Labour Party Conference - A Review

If you have taken more than a passing interest in Labour's Conference you cannot help but notice the very poor attendance at most sessions. The exception to this was the Leaders speech, packed to the rafters with party apparatchiks apparently brought in specially for the occasion.

Despite claims to the contrary, the party membership has not been lower in numerical terms, nor as demoralised. They do not appear to have the stomach for the election battle to come despite much talk of fighting by the Leadership.

Labour supporters in 'heartland' areas are despairing at this year's turn of events and the leadership do not seem to have accepted the lessons of the recent controversy over allowances.

There are many MPs who should be standing down at the next election, who aren't, including perhaps at least one of our local representatives?
The recent scandal has damaged the credibility of all MPs and with estate agents being now more trusted figures in society, things could hardly be worse for them.

Locally, up to press, the response from Kevin Barron and Denis MacShane has been inadequate and their use of public money shrouded in mystery. By comparison John Healey, has been the epitome of openness and should be congratulated for this. Full analysis will follow when I have completed it, see previous story HERE.

The realities of the economic crisis and the effect on future public spending also do not seem to have percolated as far as the spending ministers who have promised business as usual should they be re-elected.

The scale of the problem is enormous, it is estimated that every man, woman and child will end up with an equivalent debt of £25,000 before things improve in the public finances. I don't know about anyone else but I am very angry that my children and grandchildren will carry this burden for years, no doubt damaging their future and blighting society in ways that are yet to become clear.
Nobody asked me if this would be OK, it isn't! Like many thousands of people I would have said no to this millstone around everyone's necks to save the Banks, Insurance Companies and other financial institutions from their own management's greed and hubris.

All organisations in the public sector are now furiously working on options for funding to drop by as much as 20%, reversing all the gains in the last 12 years. This will be disastrous for front line services such as the police, already in challenging times, dealing with the fallout of society's obvious ills every Friday and Saturday night in most communities up and down the land, because of freer licensing laws and low alcohol prices. The NHS is also stretched dealing with the human cost of our society's present unhealthy relationship with alcohol.

Gordon Brown gave his speech amid much expectation from the faithful gathered seemingly to worship at his feet. The fact that this was the best Leaders speech for a while doesn't mean that the content was of the same quality. The red meat was mostly cobbled together, recycled previously announced policies or like the proposals to help young mothers by putting them in semi-supervised and supportive accommodation. There are around 18,000 per year all told, which makes his proposal very expensive indeed! Surprise, surprise by late evening when ordinary folk have gone to bed, the proposal was qualified by stating that 500 places only will be available! Just one thirty sixth of the total or under 3% per year, big deal! Even if you believed for a minute that it might work, Brown's proposals are totally inadequate to the task.

Harriet Harman, in her inimitable style, attacked a web site for its subject matter, reviews of prostitutes. As the site is based in California, the UK government cannot do anything about it, so she proudly announced that she had asked the governor of California to shut the site down.
Not even the 'Governator', Arnie Schwarzenegger will be able to do anything either, because free speech is protected under the American Constitution. The web site PunterNet,(Caution advised) has published a vigorous defence of it's activities and basically thumbs its nose at her. Read their open letter to Harman HERE. She is left looking foolish and ineffectual, quite typical of her as she has form for this kind of empty publicity stunt.

Probably the most significant speech was delivered by the real Leader of Labour, resurrected from the political grave to save the party from its self once again. Lord Peter Mandelson* gave a truly inspirational speech. Those that were there were eating out of the palm of his hand. Labour has learnt to love the 'Prince of Darkness'. He injected hope, a rare quality that Labour has run out of. For a moment you want to believe him, but in the end he failed to convince by the time the sun set on his words.

The Sun created much annoyance by coming out for the Tories (but only in England, the Scottish Sun has not changed their allegiance to Labour). Brother Woodley even dramatically tore up a copy on the platform. He was rewarded with much applause and excitement at this, but behind the scenes the leadership regard this change as a major blow. We will see?

Quite why Labour courted this newspaper (I use the term ironically) and abased themselves to the American/Australian, Rupert Murdoch and his son in the first place, is beyond me, as this particular newspaper seems to be incompatible with Labour's core values. But then that is politics for you! Prostitution, perhaps, is a more honourable profession by comparison with politics.

Cameron, it would appear, has no qualms about this and has been relentlessly schmoozing this pair for months and now it has paid off for them. I wouldn't want to be in hock to them myself I must say!

There was little for the left to celebrate after the dawning of the reality that it was too late to replace Gordon Brown as Leader, so much for the plotters! Mandelson appears to have convinced MPs that keeping quiet and away from the cameras is a pretty good idea right now. It must have worked, Denis MacShane was no where to be seen, or was he still away on a free jolly somewhere warm? We should be told!

*Baron Mandelson of Foy in the county of Herefordshire and Hartlepool in the county of Durham.
First Secretary of State, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, President of the Board of Trade, Lord President of the Council to give him his majestic full title.