Labour party

Thursday

John McTernan

The fatal flaw in Labour’s politics

From our UK edition

If we learned one thing from Labour Party Conference it's that capitalism is bad. The union leaders said so, the delegates said so, Jeremy Corbyn, the Leader of the Labour Party, said so – at length. And do you know what? They’re right. Capitalism is bad, very, very bad – at defending itself. As anti-business policy after anti-business policy was announced, despair at the poverty of the response of the business lobby was matched only by grudging admiration for the message discipline of Corbyn and his supporters.

Nick Cohen

J.K. Rowling and the darkness on the left

From our UK edition

You rarely come across a character in modern literature like Jimmy Knight. He’s a racist, but that’s not what makes him a novelty act. racists, after all, are deplored everywhere in the culture industry, from Hollywood to Pinewood Studios. Of this racist, however, his ex-wife says: ‘I wouldn’t trust him if it was anything to do with Jews. He doesn't like them. Israel is the root of all evil, according to Jimmy. Zionism: I got sick of the bloody sound of the word.’ Knight is also a misogynist, a type which is once again a familiar figure in contemporary fiction. But when his girlfriend cries out after he hits her, he replies by attacking her privilege with the language of the left: 'Oh fuck off, that didn’t hurt!

Matthew Parris

Don’t dismiss McDonnell as a loony

From our UK edition

‘Wherever Sir Stafford Cripps has tried to increase wealth and happiness,’ wrote the Conservative Scottish journalist Colm Brogan, ‘grass never grows again.’ But Roundup has its uses. When Brogan made this comment, Sir Stafford was Britain’s postwar ‘austerity’ chancellor of the exchequer, a post he held from 1947 to 1950. Dry as dust, Cripps had rejoined the Labour party only two years previously, having served as ambassador in Moscow, then in Churchill’s war cabinet. A leading voice on the hard left, he had been expelled from Labour for his advocacy of co-operation with communists in 1939, but his judgment had proved shrewd.

Wednesday

Katy Balls

Why the latest Labour broadcast should worry the Tories

From our UK edition

In his speech today at Labour conference, Jeremy Corbyn confidently set out his vision for government. The Leader of the Opposition promised that a change was coming – and said that this change would benefit the many. On Brexit, however, he disappointed some pro-EU MPs by refusing to soften the party's position and explicitly back a Leave/Remain second referendum. A glimpse of why that was can be found in the party's latest broadcast. Following on from that speech, Labour has released 'Our Town'. The short video is centred on the message that a Corbyn government would 'restore pride in British towns and bring our high streets and communities back to life'. In it, the party promises to kickstart the economy in 'all the regions'.

James Forsyth

The Tories will have to up their game in response to this Corbyn speech

From our UK edition

Jeremy Corbyn’s speech to Labour conference has raised the stakes for the Tories ahead of their gathering in Birmingham. Corbyn is mastering the art of making very radical things sound reasonable. Listening to him talking about ‘Inclusive Ownership Funds’ which ‘will mean workers share more fairly in the rewards of successful businesses’ you would have no idea that what this really means is the government confiscating 1pc of a companies’ equity every year without compensation; an idea that is bound to scare off business investment. Labour want to present their agenda as a response to the 2008 crash. Jeremy Corbyn’s distance from New Labour means that the Tory arguments about how Labour policies made the crash worse, just bounce off him.

Liam Halligan

Review: The book that reveals John McDonnell’s economic world view

From our UK edition

In 1995, the Labour party voted to amend Clause IV of its constitution, ditching its historic commitment to mass public ownership. A significant victory for Tony Blair, it sparked a modernisation process that saw New Labour win three successive elections. On Monday John McDonnell drew wild cheers from Labour delegates in Liverpool when he directly rebuked Blair, insisting Clause IV is 'as relevant today' as a century ago. The Shadow Chancellor certainly rolled back the years during his conference speech, unveiling the most radical Labour prospectus of modern times – an unashamedly socialist pitch, calling for aggressive re-nationalisation and sweeping trade union powers.

Isabel Hardman

How blaming the media keeps Labour activists happy

From our UK edition

One of the features of conference season, along with the stale sandwiches and lack of natural light, is the obsession with 'the mood'. It's a nebulous thing, made up of the atmosphere in the conference hall and fringe meetings, but it can tell you a lot about what a party might be up to over the next few months. Labour's 2014 conference, for instance, felt eerily flat for a party that was supposed to be on the cusp of government. Conversely, the party's 2016 gathering felt pretty edgy following the second leadership contest in as many years. That conference saw a very clear pulling-apart of the 'moderates' and the Corbynites following the attempted coup against Jeremy Corbyn, and this set the agenda for the following year. The past few days in Liverpool haven't felt so sharp.

