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The parallel universe of Britain’s party conferences is where temperatures can be gauged. Not so much what’s said or done, more a matter of the mood. This year, on the back of Labour’s historic victory, theirs should be entirely predictable. But, as our Political Correspondent Peter Spencer reports, it’s not quite that simple.
When it comes to getting things done, the new administration has hit the ground running.
Getting cracking on renationalising the railways, forging ahead with the green energy revolution, ending doctors’ strikes and boosting the rights of private renters just for starters.
But on organising the machinery of government itself, critics say it looks more like it’s hit the ground stumbling.
Of course right wing media outlets are licking their lips at tales of how well Sir Keir Starmer’s team are not getting on. And fanning the flames like crazy.
But at the same time commentators on the left are anxiously stroking their chins, as they unwillingly accept that ongoing reports of feuds in Number Ten do not add up to a good look.
The PM’s head honcho Sue Gray was always going to ruffle a few feathers, as she’s not exactly a mincer of words. Look no further than the partygate report she put together that did for Boris Johnson.
But it’s the news that she’s accepted a hefty pay rise, that puts her in a higher bracket even than the boss, that’s really got under underlings’ skins. Especially as they didn’t get so lucky.
And when they started moaning to the media the story really grew legs, spilling over as it has into Labour’s autumn shindig.
Starmer must be spitting nails, as he’s trying to showcase how his lot do things differently from the last lot, who, let’s face it, were pretty much defined by how much they seemed to hate one another.
Then there’s the small matter of all the enormous freebies he and the missus have scooped up from millionaire Labour donor and fundraiser Lord Alli.
Yes, it’s quite within the rules as he’s been careful to declare all of them, including, albeit a little belatedly, one tranche accepted by Lady Starmer.
She’s certainly been looking pretty glam lately, and hubby too has been well turned out, courtesy of the rich guy.
Why shouldn’t he? You might ask. It’s not as if he isn’t working his rear end off for the nation.
And even though he has now taken the hint and put a stop to it, there’s a fair chunk of that same nation that may still feel some resentment.
Not least pensioners who’ve just had their winter fuel allowance taken away.
All this fits into the gloomy-doomy narrative we’ve been getting from Numbers Ten and Eleven about what a nasty budget we can expect next month.
Few can reasonably dispute that they have been left a lousy legacy from the fourteen years of Tory rule. And it makes perfect political sense for them to big this up.
After all, after the US-inspired money meltdown of 2007-8, during which Labour happened to be in power here, the incoming Conservative government heaped much of the blame on Gordon Brown.
Unfair and illogical though this was, the tactic did help the Tories win the next two elections.
As you sow, so shall you reap? Discuss.
Meantime, many at the Labour conference are praying that Starmer will give the Eeyore stuff a bit of a break, and remind us all that things will get better. Eventually.
Remains to be seen how the Chancellor will play news from the Bank of England that they’re changing course slightly and in the process gifting her some ten billion pounds extra to play with.
Of course everything’s a two-edged sword. This good news for her is also a weapon for those who think she overplayed her hand in cutting that pensioner benefit.
But the biggie comes on Tuesday afternoon, when Starmer answers or doesn’t answer all those prayers about balancing out gloom today with joy tomorrow.
For all the advantages of ramming home the rubbishness of the Tory legacy, there’s the danger that too much pessimism will dampen consumer confidence.
If that happens then the cherished goal of achieving economic growth will take a hit.
Rest assured, half a rainforest will be devoured as the column inches of analysis turn into miles. Every syllable will be chewed over and/or spat out in coming days.
And then, next up, there’ll be the Tory get-together to look forward to or dread, according to taste.
As the number of contenders for Rishi Sunak’s job gets whittled down there’ll be an ever tighter focus on whither the withered remains of the party is headed.
Underlying that, a bit like Oscar Wilde’s boyfriend’s definition of homosexual love, is the question that dare not speak its name.
Do they lurch rightwards and cosy up to Nigel Farage’s Reform party, tempting because he has millions of supporters? Or do they try and ease back to the centre ground, which is where most elections are won?
Candidates will make their pitches at the conference, in the hope of bolstering their chances when the grassroots finally choose the winner in November.
Beyond that nattering there’s not a lot to be said about them for the moment.
What they finally come up with, however, will be of considerable interest to the newly revivified Liberal Democrat party.
Now that a large bus is needed to ferry their MPs around, as opposed to a couple of cabs, they’re looking forward to having some clout when parliament gets back up and running next month.
The question is, will they be trying to pit their wits against the Labour party, or the Tories?
While, obviously, much depends on which way the Conservatives do eventually swing, the signs are the Lib Dems are quite well disposed towards Labour.
It’s said that when their leader Ed Davey had dinner with Keir Starmer not so very long ago the two of them got on at least well enough to establish mutual respect for where they were coming from.
Which begs the question of whether the Lib Dems will try to elbow the Tories out of the way and offer themselves up as the reasonable and above all constructive opposition to the government.
Ok they’re still outnumbered by the Conservatives, but to nothing like the extent that they were. A marginalised force? Not any longer.
Certainly they’re conscious at this stage of having bought golden opinions from all sorts of people, which, to borrow from Macbeth, would be worn now in their newest gloss.
Starmer too, to complete the quote, would hate to see the electorate’s cheery verdict cast aside so soon.
But talk of glossy clothes brings us back to the controversy over his wife’s fab new gear, though she’s far from the only who’s had their dress sense challenged.
One-time Labour leader Michael Foot was haunted for years over his choice of a distinctly informal looking donkey jacket at a best-bib-and-tucker Remembrance Day parade at the Cenotaph.
But he did have one fan. The Queen Mother, bless her, who complimented him for wearing: ‘A smart sensible coat for a day like this.’
Yet again, if you’re looking for sound common sense, look to the lady.
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