‘Labour Party conference will be unrecognisable this year, but we can’t let that spoil our fun’

It’s 2am and the stamp on your wrist says Navy Bar. You’re wedged between a backbencher, that guy off Twitter, and the ITV News production team. D:Ream comes on and, for a moment, the whole sweaty room becomes one.

To anyone else, it sounds like a foray into psychedelics, but you know it’s just another Labour conference, that annual test of your social battery, ability to function on minimal sleep, and fondness for union-branded keyrings.

If you’re feeling unsure what to expect this year, you’re not alone. For the first time since 1997, we gather as a party newly in power. Even a decent chunk of the Cabinet isn’t old enough to remember what that feels like. Some adjustments will be obvious – blaring out Things Can Only Get Better doesn’t feel as fitting now – but as we’re about to see, change will run deep in Liverpool, from the conference floor to the dance floor.

In some ways, the shift has been gradual. The mood over the last few conferences grew more optimistic as the polls swung in our favour. Each one also felt like a more polished operation than the last, with private businesses filling the exhibition hall and seriously upping their canape game in the process (thanks, Bloomberg).

‘The honeymoon period is over’

In other ways, much of the change will hit at once this year. Media scrutiny will be tougher, security will be tighter, and discussions will move away from hypotheticals and onto the reality of governing. Instead of spending debates or panel events bashing the Tories, we can be much more constructive. That might include lobbying MPs or exploring how different tiers of government can work together in areas where we now have a Labour government, mayor, and council.

The new tenor will be most noticeable when Keir Starmer addresses conference on Tuesday. He won’t be making another pitch to lead the country. He’ll be outlining the tangible change Labour will deliver over the next five years.

And the prime minister already has a lot to be proud of. He’s scrapped the Rwanda plan, reached deals with striking doctors and train drivers, and started the process of renationalising the railways. But the honeymoon period is also over. Both in the media and on the doorstep, we’re feeling the heat that comes with making the difficult decisions needed to plug a fiscal black hole.

‘Difficult times are ahead, so let’s take a few days to enjoy this victory’

So as you make your way to Liverpool, you may be feeling oddly downbeat. While we’ll no doubt look back on our time in government with pride, the day-to-day isn’t always as rosy. But we mustn’t let the gloom descend. As a party, we’re often too depressive, dwelling on our defeats and gliding past our victories. Not this time.

Think back a few months and remember how we travelled the country, wore through our shoes, and gave a large chunk of our precious, fleeting British summer to make history together. While our MPs may have to be more restrained, for members this conference will be our first real chance to celebrate.

You read LabourList for its sharp analysis and fresh ideas. My message is much simpler: difficult times are ahead, so let’s take a few days to stay up late, have a glass of something nice, and enjoy this victory. You’ve earned it.

Labour conference

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