“The mood of the party?” A reliable opening question between news presenter and political journalist. Necessarily imprecise, the answer can still transport the listener or viewer to where they aren’t. Doing so from Liverpool this week invokes the other meaning of the word party. This was the conference that should have taken place in 2024 after Labour’s return to power. But it didn’t, owing to the stumbling of the government in general and the fumbling of the prime minister in particular. Keir Starmer’s first speech in office had dampened the mood, intentionally.
This year the Labour party conference was a happy place. The sun was shining; the branding was smiling: Andy Burnham’s beaming countenance ubiquitous.