Steerpike

No early election? We’ll just go on a general strike, says Labour MP

From our UK edition

Oh dear. Despite reports this year of a more professional tone at conference, one Labour MP appears to have missed the message. Last year John McDonnell told a conference fringe that his party was wargaming for a 'run on the pound' in the event they were elected. This year's socialist slip-up has been committed by Laura Smith. The MP for Crewe and Nantwich has come up with a Plan B should Labour's Plan A of bringing about an early election fail: 'If we can’t get a general election, we should unite with our comrades in the trade union movement and bring an end to the government with a general strike.' https://twitter.com/rosskempsell/status/1044814788612820992 The crowd went wild – with shadow cabinet member Richard Burgon even taking part in a standing ovation.

Steerpike

Security check: Corbyn’s adviser, the former Communist Party member

From our UK edition

Jeremy Corbyn’s adviser and close friend Andrew Murray has been scratching his head of late as to why he still hasn’t had his request for a Parliamentary security pass granted. In search of answers, Murray has hit out at the 'deep state' made up of spies and sinister civil servants looking to thwart a left-wing government. However, Mr S wonders whether there could be another reason it's taken so long for the pass to be granted.

Tuesday

Steerpike

Corbyn’s rallying cry at Mirror bash

From our UK edition

It’s the eve of the Leader’s Speech at Labour conference and Jeremy Corbyn has attempted to set the mood with an extra speech at the Mirror conference party. The Labour leader told an adoring crowd that this conference was historic - before thanking them for being one of the okay media publications: ‘Conference this week has been fascinating - it’s now the biggest ever. We are planning for a future that works for everyone and brings about social change. Thanks to the Mirror for giving us a fair hearing - plenty of the others don’t. This conference shows a degree of confidence in our party. This country needs a Labour government and I’m ready to take us there if we can force an election any time soon.

Katy Balls

What Jeremy Corbyn will say in his leader’s speech

From our UK edition

Jeremy Corbyn will use his leader’s speech on Wednesday to promise change. The Labour leader will vow to change the direction of the way the economy is done. He’ll say a Labour government will  do this in a way to benefit the majority and pin the need for change to the financial crisis - criticising the immediate efforts to prop up the system (led by former Labour  PM Gordon Brown, lest we forget) and pinpointing bailouts as the worst excess of modern capitalism. Aside from a not so veiled dig at a former PM who was only recently hailed by his shadow chancellor on Monday, there will be a diatribe against privitisation - chronicling the ways in which he thinks it has let people down - and Corbyn will outline a green agenda.

Isabel Hardman

Emily Thornberry’s leadership pitch, part 1

From our UK edition

The Labour leadership may be rowing back from the idea of having a second, female, deputy leader, but that isn’t stopping those who, like Emily Thornberry, fancy a shot at the top job one day. While the Shadow Foreign Secretary was totally loyal to Jeremy Corbyn when she spoke at a Times fringe this lunchtime, she started by talking movingly about her backstory, touching also on the need for a leader who has experience of the frontbench, and repeatedly referred to the importance of members in the Labour Party. It is well-understood that Thornberry would, one day, like to run for leader, and today’s performance not only underlined that, but also showed why she should.

Steerpike

Live blog: Labour’s Brexit position, 25/9/18

From our UK edition

It's Labour conference and the party is supposed to be setting out its plan for government. Only when it comes to Brexit, no-one is quite sure what that is. In the interest of clarity, Mr S will be running a live blog with the latest twists in the party's apparent Brexit policy: 11am: Keir Starmer says remaining in the EU is an option The shadow Brexit secretary tells Labour conference: ‘Nobody is ruling out remain as an option.’ 11am: Dennis Skinner frowns The Beast of Bolsover doesn't seem too impressed by Starmer's intervention: https://twitter.com/Alain_Tolhurst/status/1044540809197105152 11.

