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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Jessica Elgot

‘He persuaded us’: Labour ministers moved by Andy Burnham’s emotional conference speech

Andy Burnham speaks at the conference with his hands outstretched, looking animated. He stands in front of a reddish-pink backdrop with Hope Again written in large white letters.
About a quarter of Andy Burnham’s speech was entirely ad-libbed, aides said. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

The hottest ticket at Labour conference – after Andy Burnham’s speech – was an afterparty in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle, headlined with a set by the noughties girlband Sugababes. As Labour activists and ministers belted out the lyrics under pink spotlights, it was hard not to draw some parallels with the party’s recent history.

There have been painful lineup changes and a lot of internal division, but this week onstage in Liverpool the originals are back together and they only played the hits. The fans can’t get enough.

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