Archive for September, 2010
Ed’s day, but David still makes the headlines
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010
You would imagine that a party member’s first ever visit to a conference that was also the first one for Labour since being out of power for the first time in 13 years would be a depressing affair to attend, but no. The fallout from the leadership election, much more exciting than the election itself, put paid to that assumption. Your correspondent’s first experience of both Labour conference and Manchester was unexpectedly exhilarating and surprisingly memorable, and also enabled the unique chance of a fresh perspective on a well-established event in the political calendar.
It’s hard to imagine that there would be the same level of controversy and interest in the media on the issue of the Labour Party leadership had the other Miliband won. In a way, it couldn’t have worked out better for the press. Having spent the whole leadership contest writing up the soap opera that was the battle between the brothers Miliband, they now get to continue the story as the more unlikely of the two results happened.
Had the elder Miliband won, younger brother Ed would, like the rest of the defeated candidates, have fallen out of the limelight and awaited confirmation of his new position in the Shadow Cabinet. However, because Miliband Junior unexpectedly triumphed, the focus of attention is now split between Ed’s priorities as Leader, and his brother’s priorities in politics altogether, with the majority focused on the latter of those two issues.
The Mirror already proclaimed before it had even taken place that Ed’s maiden leadership speech was a make or break one. David had previously delivered a charismatic and well performed speech mainly composed (most probably) from parts of his maiden leadership speech, and it was now vital that Ed not be upstaged. In the end though, both got the critical standing ovations both before and after their speeches.
However, despite the general approval at conference of his speech, it was nonetheless overshadowed in the press reaction today by David’s few words with Harriet Harman, as Ed declared the Iraq war a regrettable mistake. Couple this to obsessive and widespread speculation over David’s future in British politics (to be finally resolved this afternoon) and one would be amazed that Ed got a mention in the press at all. Indeed, both men got the same level of press and delegate attention as they made the mercifully short journey from the Midland Hotel into the imposing Victorian canopy of the conference centre.
The less Labour-favourable newspapers such as The Times have focused mainly on David’s slip, and criticised Ed’s left-leaning policies such as greater protection for vulnerable workers. There was also criticism of the speech, some saying it was faltering and too long, others observing a lack of his vision for Britain’s future. The more Labour-supporting papers are obviously more supporting of Ed and his speech, concerning themselves with the new ‘generation Ed’. However, there was still extensive coverage of David. This is something that Ed and his team will want to re-dress quickly, especially to avoid him being overshadowed again by David’s announcement on his future. What is obvious, however, is that once David announces his decision, all media attention will be on Ed for his reaction, whether he likes it or not.
Once David makes his intentions, the inevitable press frenzy will either focus on the mourning over the departure of a titan of the Labour Party and whether this would be a massive blow to Ed’s authority, or otherwise feast on the opportunities presented by a re-run of the Blair/Brown play, albeit with different actors. Neither prospect will be an easy ride for Ed.
Despite what the press would have you believe, however, the conference was not solely about whoever Mr Brown’s successor would be. Despite no longer being in Government, there was still an extensive list of fringe events and a fairly impressive number of stands clustered together underneath the cavernous roof of the conference hall, even if the freebies weren’t as exciting as one had been led to expect.
As your correspondent attended only a few defence and industry-related events, it’s difficult to gauge the scope of discussions at the numerous ‘fringes’ that took place. However, I can report that the events attended by yours truly focused, not on the more important implications of the upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review, but instead on the now irrelevant mistakes of the past government.
In the case of the main defence event; Defence Review 2010, Afghanistan and Beyond, a lively exchange on the Trident replacement between Bob Ainsworth and his former PPS Eric Joyce, and then between a CND activist and Bob again, were the only real memorable exchanges of note. (Best quote from Bob responding to Eric’s criticism; ‘I can’t remember you coming up with a single idea when we were in government’.)
In conclusion, one could say that it’s been a conference that surprisingly has been looking to the future, instead of enacting a week long blame game for the poor election result that might have been expected. However, while everyone in Manchester may be looking to the future, it is at the moment for the wrong reasons.
By Tom Page, Political Consultant.
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