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| 'Like night and day': Labour smiles push last year's tensions aside | 'Like night and day': Labour smiles push last year's tensions aside |
| (21 days later) | |
| Only a year ago, the talk at the Labour conference in Liverpool was about whether the party was facing a historic split. Jeremy Corbyn’s critics wandered miserably around the main conference centre predicting total wipeout at the next election, while celebrations over his second decisive leadership victory were largely confined to the Momentum-backed World Transformed festival in a different part of the city. | Only a year ago, the talk at the Labour conference in Liverpool was about whether the party was facing a historic split. Jeremy Corbyn’s critics wandered miserably around the main conference centre predicting total wipeout at the next election, while celebrations over his second decisive leadership victory were largely confined to the Momentum-backed World Transformed festival in a different part of the city. |
| There could not be a bigger difference with the jubilant atmosphere suffusing the Brighton conference centre this year, with a packed main hall, hundreds queuing to get into fringe events and even a sold-out business day. | There could not be a bigger difference with the jubilant atmosphere suffusing the Brighton conference centre this year, with a packed main hall, hundreds queuing to get into fringe events and even a sold-out business day. |
| Labour supporters are still flocking to World Transformed events across Brighton but Corbynite members are utterly dominant at the main conference as well, which has cut the slots given to senior politicians to allow more speaking time for the 13,000 ordinary members attending. | Labour supporters are still flocking to World Transformed events across Brighton but Corbynite members are utterly dominant at the main conference as well, which has cut the slots given to senior politicians to allow more speaking time for the 13,000 ordinary members attending. |
| “It’s like night and day,” said Ian Lavery, a Labour MP and party chairman, noting that it was the first time in years he had seen delegates with smiles on their faces. “Conference last year became very difficult and we’ve had discord within the party for two years. Before that conferences were hugely stage-managed and at the end of the Blair years people were of the view: ‘What’s the use of coming to conference, I can’t get up to speak. I haven’t got any real role as a delegate.’” | “It’s like night and day,” said Ian Lavery, a Labour MP and party chairman, noting that it was the first time in years he had seen delegates with smiles on their faces. “Conference last year became very difficult and we’ve had discord within the party for two years. Before that conferences were hugely stage-managed and at the end of the Blair years people were of the view: ‘What’s the use of coming to conference, I can’t get up to speak. I haven’t got any real role as a delegate.’” |
| Lavery attributed the difference in atmosphere partly to Corbyn’s election result, putting the party within touching distance of power again, and partly to rule changes that mean members are more involved in debate. | Lavery attributed the difference in atmosphere partly to Corbyn’s election result, putting the party within touching distance of power again, and partly to rule changes that mean members are more involved in debate. |
| “What’s happened since then is that we’ve changed things,” he said. “We’ve had resistance from the shadow cabinet. There has been resistance from frontbenchers because they like to get up at conference. But we’ve been saying we need more people from the constituencies, the communities, to get up there and express their views. And we’ve had some great discussions. Elderly people, young people, people in between and goodness me, they are gems.” | “What’s happened since then is that we’ve changed things,” he said. “We’ve had resistance from the shadow cabinet. There has been resistance from frontbenchers because they like to get up at conference. But we’ve been saying we need more people from the constituencies, the communities, to get up there and express their views. And we’ve had some great discussions. Elderly people, young people, people in between and goodness me, they are gems.” |
| Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, agreed that the dark mood hanging over last year’s conference had completely lifted. “You compare it to last year that was really quite tense. This is just different … I keep meeting new delegates. People are bouncing with ideas and it’s how conference ought to be,” she said. | Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, agreed that the dark mood hanging over last year’s conference had completely lifted. “You compare it to last year that was really quite tense. This is just different … I keep meeting new delegates. People are bouncing with ideas and it’s how conference ought to be,” she said. |
