Labour party

Wednesday

Katy Balls

The Labour party has now embraced Corbynism – will the public?

When Jeremy Corbyn gave his speech on Wednesday, the conference hall bore a closer resemblance to a stadium concert than your bog-standard political meeting. The Labour leader was given a hero's welcome from party members decked out in Corbyn fan merchandise. He received a standing ovation before he'd even emitted a word, and an impromptu chant of 'Oh, Jeremy Corbyn' soon followed. Corbyn's position has never been more secure and this year's conference has  only gone to cement the new normal for Labour – it is a loud and proud socialist party. Buoyed by the snap election, MPs and members alike have embraced Corbyn's anti-austerity narrative – no-one is having a 'friendly' debate over how best to balance the books anymore.

Isabel Hardman

Corbyn cannot just condemn the abuse of those he is friends with

Jeremy Corbyn was generous to the Shadow Cabinet in his conference speech, especially to Diane Abbott, who had a terrible election campaign personally, suffering from problems with her diabetes and horrendous racist and misogynist abuse. The Labour leader led a standing ovation to the Shadow Home Secretary, followed by a rendition of 'happy birthday'. He told the hall that 'the campaign by the Tories and their loyal media was nasty and personal. It fuelled abuse online and no one was the target of that more than Diane Abbott.' Let's just recall the abuse of Diane Abbott during the election campaign. She said she had been called a 'n***** bitch', sent rape and death threats and received 45 per cent of all abusive tweets sent to female MPs during the election campaign.

Isabel Hardman

Jeremy Corbyn’s speech showed how much of Labour’s power comes from the Tories’ mess

What is Jeremy Corbyn's vision for Labour in government? Before the snap election, that question seemed so very irrelevant and hypothetical, but the 2017 result and the way the Tories have behaved since makes a Jeremy Corbyn premiership far more likely than anyone could have imagined. So his speech at Labour conference was quite understandably upbeat, confident, and well-received. It was the best speech he's ever given - fluent, well-structured and unapologetic. Though of course it went on a bit too long. It included the mandatory pops at the media, and repetitions of crowd-pleasing policy announcements on nationalising various industries. Labour feels so powerful now that it doesn't need to worry that its policies will upset the public.

The Spectator

Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour conference speech, full text

We meet here this week as a united Party, advancing in every part of Britain, winning the confidence of millions of our fellow citizens, setting out our ideas and plans for our country’s future, that have already inspired people of all ages and backgrounds. And it’s a privilege to be speaking in Brighton.  A city that not only has a long history of hosting Labour conferences, but also of inspirational Labour activists. It was over a century ago, here in Brighton, that a teenage shop worker had had enough of the terrible conditions facing her and her workmates.

Steerpike

John McDonnell’s business charm offensive falls flat

John McDonnell has never had an easy relationship with big business. The shadow chancellor thinks there is a 'lot to learn' from Karl Marx and says one of his favourite pastimes is 'fermenting the conditions to overthrow capitalism'. McDonnell is hoping his latest charm offensive to woo businesses will help them to forget those remarks. But the shadow chancellor might have to try a bit harder to win them over. The Labour Business Fringe Reception at the party's conference last night was a chance to do just that. A smattering of businesses, including Microsoft, were there. The only problem? John McDonnell was nowhere to be seen. After waiting over an hour for the shadow chancellor, many of those attending took the hint and decided to move on elsewhere. Mr S.

Tuesday

Isabel Hardman

David Lammy: We should be more like Farage

Brexit has been an odd sideshow to the Labour conference, with pro-Corbyn factions such as Momentum working hard to keep the topic away from any awkward votes on the floor of the Brighton Centre hall. Perhaps that’s why it took more than an hour for anyone to mention it as a potential issue the party needed to think about at tonight’s Fabian Question Time fringe. By this point, we had run over the same arguments for solving the housing crisis that are wheeled out and then packed away without much progress, tax avoidance, and the Labour Party’s problem with anti-semitism (none of the speakers tried to claim this didn’t exist, by the way).

Katy Balls

Tom Watson signs up to the cult of Corbyn

At this year's Labour conference, party moderates are an endangered species. A lot of centrist MPs have given the event a miss – while those that are in attendance rarely make an appearance in the conference hall. So, Tom Watson's speech today marked a turn up for the books. Labour's deputy leader was given a whole ten minutes to speak despite being deemed a Corbyn-sceptic. But much like with Sadiq Khan's speech the day before, Watson used his platform to channel his inner Corbynista. In a marked contrast to last year, Watson came across as one of Corbyn's true comrades – even embarking on a cringeworthy chant of 'oh, Jeremy Corbyn' before praising the leader for his work and role in the election. 'A time for change is upon us. The old fear is gone.

