At Conference - Monday
I was part of a group from Hackney Labour Group who were presented with an award for best practice in campaigning today from Harriet Harman - the first time I've ever made it onto the stage at Conference despite having my hand in the air to speak on many occasions as a delegate or PPC.
Today also saw Tory blogger Iain Dale publish his top 100 left-of-centre blogs list for 2007. I've gone up 25 places from 35th last year to number 10 this year. I'm not sure Iain should really be the arbiter of this (though I'm grateful to make his top 10). Maybe we should exercise a bit more autonomy as Labour bloggers and run our own rankings through LabourHome or Bloggers4Labour rather than being judged by a Tory.
The rather more important matter of the NPF elections is looking less good - being counted now and I'm fairly sure I've come best runner-up - 5th in a field of 10 for 4 seats.
I thought Gordon's speech was very interesting. Clear moral purpose, and an insight into what makes the guy tick. A nice tribute to Blair. No mention of the opposition at all - just positive stuff about Labour's vision. And wall-to-wall progressive policy initiatives, especially on education. If we need to fight an election in a few weeks time, we certainly have a set of policies ready that demonstrate we have not run out of steam after ten years in government, and offer real opportunity to ordinary families.
Other highlights today were a rousing platform defence of the role of local government from Hazel Blears, and former Tory MP Quentin Davies doing a veritable demolition job on David Cameron.
posted by Luke Akehurst at 5:15 pm
10 Comments:
Gordon Brown showed why Blair should have gone long before he did. This was the measured and mature speech of a capable PM (leaving aside one typical politician's bit of nothingness when he asserted loudly I will always stand up for you'???).
Especially heartening to see that he can cast aside the insidious drum beat of anti-Scottishness in much of the English right-wing press over the Summer he showed it to be a marginal and petty meaness
But he must announce, right now, is he going for an October election or not. Otherwise the electorial reaction to unfulfilled and dangerous spin could be as lethal as it was to Jim Callaghan.
Luke I can't agree with you on Tory (sic) Quentin Davis. Having this man make this speech at a Labour Conference was a tawdry excercise that probably made many at Conference uncomfortable and it did little to dignify national politics in general.
For me, the low point of the day was Wendy Alexander.
She 'apologies' on 'behalf of the Scottish Labour Party' to a Conference that included a clearly baffled number of delegates... and then she pleaded for 'your help' (i.e. you in England) for 'us' to defeat Alex Salmond.
That will not go down well either among the Scottish Labour Party or a generally volatile Scottish electorate. Ill-judged and unconvincing.
6:18 pm, September 24, 2007
Luke, unlike last year I didn;t judge the list myself. It was compiled by a panel of Labour bloggers including Kerron Cross, John Angliss and Bob Piper.
8:18 pm, September 24, 2007
commiserations for the NPF result.
Who got the 4 London places?
9:12 pm, September 24, 2007
It was a good speech - Brown is capable, he has gravitas, no doubt about that.
10:30 pm, September 24, 2007
Good mornig luke akehurst
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9:00 am, September 25, 2007
Ted, we are not all GB supporters - many of us admired Tony Blair and wanted him to serve longer. Many of us were also very unhappy about how GB and his supporters behaved over recent years. I will never forgive GB for his behaviour and share Cherie's feelings on how he moved against her husband. The speech by GB was competent but boring and uninspiring.
Luke - commiserations! (I voted for you on Iain Dale's blog) and am pleased that you have moved up 10 places. Together with the award for campaigning you have had some reward for all your efforts!
2:37 pm, September 25, 2007
My god, they really do exist.
2:57 pm, September 25, 2007
Jane, I didn't say I was a Gordon Brown supporter?
As for "Cherie's feelings"... I really don't want to go down that strange place, thank you!
4:56 pm, September 25, 2007
I still think your other blog is a whole lot better.
As for Ted's point, I think that Wendy Alexander is probably the low point of anybody's day, including Wendy Alexander's.
5:24 pm, September 26, 2007
Just like last year, Mrs Dale's bloglist was sponsored by climate change deniers APCO. Dale himself is just a little bit touchy about this relationship. It appears his opinions are "for hire".
9:55 pm, September 26, 2007
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