| Corbyn’s critics in the parliamentary party, who tried to oust him after the Brexit referendum, have kept largely quiet while he has been riding high in the polls since 8 June. | Corbyn’s critics in the parliamentary party, who tried to oust him after the Brexit referendum, have kept largely quiet while he has been riding high in the polls since 8 June. |
| Some of the biggest and most senior thorns in the Labour leader’s side last year – Sadiq Khan and Tom Watson – have spent the conference going out of their way to praise their leader from the conference platform. The mayor of London said Corbyn was entirely responsible for Labour’s election gains, while Watson, the deputy leader, tried to lead the hall in a rendition of “oh, Jeremy Corbyn” and thanked him for showing the party what was possible. | Some of the biggest and most senior thorns in the Labour leader’s side last year – Sadiq Khan and Tom Watson – have spent the conference going out of their way to praise their leader from the conference platform. The mayor of London said Corbyn was entirely responsible for Labour’s election gains, while Watson, the deputy leader, tried to lead the hall in a rendition of “oh, Jeremy Corbyn” and thanked him for showing the party what was possible. |
| Meanwhile, other MPs such as Jonathan Ashworth and Lisa Nandy have displayed their openness to Corbynism by appearing at World Transformed events, ending the segregation between the two conferences that existed in 2016. | Meanwhile, other MPs such as Jonathan Ashworth and Lisa Nandy have displayed their openness to Corbynism by appearing at World Transformed events, ending the segregation between the two conferences that existed in 2016. |
| “We’ve got to suck it up,” said one MP critical of Corbyn from the start. “It’s difficult to say you are disappointed with the massively increased membership and more colleagues in parliament. But I wouldn’t say I’m happy.” | “We’ve got to suck it up,” said one MP critical of Corbyn from the start. “It’s difficult to say you are disappointed with the massively increased membership and more colleagues in parliament. But I wouldn’t say I’m happy.” |
| A number of his colleagues said they had reached a state of acceptance and accommodation about both the left’s entrenchment at the top of the party and the change in the nature of the membership. | A number of his colleagues said they had reached a state of acceptance and accommodation about both the left’s entrenchment at the top of the party and the change in the nature of the membership. |
| “We are now just feeling very Monsieur Zen about it, as Jeremy would say,” said one senior Labour MP who returned to the backbenches under Corbyn. | “We are now just feeling very Monsieur Zen about it, as Jeremy would say,” said one senior Labour MP who returned to the backbenches under Corbyn. |
| Not all feel the same, though, with some MPs worried there is too much self-congratulation and not enough realism about the party’s electoral prospects next time, given the Tories will probably put up a better fight. | Not all feel the same, though, with some MPs worried there is too much self-congratulation and not enough realism about the party’s electoral prospects next time, given the Tories will probably put up a better fight. |
| Others have persistent worries about the possibility of deselections before the next election, with Lucy Powell in Manchester, Thangam Debbonaire in Bristol, Hilary Benn in Leeds and Stella Creasy in London among those who fear they could be targeted. | Others have persistent worries about the possibility of deselections before the next election, with Lucy Powell in Manchester, Thangam Debbonaire in Bristol, Hilary Benn in Leeds and Stella Creasy in London among those who fear they could be targeted. |
| Their concerns are fuelled by the ascendancy of Corbyn supporters on the national executive committee, which means changes to the rules could be tabled at the last minute before next year’s conference. But senior Labour figures firmly deny that any such changes to the selection rules will be made. | Their concerns are fuelled by the ascendancy of Corbyn supporters on the national executive committee, which means changes to the rules could be tabled at the last minute before next year’s conference. But senior Labour figures firmly deny that any such changes to the selection rules will be made. |
| There have been a few minor skirmishes in the open at conference, including Corbyn-supporting members shouting at Corbyn critics from Labour First that they should go to the Tory conference in Manchester next week instead. | There have been a few minor skirmishes in the open at conference, including Corbyn-supporting members shouting at Corbyn critics from Labour First that they should go to the Tory conference in Manchester next week instead. |