Steerpike

Scottish Labour leader’s conference snub

From our UK edition

It’s fair to say to say that the leader of Scottish Labour, Richard Leonard has struggled to make his mark since he was elected in 2017. While the position used to automatically command respect as the figurehead of the dominant party north of the border, after several catastrophic elections, Labour and the position have been relegated to the periphery of Scottish politics while the Conservatives and SNP take up the main stage. But while Leonard may be used to being sidelined in Scotland, you would hope that he would receive a little more love and recognition at his own party conference in Liverpool. Unfortunately not. It appears that even the Labour party are struggling to remember who their Scottish leader is.

Steerpike

Keir Starmer goes off script in Brexit conference speech

From our UK edition

This year's Labour conference has been praised for adopting a more professional tone than previous years. However, today that message appears to have been lost. After the party pulled plans at the last minute for a female deputy leader, Keir Starmer appears to have gone off script in his big Brexit conference speech. https://twitter.com/BBCPolitics/status/1044532574255636480 The shadow Brexit secretary was met with applause when he appeared to keep the idea of a second EU referendum on the table – announcing: 'Nobody is ruling out remain as an option.' Only John McDonnell did just this yesterday when he said any second referendum would be 'deal or no deal'. Curiously, Keir's line isn't on the speech text briefed out by Labour. Has Starmer gone off script without approval? P.S.

Monday

Isabel Hardman

Labour Left plans to force Jeremy Corbyn into deselection process to make a point

From our UK edition

Jeremy Corbyn could be subject to a trigger ballot designed for the deselection of MPs, under plans discussed tonight by members of one of his most supportive party groups. The Labour Representation Committee, from which both Corbyn and John McDonnell hail, met this evening to discuss how to get its way when it comes to party democracy. Save for when McDonnell popped in to thank the LRC for continuing to organise when it looked as though the Left would never win a foothold in the party, the mood was one of frustration. Members were largely cheerful yet also irritated that plans for ‘open selections’ - more commonly known as mandatory re-selection - hadn’t made it into the party’s rule book this week.

Steerpike

Watch: Labour supporting teacher on getting rid of Tories

From our UK edition

A teacher and Labour party member has just taken to the stage at the party's conference talking of the importance of giving kids a good education. Sensible enough, you might think. Except for the fact that Sion Rickard said that if children were educated properly it would mean that Tories would no longer exist. Here's what he said: 'I've never met a bad four-year-old. I've never met a four-year-old that was evil. So every child has a chance and if we give them a proper education, we'll empty our prisons, we'll have much less problems with our NHS, social issues... We'll probably not have any Tories because we'll have brought up our kids properly.' Mr S wouldn't want to be a kid in his class...

Isabel Hardman

John McDonnell’s unashamedly socialist pitch to Labour conference

From our UK edition

John McDonnell started his Labour conference speech with a tribute to his ‘friend’ Jeremy Corbyn, praising the way in which the Labour leader had held his nerve while being attacked in the press. As united as the two men may be, the Shadow Chancellor certainly gave the impression today that the Conservatives would have much more reason to fear a McDonnell-led Labour. His speech contained a cogent analysis of where things were going wrong for the British economy, and a clear explanation of what Labour would do to fix those problems. One of the things that Labour strategists have picked up from recent focus groups in the key seats - particularly towns - where the party needs to do better is a scepticism from voters about the party’s ability to deliver on its promises.

Steerpike

Listen: Labour MP blasts Corbynite colleague at Progress rally

From our UK edition

Here we go again. Although Labour conference has become increasingly Corbynite in recent years, the Progress rally can always be relied upon as a safe space for Labour moderates. And so it was that Corbyn-sceptic Labour MPs gathered at the annual event on Sunday night to air their grievances. Wes Streeting – the Labour MP for Ilford North – have a crowd-pleasing speech which took aim at Corbyn ally Chris Williamson, as well as Dawn Butler over her recent Militant comments: 'Good evening Progress – it's great to be here. It's like one of Chris Williamson's democracy tours except about thirty years younger in terms of average age. Here at Progress we don't talk about how we get rid of Labour MPs, we come together to talk about how we elect more Labour MPs.

Isabel Hardman

How Corbyn opponents are now turning to the trade unions

From our UK edition

The Overton Window is a concept beloved particularly by the Left. It's a theory about the range of political ideas that the public will accept, and the reason the Left has been particularly interested in this window in recent years is that there is a belief you can move it in a certain direction so that previously radical and frightening ideas become quite normal. Jeremy Corbyn's supporters certainly believe that their party has succeeded in moving the Overton Window over the past few years, and that the old political adages about the public not wanting an overly left-wing party no longer apply. But within the party itself, there has also been a rather interesting movement of windows.