Conference diary: sartorial chaos, duelling DJs, and Parliamentary cats

You don’t need a weatherman…

The long queue of delegates yesterday morning, drenched by the rain as they attempted to get into conference, serves as a metaphor for the popularity of Labour in government. I’m told this is the biggest Labour conference ever, with the most exhibitors and visitors. Yesterday was ‘business day’ with ministers mingling with CEOs to talk about growth, growth, and more growth. The weather is cold and damp, but Labour is hot right now.

The sudden turn in the weather has caused sartorial chaos. Some had the perspicacity to pack winter coats, macs, and brollies; others packed summer frocks and blazers, and are rueing their choices. I heard two ministers of the crown debating the ethics of jumping the queue to avoid a soaking, which I am pleased to report they decided would be a bad idea.

Reeves calls out corrupt Covid contracts

Rachel Reeves had a tricky job. As the first woman to be Chancellor, and the first Labour Chancellor for 15 years, she might have been allowed some dint of celebration. Instead, gloomy economic forecasts and the Tories’ black hole rained on her parade. It was a solid speech, channelling Labour’s most successful chancellor Gordon Brown. She evoked Jennie Lee, Barbara Castle, and Harriet Harman, and announced a major bid to reclaim the cash the Tories splurged on well-dodgy Covid PPE contracts. ‘We want our money back’ she declared.

A lone Corbynite attempted to stop Rachel Reeves’ big speech but was drowned out by the opprobrium of Labour delegates. The Chancellor’s ad lib that Labour was no longer a party of protest won one of the biggest cheers of the week. Reeves’ had some good lines about the ‘clash of the titans’ as the puny Tory leadership contenders go head to head next week.

She has a major global economic summit and the small matter of her first budget within a few days, so this was not a speech peppered with announcements. There will be plenty on 30 October. Reeves did announce a new industrial strategy for the UK, which given we didn’t have one under the Tories, is a major step forward.

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The Future of the Left

I spoke, with five minutes’ notice, at Policy Exchange’s discussion on the future of the left alongside Maurice Glasman and local Liverpool MP Dan Carden. Carden had come straight from the flight from New York after attending the United Nations General Assembly and was remarkably alert. This was one of those debates about socialism which we used to have a lot, but don’t seem to have anymore. We rolled out the greatest hits: Fabianism, Crosland, GDH Cole, Gramsci, markets, the state, class, and the methodology of revisionism.

It was a breath of fresh air amid all the corporate stalls, terrible food, and endless lobbying. In the sanctity of the ‘Parliamentary Lounge’ where only MPs and their guests are allowed, ministers complained about the ubiquity of lobbyists at conference and their increasingly energetic attempts to bend their ears. Ministers are in such demand they cannot walk more than a few yards before someone wants to talk about planning regulations or clean energy.

When we do achieve socialism, the first thing I would nationalise is the Leonardo Hotel in Liverpool which charged me £15 for a small bowl of cauliflower yesterday. There is a disgraceful degree of profiteering by the hotels and restaurants this week, cashing in on those with expense accounts but clobbering the delegates sent by CLPs.

Mayors at the decks

The Fabian Society reception attracted a huge crowd to witness the ultimate DJ showdown. In the red corner Manchester’s Andy Burnham, and in the other red corner Liverpool’s Steve Rotherham duelled over which city has the best music. Oasis versus Buzzcocks, you get the idea. Wes Streeting, Liam Byrne, and Fabian chair Sonia Adesara praised the Fabians’ contribution to Labour’s victory in the battle of ideas, but the battle of the DJs is what people came for. The music was deafening,  the crowd pulsating, and I am not sure what Beatrice Webb would have made of it.

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Viva the Cat Ladies

Johanna Baxter is well-known at conference as a former and formidable chair of the NEC. She is now the newbie MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South. The big news yesterday was that she is starting a new all-party parliamentary group for cats. As the leading Labour cat lady, Johanna is the purr-fect person to lead the group, and I have a feline it will be a big success.

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