference as a platform to begin to believe in our capacity to win a historic fourth term for Labour. The fight back starts now.

Olivia Bailey is Vice Chair (Policy) of Young Labour

Candidate at conference: day 5

Slightly croaky and in need of a good night’s sleep at the end of a very busy week.

The highlights for me were Alistair Darling’s critique of the Tories economic ‘strategy’, Mandelson’s fantastic performance and extension of the car scrappage scheme and Gordon Brown’s speech – full of vision and packed full of policies.

The decision taken by the Sun was obviously disappointing, but as John Prescott put it, it will be “the son, daughter, uncle, mother and friend wot win it in 2010. Endorsements from ordinary people not media barons”.  Well put John.

On a personal perspective, it was a privilege for me to chair a meeting on climate change last night with David Miliband and Douglas Alexander. David and Douglas, along with Ed Miliband and the Prime Minister are providing intellectual political leadership in the run up to the Copenhagen summit in December. Copenhagen must go down in history as the defining moment when the world faced up to the scale of the climate change threat. As Douglas put it – there’s no plan B.

Back to Leeds now to take our message out to voters. We go in to the general election as the underdogs, but like all delegates returning to their constituencies today – I’m up for the fight.

Rachel Reeves is Labour PPC for Leeds West

Signing off from conference

A week ago I had intended this blog to be a light hearted look back at Conference; about how my waistline had lost its unequal struggle with the full English breakfast, my feet just balls of swollen fire, and my hangovers blurring into a single event. But I feel that now, at this defining moment in British politics, is not the time for flippancy.

We heard today from Bob Ainsworth,  Douglas Alexander and from David Miliband. They all gave serious and responsible assessments of the challenges that face Britain today. Challenges that should transcend mere party politics, challenges that our brave young men and women in the Armed Forces are risking death and serious injury to face up to.

Yes the coming election is about our policies, our priorities and our principles, but it is also about the common aspirations that bind people together and a relentless determination to oppose those who want to break the ties that bind us. For progressive democrats it is about the equal worth of every human being regardless of their race faith and culture, and we must never allow those who advocate violence and bigotry to undermine that principle.

As David Miliband said, for evil to flourish it requires only that good men and women stay silent – and our Labour Party will never remain silent. Can we say the same about a Tory Party that has chosen to align itself with a ragtag collection of fascists and homophobes in Europe?

The choices ahead of Britain are huge, and there are only 31 weeks left before those choices have to be made.

The global financial markets and their economies still stand on the brink of disaster, there has been a recovery but it remains fragile. It will take only David Cameron, a Leader whose judgement has been shown to be wrong on every major decision so far, to push us into catastrophe.

In the midst of this global turmoil do we want to be led by the International Statesman of the Year or by a salesman with a schoolboy grasp of economics? As David Miliband said, I don’t want people to laugh at my country because it is being governed by schoolboys.

Do we want all the hard earned gains of the last 12 years in areas such as health, education, child poverty, international aid, and the minimum wage put at risk by a Party addicted to the mythical infallibility of the market? Can we really let a Party who refer to the NHS as a 60 year mistake govern our country? It is unthinkable.

Let us do all we can to ensure it doesn’t happen. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great, in this struggle we are that generation. Signing off from Conference.

Chris Bain

Soundtrack to conference

Sunday

Welcome to the Labour Party Conference 2009, and welcome to the soundtrack for the conference as listened to by me.

Half way through the marathon car journey from West Cumbria to Brighton I encounter a feeling I haven’t felt in politics for a long time: shock. The reason? The truly inexplicable question posed to Gordon Brown by Andrew Marr regarding his health. Clearly surprised, the Prime Minister answered with real aplomb but this really is a telling new twist in the rotten and contrived media offensive against Gordon Brown. I was, and remain, shocked at the question per se, but I am equally surprised by the fact that such a question should come from Andrew Marr.

BBC insiders tell me that Marr regrets the question now. I am told that he believes that he has damaged his own reputation and credibility by asking the question. I have no way of knowing if the beeb mole is right, but if this is true, then Marr is right – it has damaged his credibility.

In my view, Marr is the UK’s leading current affairs talking head but, shocks aside, his question illustrates a behaviour now adopted by a great swathe of political commentators in the UK over recent months. This behaviour can perhaps best be described as a dual suspension of disbelief. Firstly, these commentators will neither listen or accept Labour’s policy arguments and successes and secondly, they will not question or scrutinise the Tory offer. Why? Because having helped to develop the political climate in which we now are they are very happy to trade access for integrity – essentially doing the Tories’ advocacy for them in return for access to the inner media circle in the event of a Tory election victory. The fourth estate: rotten to the core? That’s unfair but it’s a view taking hold amongst the conference faithful.

