Remember that our opponents wear blue and yellow rather than red – Ashworth

By Peter Edwards

Jon Ashworth has told Labour members to “leave the sneers and slurs to our opponents” and unite to fight the Tories. The shadow Cabinet minister delivered a passionate speech to conference in which he hailed a series of Tory u-turns over the last 12 months and tried to bring Labour together in the battle against tax avoidance, poverty and cuts to public services. He also told conference it was time to move on from the in-fighting, which has marred the past year, […]

Watson: Labour won’t win election by “trashing” Blair and Brown

By Conor Pope

Tom Watson today told Labour members that it is now time to “be proud of our party” as he hit out at those who have been “trashing our own record”. The Labour deputy leader launched a passionate defence of the New Labour years, championing over a decade of unbroken economic growth and the achievements made in government. Met by applause from delegates in the conference hall, Watson also defended the UK’s membership of Nato, in what some have interpreted as an […]

“Some Tories look down their noses at me… but I have a Master’s in real life” – Angela Rayner’s speech to conference

By Angela Rayner

This is the full text of the speech given by Angela Rayner, shadow Secretary of State for Education, at conference. Conference, it is an honour for me to stand before you today as Shadow Secretary of State for Education. To some, it is a surprise. Some Tories look down their noses at me because, as you can hear, I wasn’t born with a plum in my mouth. I get snobbery too from some pundits and commentators, from the hate-filled trolls […]

Conference liveblog: Welsh and Scottish Labour celebrate party reform victory

18.15 We now have a report on Tom Watson’s barnstorming speech in which he mounted a defence of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and called for Labour to unite. You can read the full speech here. 18.00: Insiders have confirmed that the vote on the reforms package passed by 80 per cent to 20 per cent, winning support from 68 per cent of constituency delegates and 92 per cent in the affiliate section. A meeting of the new NEC has […]

“Leave the sneers and slurs to our opponents… Labour will never give up” – Jon Ashworth’s speech to conference

By Jon Ashworth

This is the full text of speech given by Jonathan Ashworth, shadow Minister without portfolio, at conference.   Friends, I attended my first Conference in 1996. I was 17, the working class son of a Salford casino croupier and GMB activist. I was there as a steward checking delegates’ passes on the door to the Conference hall. Today, I am honoured, privileged and proud – 20 years later – to be here at this Conference as a member of your Shadow […]