The Spectator

Tom Watson’s Labour conference speech, full text

Conference, thank you for being here. Thanks for your enthusiasm, for your passion,  for all your hard work on behalf of the Labour Party, on behalf of our country. I’m grateful to every one of you. Last week, the Prime Minister made yet another speech to reboot, yet again, her Brexit strategy. She chose to deliver this latest oration in the great city of Florence, though no-one seems to know why. For politicians, Florence, even more than the city of Dante, the Medicis and Michelangelo, is the city of Niccolo Machiavelli. I can only assume Michael Gove picked the venue. Michael Gove, who undermined his own Tory leadership bid last year, by admitting he doesn’t have the right skills to be Prime Minster.  For once in his life, he was right.

Isabel Hardman

Labour’s lost moderate MPs adopt ‘sleeping crocodile’ strategy

One of the reasons this seems to be the happiest Labour Party conference in a long time is that there is very little conflict between the two very different factions in the party. Before the snap election, it seemed as though Labour was going to split - or at least that what was left of it after an electoral drubbing was going to split. But the result meant that the Corbynites have won the argument and sealed their ownership of the party. The factions aren't at war any more. The most obvious symbol of this victory is the way MPs haven't been given passes for the conference floor. Some argue that conference has always been about the chance for members to speak, rather than parliamentarians to pontificate at even greater length than they do in Westminster.

Steerpike

Listen: ‘Disgruntled Blairites’ blamed for Labour anti-Semitism accusations

Labour’s anti-Semitism row spills on to the front pages of today's papers. ‘Labour is the real nasty party’, says the Daily Mail, following up remarks made at an event on the fringes of Labour conference. The party votes today on rule changes aimed at sending out a message that Labour will not tolerate anti-Semitism. But at another event at Labour’s conference last night, a speaker suggested that many of the charges of anti-Semitism levelled at the party were simply ‘politically motivated’. Speaking at the launch of Jewish Voices for Labour, Oxford Professor Avi Shlaim told the audience that: ‘I shall argue that many of the charges of anti-Semitism that have been bandied about during this period (the last two years) are politically motivated.

Tom Goodenough

Labour’s conference, day three: The Spectator guide

It's Tom Watson's turn to address Labour's party conference today. Last year, he said it was 'time to get the band back together' – earning himself a standing ovation from delegates and a somewhat muted response from Jeremy Corbyn. Here are the highlights we can look forward to on day three: Labour conference:  9.30am: Financial reports; NEC and CLP constitutional amendments 10.30am: Rebecca Long-Bailey 12.30pm: Angela Rayner 2.30pm: Jon Ashworth 5pm: Tom Watson Fringe events: Midday: Repowering Britain: Building a progressive truly-left vision for England that doesn’t reinforce racist values Buddies Cafe Bar. Speakers: Lisa Nandy; Clive Lewis, Naz Shah 12.

Monday

Steerpike

Big business struggles to make friends at Labour’s conference

Big business is back with a vengeance at this year’s Labour conference. Twelve months ago, in the wake of Jeremy Corbyn’s re-election as Labour leader, the party’s gathering was largely shunned by corporate firms. The likes of Google - who had exhibited in 2015 - stayed well away. But in the wake of the party’s relative success at the general election - and with no sign of Corbyn going away any time soon - the companies are back. Google are among those exhibiting at the conference. Microsoft are here, too. And so are BP. But it seems like their efforts might have been in vain.

Katy Balls

Sadiq Khan discovers his inner Corbynista

When Sadiq Khan spoke at last year's Labour conference, his speech was deemed hostile to Jeremy Corbyn. Fresh from victory in the London mayoral election, Khan managed to say 'power' a whole 38 times – in what was widely interpreted as a thinly-veiled attack on the Labour leader's lack of electoral appeal. So, what a difference a year – and a surprisingly good snap election result – makes. After weeks of rows and attempts to prevent Khan from taking to the stage this year, the Leader's Office must have today been left wondering what the fuss was all about. The Mayor of London fell into line – using his last-minute speaking slot to play it safe with a speech that praised both Corbyn and public sector workers.

