This weekend is Labour’s tenth conference in opposition and the fifth with Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the party. It’s also the first time since 2007 that its party conference season has been framed as the appetiser to an imminent general election campaign. The 2007 election famously never was, much to David Cameron’s delight, but this time both government and opposition agree on the need for a vote, if not the timing. Accordingly, Labour needs to up its game.
The party cannot afford to spend the five days of precious airtime conference provides arguing over its Brexit position, again. But it looks like it will. It should not be entering conference fixated on its own navel, with incomprehensible rows over its rulebook and constitution. But it is. The shadow cabinet shouldn’t be spending their time indulging in crackpot conspiracism about whether Labour can trust the civil service or not. Incredibly, some will be. If ever there was time for any of this, there isn’t any more.
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