It’s been a very weird few days. The Labour Party conference usually has more drama than the EastEnders Christmas special. People get booed. Fights break out in the bars. And that’s us on our best behaviour. But not this year. Spare a thought for the poor political reporters struggling to find anything spicy to scribe in a climate of “boring unity.” There was no beef. It was like Jeremy Clarkson turning up to a vegan buffet.
Even Ealing Central and Acton MP Rupa Huq’s idiotic comments about Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng being “superficially black” were condemned and action taken swiftly. She was suspended from the party within hours of the story breaking. There is a new ruthlessness to the party on discipline.
There was some disagreement about the fact that Sir Keir Starmer doesn’t want front-benchers standing on picket lines, but as one senior trade unionist told me grumpily: “Well, I can’t stand him, but it looks like Labour actually might have a chance of winning so I’ll shut up. But I still don’t like him.”
And that sums up where the party is. Whether you love or loathe Starmer, there was an undeniable feeling that for the first time since 2005 Labour might have a serious chance of getting into government. That is an alien feeling for party members and political hacks who are so used to Labour’s seemingly endless losing streak. There was a buzz and an energy in all the packed conference fringe meetings, at the bars, dinners and many receptions.
Another indicator that Labour is on the up was the fact that the suits were back. Labour’s business forum was packed to the rafters and there was a long waiting list. There were businesses of all sizes and from all sectors but I was surprised at the number of City leaders and big financial powerhouses there. As one told me, “we’ve been frightened of a Labour government for a long time. We’re now ready to come here and talk business with them.”
They have a lot of time for shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves and shadow business secretary Johnny Reynolds but there’s no doubt that the Government’s recent fiscal earthquake (talk about political fracking gone wrong) and the market’s reaction is certainly helping and driving business towards Labour.
Suddenly “boring” things such as Treasury calm, certainty and carefully costed plans are starting to look quite appealing.
I also spoke to a very highly paid businessman who was baffled by the cut in the top rate of tax. This guy was hardly a Marxist but told me “I genuinely don’t mind paying more tax if it means my staff can have decent healthcare and I’m not going to get mugged. Paying tax isn’t the issue, it’s about how it’s getting spent.” Labour’s message to this crowd is that they are pro-wealth creation but anti-poverty.
But this conference wasn’t all about the corporates and the donors (although Labour will need serious money to fight the Tories at the next election campaign), there were plenty of radical announcements from nationalising rail to the creation of a publicly owned renewable energy company and lots of green announcements many of which were crafted by Ed Miliband.
The focal point was, of course, Starmer’s speech, which went down well inside and outside the hall. It was mercifully shorter than last year’s and he looked much more comfortable in his own skin, radiating a quiet but assured confidence. It wasn’t full of jokes or rhetorical flourish but it set out some clear political thinking, his values and gave us a better sense of what he would do if elected.
I caught up with him afterwards. He was very cheerful but determined. He feels as if he has a plan which is coming together. He told me he needed to sort out the party first and deal with anti-semitism. Last year he needed to tell the story of who he was and make important internal rule changes. And that this year was the moment to tell the country what he would do as a prime minister in waiting. It felt like this was the honeymoon conference he never had when he first became leader.
There was an undeniable feeling of genuine excitement in Liverpool. You could smell it in the air. Especially in a hotel bar at 3am. But the election is likely to be two years away. A lot can happen. The Conservatives are ruthless opponents. Scotland is still a huge problem. There is still a mountain to climb.
Having said all that, for the first time in more than a decade there is hope in the hearts of Labour supporters. Let’s pray it doesn’t kill us.