The Spectator

Sadiq Khan’s Labour conference speech, full text

Conference, it's great to be back in Labour Brighton. And it's great to see our Labour Party so fired up under Jeremy Corbyn. Labour confounded all expectations at the general election this year. Let's be clear, Theresa May called this snap election to try and wipe us out. And boy did she fail. It was inspiring to see millions of people vote for the first time - especially so many young people. And it was inspiring to see so many people who used to vote for our Party return home to Labour. We made huge progress in the general election and the credit for that goes to one person – the leader of our party - Jeremy Corbyn. He mobilised our movement. He motivated our activists and reached voters we hadn't reached before.

Isabel Hardman

John McDonnell’s speech showed Labour is now comfortable in its new skin

If you wanted a clue to how much the Labour Party has changed over the past few years, you wouldn't have had to sit through much more than the first few lines of John McDonnell's conference speech. He started it with the words 'I'd like to thank Ken Loach for that wonderful film'. Loach hasn't been the most loyal supporter of the Labour Party over the years, but is now firmly back in the fold thanks to Jeremy Corbyn. Party members, normally tribally opposed to those who set up rival parties, gave the veteran filmmaker a standing ovation. The Labour Party has been changing for a while, but this conference is showing that it is now comfortably settled into its new Corbynite skin.

Steerpike

Labour MP: ‘It’s a pleasure to be here in Bristol… Brighton’

Labour is gathering in Brighton but it seems that simple fact is news to some of those taking to the stage at the party's conference. Shadow Scottish Secretary Lesley Laird kicked off her speech by doing her best to endear herself to those in the audience. The only problem? She told those in the Brighton centre that it was a 'pleasure to be here in Bristol'. She then attempted an exercise in damage limitation: Only 200 miles out...

Steerpike

Corbynistas fail to practise what they preach

TFL's decision not to renew Uber's licence in the capital has gone down like a cup of cold sick with many Londoners – including a good chunk of the 40,000 drivers who will soon be out of work. However, over at Labour conference in Brighton, the decision has proved very popular. It's been praised at the fringe events, by Labour politicians and just today Tim Roache –  the General Secretary of GMB – has spoken at conference where he called on all Labour members to boycott the taxi firm. Alas Mr S thinks his words may have fallen on deaf ears. So far, several conference attendees trying to get an Uber to or around the centre have found themselves hit by a surge charge.

Tom Goodenough

Ignoring Brexit to spare Corbyn’s blushes is a price worth paying for some

Labour’s Brexit row rumbles on. While the issue won’t be the subject of a vote at the party’s annual gathering, that isn’t stopping delegates from tearing scraps out of each other in the conference hall over the issue. This morning’s session was dedicated to giving delegates a chance to talk shop on Brexit. It’s true that much of it was good natured. But some of those who took to the stage were booed for their troubles. One such delegate earned the disapproval of the audience for accusing Labour delegates of doing nothing to stop the Tories pursuing their Brexit agenda. He told those in the hall: 'We will be remembered as the opposition that let the Tories do what they want on Brexit’.

Nick Hilton

Labour’s biggest danger is falling for the cult of Corbyn

Labour conference has begun in earnest – earnest being the operative word, as Brighton finds itself swamped with Jeremy Corbyn’s credulous acolytes, buoyant from the success of their hero’s election campaign, just three months ago. Len McCluskey, General Secretary of Unite, told conference this morning that ‘we stand on the shoulder of a giant, and that giant is the Labour manifesto 2017’. Rapturous applause greeted him but it was nothing compared to the applause that filled the hall a few minutes later when a tinsel-furnished portrait of Jeremy Corbyn was paraded across the floor. Currently at #Lab17... #NotACult pic.twitter.

Matthew Lynn

We need a free market in credit cards – just like everything else

There are some commercial decisions that are intrinsically difficult to defend. The plot of the last Captain America film, for example. Ryanair’s charges for bags that are slightly too big. The price of the new iPhone, and just about anything done by the lovable folks over at Foxtons. Credit cards changes come very close to that category. Almost but not quite. In fact, if the Labour party gets its way, and imposes controls on them, we may find that out to our cost. In what will probably be the first of a whole week of populist measures, the shadow chancellor John McDonnell today announced that, if in office, he would impose limits on what could be charged on cards. No one would have to pay back more than they originally borrowed.