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| Labour conference: At-a-glance | Labour conference: At-a-glance |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Cannot play media. Sorry, this media is not available in your territory. | Cannot play media. Sorry, this media is not available in your territory. |
| Live coverage of all sessions of the Labour conference | Live coverage of all sessions of the Labour conference |
| THE BIG ISSUE | THE BIG ISSUE |
| Tax. Chancellor Alistair Darling has ruled out a windfall tax on the energy giants - setting up a showdown with the unions and backbench MPs who are demanding one. There is also real mood among many delegates and MPs that it is time for a rethink on income tax. Jon Cruddas has called for a 45% rate for the highest earners to pay for cuts for low and middle income workers. Bold moves are being called for - a return to core redistributive Labour principles after the caution of the Blair years. But the government may find its hands are tied. Experts are warning that taxes will have to rise as government borrowing soars. | Tax. Chancellor Alistair Darling has ruled out a windfall tax on the energy giants - setting up a showdown with the unions and backbench MPs who are demanding one. There is also real mood among many delegates and MPs that it is time for a rethink on income tax. Jon Cruddas has called for a 45% rate for the highest earners to pay for cuts for low and middle income workers. Bold moves are being called for - a return to core redistributive Labour principles after the caution of the Blair years. But the government may find its hands are tied. Experts are warning that taxes will have to rise as government borrowing soars. |
| MONDAY AT CONFERENCE Timings are approximate0945 TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber 0955 class="inlineText" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/7628937.stm">Building prosperity and fairness at work - John Hutton 1215 class="inlineText" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/7628545.stm">Chancellor Alistair Darling1244 Votes on windfall tax and other contemporary issues (employment rights, energy regulation, tackling fuel poverty, workers in the global economy) 1415 A Fair World (guest speaker) 1430 Britain in the world (David Miliband, Des Browne, Douglas Alexander) 1540 European Parliament report - Gary Titley MEP 1555 Votes on Britain in World policy document1600 Conference adjourns BONUS ANGER The mood is hardening on City bonuses. Derek Simpson, joint general secretary of trade union Unite, said the system is "out of control". He told the chancellor: "If you can't regulate the bonus culture, then tax it out of existence." John McFall, chairman of Treasury Select Committee, said there is a new paradigm and "yesterday's excesses can not go on". WELL, YOU DID ASK | |
| Labour has a "5% to 10%" chance of winning the next election, according to Ben Page of pollsters IPSOS MORI. In fact, he told a fringe meeting, it would be "amazing" if they managed to pull it off. They are even more unpopular than John Major's government in the early 1990s. | Labour has a "5% to 10%" chance of winning the next election, according to Ben Page of pollsters IPSOS MORI. In fact, he told a fringe meeting, it would be "amazing" if they managed to pull it off. They are even more unpopular than John Major's government in the early 1990s. |
| HAVING A MAYOR | HAVING A MAYOR |
| Boris Johnson is the gift that keeps on giving for Labour. We make it three cabinet ministers now (Smith, Purnell, Miliband since you ask) who have quoted him describing David Cameron's talk of a "broken society" as "piffle". | Boris Johnson is the gift that keeps on giving for Labour. We make it three cabinet ministers now (Smith, Purnell, Miliband since you ask) who have quoted him describing David Cameron's talk of a "broken society" as "piffle". |
| COLLAPSE AT CONFERENCE | COLLAPSE AT CONFERENCE |
| Former Tory councillor Les Byrom collapsed in the hall just eight minutes after praising Gordon Brown. The councillor from Southport, Merseyside, who defected from the Conservatives in June, had appeared on stage to praise the prime minister as a "considerate and compassionate" man. He was treated at the scene by members of Mr Brown's Special Branch protection detail, before being transferred to a waiting ambulance. He was later reported to be in a "comfortable condition" at the Manchester Royal Infirmary where he is undergoing tests. | Former Tory councillor Les Byrom collapsed in the hall just eight minutes after praising Gordon Brown. The councillor from Southport, Merseyside, who defected from the Conservatives in June, had appeared on stage to praise the prime minister as a "considerate and compassionate" man. He was treated at the scene by members of Mr Brown's Special Branch protection detail, before being transferred to a waiting ambulance. He was later reported to be in a "comfortable condition" at the Manchester Royal Infirmary where he is undergoing tests. |
| BROWNOMETER | BROWNOMETER |
| A combination of the past week's financial turmoil and the natural tendency of Labour conferences to rally behind the leader has probably saved Gordon Brown's skin for now. The cabinet has been trying to rally behind him, with varying degrees of conviction. The big imponderable remains David Miliband. Rumours continue that he has his eye on the top job - despite his increasingly emphatic denials. | A combination of the past week's financial turmoil and the natural tendency of Labour conferences to rally behind the leader has probably saved Gordon Brown's skin for now. The cabinet has been trying to rally behind him, with varying degrees of conviction. The big imponderable remains David Miliband. Rumours continue that he has his eye on the top job - despite his increasingly emphatic denials. |
| QUOTE OF THE DAY | QUOTE OF THE DAY |
| We have been through this several times and I keep on saying the same thing. I don't support a leadership election, the party needs to pull together, we need to pull together behind Gordon's leadership, we are determined to do so, David Miliband at the World at One fringe meeting. | We have been through this several times and I keep on saying the same thing. I don't support a leadership election, the party needs to pull together, we need to pull together behind Gordon's leadership, we are determined to do so, David Miliband at the World at One fringe meeting. |
| CLARKE (AGAIN) | CLARKE (AGAIN) |
| Charles Clarke, for one, hasn't been put off by Mr Miliband's denial. His latest comments came on BBC Radio 5 Live: ''I think there are about 5 or 6 people who'd do a very good job as leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister. Of whom David (Miliband) I think would probably be the best. But actually I think there's a range of people who would do well. You are right that everybody in the current circumstances, says that they are not wanting to be a candidate against Gordon, I completely understand that. But in the event there were a leadership election, I think a number of people would come forward who would do a good job.'' | Charles Clarke, for one, hasn't been put off by Mr Miliband's denial. His latest comments came on BBC Radio 5 Live: ''I think there are about 5 or 6 people who'd do a very good job as leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister. Of whom David (Miliband) I think would probably be the best. But actually I think there's a range of people who would do well. You are right that everybody in the current circumstances, says that they are not wanting to be a candidate against Gordon, I completely understand that. But in the event there were a leadership election, I think a number of people would come forward who would do a good job.'' |