Conference news in brief – Monday

Good morning, and welcome to the LabourList daily conference brief – a brief round-up of what you need to know at the start of each conference day. For regular updates throughout conference – keep an eye on our Conference Liveblog.

Ed Balls announces plan to build 100,000 affordable houses – The Shadow Chancellor wants to build 100,000 new affordable homes, paid for by a windfall tax on the 4G mobile phone network. Earlier this month though it was a bankers bonus that would pay for more affordable houses. So which is it? A stamp duty holiday for first time buyers is also being suggested. Balls will say it’s time to “cut through the dither and rhetoric and actually do something”. Ed B is up on conference floor at 12.15.

Ed Balls vs the unions – Balls will also spell out “tough decisions” on public sector pay – which will put him on collision course with the Trade Unions. Not for the first time either – his reputation with union leaders has not been the same since the turn of the year. The GMB’s Paul Kenny is said to have described him as a man who could “give an asprin a headache”.

Keith Vaz under investigation – The Telegraph reveals that Labour MP Keith Vaz is under investigation over claims that he held large sums of money in a series of bank accounts. Vaz denies any wrongdoing.

Murphy plans to close defence budget gap – Jim Murphy is being “ruthless” with defence spending. Perhaps not surprising, both because Labour supporters are usually less defensive of defence spending, and because Murphy has already outlined plans for defence cuts before. Still – it shows his intent, and may be read as a wider political signal.

Youth jobs initiative announced – The Guardian reports that “A Labour-led alliance of entrepreneurs, academics and trade unionists will be announced on Monday in an initiative to tackle youth unemployment in Britain’s 10 worst-hit areas.” Seemingly there’s a focus on helping MPs and councils to run job fares – more of that ‘working for working people in opposition’ that is becoming an increasing organisational motif in the party.