Sunday 4.30. Conference is split into three groups. The first are still attending the main event in the Hall listening to contributions from, among others, the Home Secretary and Jim Purnell. The second are enjoying the early autumn sunshine on the steps and coffee houses circling the main hall. The final group are those nervously waiting for the Ryder Cup singles to start- including most of the Press.
Politically things are warming up. Early morning Marr and Boulton saw both Brown and Harman on good form. By lunchtime Prescott and Charles Clarke were going toe to toe on the BBC; a big points win for John. He then moved on to launch GO4 the Campaign for a 4th Term with Dick Caborn and Alastair Campbell- planting stickers on delegates and planning a regional tour. Soon be dusting down the Prescott Bus- the members love it and I’m signed up.
A Cabinet Minister describes Hank Poulson as a ‘comrade in struggle’; another knew him as a ‘long term sleeper’. One of the ‘Progress’ faction in our Party thought the Bush administration were retuning to an ‘old labour comfort zone’. Our ‘middle class tax cut’ is making waves- its either a sell out or a re-wind to the 70s. Taking 580,000 out of the top-rate seems a good idea; others describe it as a policy from the ‘Notting Hill Compass Cameroons’- things can only get bitter.
An interesting sub-text at the conference is an attempt by some delegates to rehabilitate an ‘early Blair’ of 1994-2001. In contrast to the shrill language and authoritarianism of the ‘uber blairites’ around Progress and the coup plotters, others talk of his early coalition building and progressive instincts. Contesting the meaning of ‘Blairism’ is a coming debate and one to watch out for.
Tonight I am off to a Refugee Council fringe, and an ‘Observer Q and A’. Am taking out a group of Australian Labour Party officials and onto a Searchlight/Daily Mirror Dinner about fighting the BNP.
Garcia is on the tee. I think Poulter will clinch it for Europe with a couple of games to spare.
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