But back to Marr. The view from the floor is that his credibility, authenticity and impartiality can be restored quickly. How? By showing David Cameron the same kind of respect and asking those questions which he steadfastly refuses to answer and which so many commentators sidestep time and time again. We’ve all seen Cameron turn his back on TV cameras when he doesn’t want to answer a particular question or if he fears he’ll display his famed petulant temper, but…

Sunday morning. In the studio. Live. Does Andrew Marr have the courage to ask David Cameron the questions which so many of his media colleagues won't? 

Stop the presses: as I write (Wednesday), Cameron has publicly stated that Marr should not have asked the question. So has he just indicated that he wont answer Marr should the going get tough? Is he laying down ground rules for what I suspect may already be a very soft run on Sunday morning? In any event, he has increased the pressure on Marr.

Over to you Andrew…

In other news, I chaired the Nuclear Industry Association’s fringe meeting on Sunday evening. Well attended and well received. From facing effective decline to now facing an incredible renaissance; Labour has won the argument on nuclear.

Cameron doesn’t believe in it, Brown does and my constituents couldn’t be happier. 

On the i-pod today:

The Clash : Spanish Bombs

Monday

What more really can be said about Peter Mandelson? A superb speech – easily the best of conference so far – Peter manages to rouse an anxious conference and the delegates I speak to are genuinely enthused. But forget the delivery and the humour, it’s the policy content which really works. Mandelson’s new ‘industrial activism’ agenda is precisely what we need as a nation, building on our industrial base, strengthening the country’s industrial spine and providing hundreds of thousands of skilled, well-paid jobs. One of New Labour’s principal architects has just outlined precisely the kind of policies which the trade unions have advocated for a long time.

Better late than never, and always better from Labour.

Around the coffee stands, the word is that Ed Miliband has been impressing a lot of people on a lot of issues. In what looks like an attempt to set a world record for speaking at fringe events, Ed is a one man hive of industry. I see him briefly as he sprints from one hotel conference room to another, he’s a ‘grafter’ as they say in my part of the world. More to the point, the punters don’t appear to be able to get enough of him.

On the i-pod today:

Fishbone: Party at Ground Zero

Tuesday

The big day.

What will he say? What will he do? Speech of a lifetime? The tension is palpable and the introduction is emotional. A journalist sends me a text to say that she has tears in her eyes just thinking of Labour’s achievements and a brief look around the hall shows me that she isn’t alone.

Suitably emotional and ready to listen, the hall waits for Gordon…

A discussion for another day, but as we wait my mind drifts to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, 1968. Is Gordon Brown the new LBJ? A reforming idealist leading his country in a time of crisis, introducing radical and progressive social policy and yet beset by contentious foreign missions...

Sarah Brown fetches me back into our time and place and she is, again, fantastic. I’m sure I won’t hear the violins playing anytime soon, but being married to a national politician is at times excruciatingly difficult. With this in mind, being married to a Prime Minister who is being subjected to the worst kind of puerile, capricious, spiteful personal attacks is something I cannot even begin to comprehend.

Gordon arrives. He delivers. Conference loves what it hears…and so do I.

He gave a speech of real quality, with real content and with some real new initiatives. This was the speech of a man who means business and there is a real sense now of the political dust settling between us and the Tories.

Gordon has a steely purpose about him today, he knows who he is, he knows what he believes. In a fight against the odds, he knows that Labour has always succeeded against the odds and as a movement we have always drawn strength from adversity.

Our purpose is very clear; we are in a real fight but the prize is great.

Game on.

On the i-pod today:

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: The Waiting

Wednesday

Hats off to Tony Woodley. Nobody should ever forget what the Sun did to the city of Liverpool in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster. It’s a newspaper I never have and never will buy but I have no problem with it or its readers at all. The facts are that this weirdly incestuous media driven story is not, in truth, much of a story at all. The Sun has never been a Labour paper (have any?) and so its withdrawal of support is not even slightly problematic. If anything, it’s probably a relief. Of course it had nothing to do with Gordon’s speech; it’s a pre meditated and self important act but I doubt it will affect the way in which its readers vote at all. Plus ca change.

Harriet Harman turned in a blinder today with a great speech proving again just how important our party is to the lives of ordinary British people. The Equalities Bill is a landmark piece of legislation, and we need to get on and implement it as soon as possible. With Harriet’s energy and drive; leading from the front, we can expect to see precisely that fairly soon.

On the i-pod today:

Rage Against the Machine: Renegades of Funk  

Jamie Reed MP

Councillor at conference: day 5

Caffeine intake: off the scale. Only way to keep going at this stage.

