The word “hope” is everywhere at this Labour Party conference. But in his first conference speech as a Labour chancellor, John Healey did not slip from hope into hype. It would have been easy for him to deliver an overblown list of claims and promises – easy, but not realistic.
Instead, Mr Healey ensured he conveyed warnings and caution. Yes, delegates left the hall with a spring in their step, but they were also under no illusion that the room was squeezed by the elephants in it. The money is not there, he said plainly, comparing today’s era with that of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. In other words: get real, don’t expect a slew of big-spending announcements when his first Budget lands at the end of next month.