| On the final night of conference, one of the hottest tickets was a pub quiz hosted by former leader Ed Miliband in the basement of Komedia, an arts venue in the trendy Lanes area of Brighton. Hundreds of people queued for more than an hour around the block to get into the quiz but the crowd inside were young Momentum activists, with no teams of fellow MPs in sight to hear Miliband’s four rounds of questions on current affairs and niche Labour history. | On the final night of conference, one of the hottest tickets was a pub quiz hosted by former leader Ed Miliband in the basement of Komedia, an arts venue in the trendy Lanes area of Brighton. Hundreds of people queued for more than an hour around the block to get into the quiz but the crowd inside were young Momentum activists, with no teams of fellow MPs in sight to hear Miliband’s four rounds of questions on current affairs and niche Labour history. |
| “This has been a long ambition of mine,” Miliband said, arriving on stage. “Ever since that exit poll came out in 2015.” | “This has been a long ambition of mine,” Miliband said, arriving on stage. “Ever since that exit poll came out in 2015.” |
| Other rebel Labour MPs are principally concerned about the leadership’s position on Brexit, and had hoped to use the conference as a forum for highlighting the membership’s pro-EU position on the single market and free movement. But a well-organised campaign by allies of Corbyn kept that level of debate off the conference floor, to the frustration of MPs such as Chuka Umunna and Chris Leslie, who are pushing for a soft Brexit. | Other rebel Labour MPs are principally concerned about the leadership’s position on Brexit, and had hoped to use the conference as a forum for highlighting the membership’s pro-EU position on the single market and free movement. But a well-organised campaign by allies of Corbyn kept that level of debate off the conference floor, to the frustration of MPs such as Chuka Umunna and Chris Leslie, who are pushing for a soft Brexit. |
| Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, who is credited with brokering a fragile truce on the party’s position over the summer, insisted debate on the EU was still happening at conference. “The position we arrived at over the summer has got really strong, near-universal support. But are people talking about Brexit and concerned about Brexit? You bet,” he said. “Most of the fringe meetings have been full to breaking point with hundreds of people not getting in. That tells you the enthusiasm for debate about Brexit and that is a good thing.” | Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, who is credited with brokering a fragile truce on the party’s position over the summer, insisted debate on the EU was still happening at conference. “The position we arrived at over the summer has got really strong, near-universal support. But are people talking about Brexit and concerned about Brexit? You bet,” he said. “Most of the fringe meetings have been full to breaking point with hundreds of people not getting in. That tells you the enthusiasm for debate about Brexit and that is a good thing.” |
| Other senior figures allied to Corbyn are less convinced that Labour MPs trying to change the party’s position over Brexit are doing so for the right reason. One senior source close to the leadership said they believed those who wanted to cause trouble for Corbyn were channelling their efforts into Brexit in the hope of destabilising the leadership. | Other senior figures allied to Corbyn are less convinced that Labour MPs trying to change the party’s position over Brexit are doing so for the right reason. One senior source close to the leadership said they believed those who wanted to cause trouble for Corbyn were channelling their efforts into Brexit in the hope of destabilising the leadership. |
| But despite the divisions, Lavery said he believed the party had “largely overcome” the open warfare of the past two years. “There is different views and you’ve always had a left wing and a right wing and I cannot say it’s different at this moment in times,” he said. “If MPs weren’t bought into the Jeremy Corbyn project, they have got to be buoyed by this conference – the difference, the change, the atmosphere, the way people feel part of the party. And it’s just the beginning, and we are going to hopefully grab them keys off Theresa May so that Jeremy is prime minister.” | But despite the divisions, Lavery said he believed the party had “largely overcome” the open warfare of the past two years. “There is different views and you’ve always had a left wing and a right wing and I cannot say it’s different at this moment in times,” he said. “If MPs weren’t bought into the Jeremy Corbyn project, they have got to be buoyed by this conference – the difference, the change, the atmosphere, the way people feel part of the party. And it’s just the beginning, and we are going to hopefully grab them keys off Theresa May so that Jeremy is prime minister.” |
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