Hours since last square meal: literally could not cope with another carrot canapé so escaped for a nourishing bowl of pasta at Jamie Oliver’s restaurant

Best Conference freebie: NASUWT pen that has a bright red flashing light when you write –as someone kindly pointed out, the same shade of red my face went when Peter Mandelson walked very close to our sofa in the Hilton lounge. 

Most sinister Conference experience: Man muttering ‘9/11 was an inside job’ as you walked into the secure zone

I have a confession -– I came home late last night. After three nights of very little sleep in the hostel from hell, the prospect of a lumpy mattress and another night above that fine establishment ‘Buddies’ was just too much. So it was time to come home and face the backlog of emails, catch up on what everyone else has been saying about Conference, and start on a post Brighton recovery plan. I’m thinking pilates –- after five years of living in Stoke Newington, it’s probably time to take the plunge.

I spent most of yesterday morning in the main Conference hall –where fellow Hackney councillor Luke Akehurst was speaking in the health debate. Due to some strange point of order that was completely incomprehensible to anyone not familiar with the parallel universe of Conference floor rules, Luke didn’t get to give his full speech –but it is well worth reading.

Afterwards, I managed to squeeze in one last Peter Mandelson fix at his keynote speech for Progress on the future of the economy. At the back of the crowded room, my Hackney comrade and I were a bit too tired to analyse his speech but decide that he has the second best voice in the Labour Party, coming in closely behind Douglas Alexander.

Now back in the comfort of my home and my ward, I’m struck once again by how harshly the media judges Conference. I know we are powerless against their onslaught, and I’m the first to admit that there have been testing times recently. But Conference serves to reboot my loyalty, and is a reminder about why I’ve never felt embarrassed to knock on someone’s door and ask them to vote Labour. 

Without venturing very far from my house, I can see investment in rebuilding a secondary school, a Sure Start centre, bump into a member of the local Safer Neighbourhood Team, decent homes works taking place on one of the estates in my ward, residents doing their bit by recycling and composting food… and the list goes on. I left Conference feeling energised. We’re out campaigning in the ward tonight and again over the weekend -– this election is up for grabs.

Louisa Thomson is Labour councillor for Stoke Newington Central

Foraging the fringe: A foodies guide to conference day 3

Apologies for the belated column: Tuesday was a maelstrom of conference activity, with the organization of a visit by residents of a threatened Hammersmith estate in the morning being followed by the leader's speech in the afternoon.

Monday evening's fringe was packed with events; however, I seemed unable to find any that were willing to feed me anything other than canapes. When in this situation, it is important not to panic, and remember this fact: whilst the Grand will vary its canapes over the course of the week, the Metropole will not. Therefore, if there are only canapes on offer, don't go for second best - only the Grand will do.

 

The lack of decent food was, in many ways, my own fault: there was actually plenty on offer, I just had a few fringes that I felt I had to attend for content that failed to provide sustenance beyond alcohol. This is, I think, definitive proof that seeking out fringes based purely on their intellectual merit is an approach doomed to failure.

 

I went first to the Young Fabian event in a bar just outside of the secure zone (free bar = fringe win), and was lucky indeed to make it back into the conference area in time to make a Social Market Foundation event on welfare to work schemes that - yes! - actually had some things that I could eat. Unfortunately, it was the usual bland Hilton offering: a few wraps, a fairly dull samosa, and an extremely uninspiring quiche. I was not impressed.

Dave Green

A spring in our step

Well here I am on the final day of conference and stressing about packing my bags and getting back up home! Has this been a good week for Labour? Yes, undoubtedly. Looking way back to Sunday (is it only four days ago?), the feeling was quite different; more subdued, apprehensive, uncertain for the future. Don’t get me wrong, the conference hasn’t completely changed the political landscape outside, but it has put some fire back in the belly of the party. 

Yesterday there was a whole lot more ‘fighting’ going on. In fact there have been ‘fights’ all through the week. So much ‘fighting’ in fact, that I feel a bit bruised! No, I haven’t become Sam Tyler and got stuck in the 1982 Labour conference, it has been the theme of the week! Andy Burnham started the day off ‘fighting’ for the NHS. “Labour is the original and the only party of the NHS. We made it, we saved it and we’re fighting for its future!” In the afternoon, Ed Balls was at it too, ‘fighting’ not just for “our children’s future” but for the “future of our country” as well. 

With so much aggression around, when the ‘fighting’ stopped, the ‘bashing’ began. Sun-bashing that is. It’s the new blood sport (shouldn’t we ban it?). There were massive cheers and a standing ovation from the floor when Unite’s Tony Woodley ripped up his copy of the Sun declaring “we don’t need some Australian American telling us what our policies should be”. Ed Balls was at it too, with a jocular reference to the other Ed. “At the next election the Sun may say ‘will the last person in Britain please turn out the lights’. Ed Miliband has been saying that for weeks now”. 

