As Labour conference draws to a close for another year, over the past four days there has been plenty of drama played out in both the conference hall and the fringe events. However, the after hours soirees have also proved eventful.
Owen Smith is remembered
At Sky News‘s bash, attendees got to choose whether they were a champagne socialist or a prosecco socialist thanks to a well-stocked bar. While Owen Smith was nowhere to be seen at the event — perhaps still smarting from his leadership defeat — he can take heart that he was deemed important enough to have his face decorate a cupcake. Alas, out of the four cake options available — Smith, Jeremy Corbyn, Tom Watson and Sadiq Khan — it was the Smiths that were still out by the time the lights were turned on.
Mirror get ready to fight the Tories
Over at the Beatles-themed Mirror party, Corbyn was the guest of honour and was serenaded on arrival as fans mobbed their dear leader. The man of the moment managed to surprise hacks by using his speech to actually praise a member of the ‘Mainstream Media’. As he called on the party to ‘get together, to take the fight to the Tories’, he said that the tabloid — which previously called on him to resign — ‘always did and always has’ given a fair hearing. His words on fighting the Tories did at least appear to inspire Caroline Flint. The Labour MP spent a fair chunk of her time testing out her strength in the Mirror’s ‘Fight the Tories’ training booth.
Stragglers still thirsty — or simply missing the bubble — at this point headed to News UK’s London Lounge to hear John Pienaar take to the mic in the karaoke. The BBC’s deputy political editor impressed with his rapping skills in a rendition of the Black Eyed Peas’ ‘Where is the love?’. An apt song choice for a fractious party conference.
Here are a selection of photos from the events:
Leadership rivalry at Sky
Prosecco socialists
Caroline Flint tries out anger management
Guest of honour
Pienaar takes to the mic
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