All of this brings me on to my final thought: Whatever the immediate future holds for our party, that chapter has not yet been written. The 2009 Labour conference has given us reason to fight and campaign for a fourth term. We now have a programme outlined. We have a spring in our step again. A tough fight ahead for sure but a fight we can win! 

Andrew Gwynne MP

Following the Leader

I expected there to be an air of anti-climax about Conference today, and not just because I was so hung over I slept through breakfast. Instead I heard solid debates about Citizenship and Equalities, Health and Education, then Tony Woodley tore up a copy of the Sun whilst lambasting Rupert Murdoch and really got the place jumping.

 Harriet Harman showed again that she is a doughty and thoughtful fighter for equalities, and she deserves our thanks for that. I was appalled at her revelation about a website based in California which sells and “rates” women in London, and cheered her determination to get Arnie on the case. When Harriet sets out to do something it generally gets done.

Andy Burnham was sound on health, but the biggest cheer he got was for his announcement that car park fees were to be phased out for the families and loved ones of those who are inpatients in Hospital. This is so important for people, even if it’s not the groundbreaking stuff of yesterday.

Perhaps the most significant issue he highlighted was the need for a national social care system echoing the words of Gordon Brown yesterday.  Social care is one of the great challenges of our times, just look at the demographics, and I am really pleased to see it being highlighted by our Leaders.

Ed Balls spoke without notes, but I’m sorry Ed – the other Ed is better at it than you. Your report card should read “Must do better”. He did however make one very important point. We will fight the Tories hard because we have seen what a Tory Government can do. That knowledge inspired us to victory in 1945, in 1964, in 1997, and it will do so again in 2010.

Tony Blair used to say regularly that the alternative to this Labour Government is not the Labour Government of your dreams, it is a Tory Government. I still have nightmares about the social and economic destruction wreaked by Thatcher and Major so Ed’s call resonates with me.

Actually, now that I sit and think about it, there was some pretty good stuff around today. It may not have had the feverish excitement of yesterday, but it did make me glad I’m Labour. It also makes me ask, why isn’t the Leader’s speech on the Wednesday instead of being stuck in the middle of conference? Also, why do the Tories always get to go last? Answers on a postcard please.

Chris Bain

Late night conference: day 3

A newspaper decided it was no longer backing Labour at the next general election on Tuesday night. Has that made the news? In a happy coincidence I heard the development while waiting for the PM to arrive at a charity reception. The people at One (a poverty and preventable disease charity which manages to collect mega A-list celebrities) win two prizes. They had the best venue I’ve visited so far. The reception was in a very warm room at the top of the Hilton hotel, next door to the Grand. A door was flung open and we were surprisingly allowed to wander up and down on the roof, looking out towards the distant pier. The second prize is for the football stickers of government ministers being handed out which are the most eye-catching gimmick I’ve seen. I haven’t yet stuck them anywhere. Perhaps I’ll wait to see the Conservatives are immortalised in the same way for balance. International development minister Gareth Thomas complained that the stickers made him and other government figures look like they were wearing Man Utd kit. GB didn’t mention the Sun in his short speech but did talk about his move to make it legally binding for international aid to form 0.7% of GDP.

Walking through the Grand later that night trying to feel the mood post Sun announcement, a very cheery Fiona Phillips said hello after mistakenly thinking I worked for News International. No, I had no role in deciding who the Sun should in the next election. After witnessing her introduction of Alan Johnson (when she expressed her love for him), Phillips is the cheeriest celebrity delegate I’ve seen by far. Even the committed Eddie Izzard looks more sombre as he strides around the conference zone.

The award for most amusing celebrity spot is Chris Eubank striding down the shore front, looking very pleased with himself wearing a very fetching pair of shiny, pointy shoes and brandishing a Louis Vuitton document holder. I was trying to say hello to him, but he serenely shot past happy in his own thoughts. He was heading toward the conference centre – did anyone see where he went?

I’m now back in London – magazine duties call were calling before the Tories gather in Manchester. Labour delegates might have seen this conference more as a test of endurance than an invigorating trip, but there are loads of ideas I’ve picked up, both from the fringes and my socialising to consider for future features. The outrageous cost of tea and coffee in conference hotels might be too predictable but I think there is mileage in Learning to be Loved: The Peter Mandelson 10 point plan to win over sceptics.

Favourite quote of the night:

“Victoria Beckham wore this ring last week”

Ben Duckworth is editor of Total Politics