MP calls for clear limits on media ownership...

Lobbydog chatted with Graham Allen MP a few moments ago to get a bit of background on his amendment to today’s Opposition motion on News Corporation’s takeover of BSkyB. The amendment seeks a broader effort to address media ownership. Here is what he said…

“I think it’s important to go a step further on this issue as there is already Government and Opposition support for the motion specifically dealing with BSkyB.

“The things that are happening now are a symptom, but what is the underlying issue?

“The UK papers and media are in very few hands and that’s why the people that own them have enormous power and that’s what needs to be addressed.

“The amendment is putting a mark down asking that we look at the serious underlying causes, of diversity and plurality in ownership, and consider proper regulation.

“There should be clear limits agreed with the existing owners on the number of newspapers or media outlets they own.”

Labour Uncut’s Dan Hodges correctly commented yesterday that Ed Miliband’s decision to negotiate with Cameron on the main motion today had shown he understood when to “take the win”.

Given that is the case I don’t see this amendment going through today, but – in the same way that political and constitutional reform became significant after expenses – the ownership issue is live and will be the next thing on the agenda.

Social bonds, the future of public funding?

With coverage of Ken Clarke’s justice speech yesterday focussing on prison Vs community sentencing, there was one interesting political issue that was overlooked.

Despite various characters on the left and right getting huffy about sentencing, Clarke’s suggestion of using more community orders is actually pretty old hat.

The far more radical proposal was the increased use of ‘social impact bonds’ to raise funds to pay for offender rehabilitation.

This is where a private investor pays a sum to buy a bond. That money is then used to pay for a scheme designed to stop people re-offending.

When less people then re-offend, the Government saves money as a result (in not having to pay for courts and prisons etc). Some of the savings are then used to repay the private investor with interest.

So the private sector gets a profit, crime falls and yet the tax-payer doesn’t spend a penny – too good to be true? We’ll see.

Bonds are being explored by Clarke because there is little public money and because he thinks prisons are too expensive.

The thing is Nottingham North MP Graham Allen, a Labour member, has been calling for the use of these bonds to pay for policy to tackle deprivation for a long time.

While Allen thinks the bonds a good idea because of an instinct towards social policy, Clarke thinks they’re good because he’s economically pragmatic i.e. a Tory.

That the bonds can appeal to both Tory and Labour sentiment in that way is interesting enough in itself to make them worth looking at.

President Cameron/Brown?

Labour’s Graham Allen, who was re-elected in Nottingham North yesterday, wants Parliament recalled now so that our political situation can be discussed by MPs on the Commons floor.

It’s a parliamentary election in a parliamentary system, he argues, so why isn’t Parliament involved right now?

Delay is the answer of course, and because as soon as the chamber doors were unlocked Gordon and Dave would both dash for the PM’s seat and end up scuffling on the Commons floor.

But Allen, who has backed a proportional voting system before, claims to have a way to sort out our current deadlock.

"David Cameron is alleged to be softening on a more proportional electoral system, but still apparently wants the strong leadership which first past the post normally delivers.

"He, and everyone else in politics, can have their cake and eat it too, by having a first past the post system to directly elect the Prime Minister, and a proportional system to elect the legislature."

This would basically see our Prime Minister elected in the same way as an American President and I imagine would have to see him removed from Parliament, though Allen hasn’t specified that.

We have had the TV debates, the thinking goes, and most PMs act like presidents these days anyway. So why not make them more accountable by splitting the executive from the legislature?

For me we’ve already gone far enough down the presidential route, but by all means strengthen Parliament and make it more representative.

There is an appetite for change and if Cameron can convince the Lib Dems his plans are enough, for now, then we’ll have a Lib/Con pact on Monday morning.

Another Labour retirement?

Rumours are swirling around that another Labour MP in Nottingham will announce he is standing down at the election.

Nottingham East MP John Heppell – a Labour whip – is said to be strongly considering the move.

Heppell has been around in the Commons since 1992 when he won his seat from the Conservative incumbent.

If the rumours turn out to be true he will join a string of Labour MPs from Nottinghamshire that say they’ve had enough.

Nottingham South’s Alan Simpson, Sherwood’s Paddy Tipping and Ashfield’s Geoff Hoon are all calling it a day. Meanwhile Mansfield’s Alan Meale is also said to be considering retirement.

If Meale and Heppell do stand down then that’s five out of eight Labour MPs in the city and county who will be retiring.

Reform will have to be fought for

A document has found its way to Lobbydog which reveals the level of frustration among MPs tasked with reforming Parliament.

The Reform of the House of Commons Committee was set up to decide how to strengthen Parliament, so it could better challenge the Government.

The group published a report last year called Rebuilding the House laying out changes which they expected would be included in a motion to be debated in the Commons on Tuesday.

But the leaked document – a briefing note from a February 10th evidence session – reveals the group felt leaders were not only dragging their feet, but that the motion the Government finally put forward waters down their suggestions.

The note shows reformers had planned to ask party leaders why things weren’t moving more quickly in setting up a “back-bench business committee” which would take over scheduling some Commons business from the Government.

Questions that reformers - including Nottingham MP Graham Allen (above) - wanted to ask included:

“Are all three of you signed up to this idea? If so, can we not go a bit faster than proposed? Surely you can get a Standing Order together which could get the Committee going in a new session?”

The note then shows that reformers believe the Government motion “does not seem to accept” the idea that MPs, instead of whips, should choose who sits on Select Committees.

This is crucial because the current system allows the Government to fill the committees – which scrutinise policy – with friendly voices.

Finally the note shows frustration that the Governemnt motion – to be put forward by Harriet Harman – simply ignores three recommendations the reformers wanted.

They include letting MPs decide who chairs the Intelligence and Security Committee, giving opposition parties more power over opposition day debates and setting up a committee to scrutinise how petitions are used.

The changes that are eventually brought in could dramatically alter the way we practice democracy in the UK.

So if these issues still have not been sorted out by Tuesday’s debate I hope the reformers have the courage to speak out and demand action from their own party leaders.

P.S. I should add that Graham Allen is not the source.

Gove moth infestation...

Michael Gove has been accused, bizarrely, of bringing a moth infested carpet into the House of Commons.

Graham Allen MP complained about the moth infestation in his Westminster office corridor.

He said: “It is not true that the first moth arrived when I opened my wallet nor when I had to examine my 1987 expenses claims.

“The fact is Michael Gove MP brought in a second hand Moroccan carpet and ever since we have been plagued by them.

“Michael Gove somehow has managed to get a transfer to another [moth free] office.

“I hope the Common House moth does not take up permanent residence and become the House’s Common moth.”

Labour MP accuses Government of being “Brezhnev-like”

Graham Allen was apparently once accused by party seniors of being “too independent minded” to climb the political ladder.

The Labour MP for Nottingham North has been outspoken on areas in which he thinks the Government needs to change and earlier this year he was involved in the plot to oust Brown.

So it’s not a huge surprise that his most recent criticism of Government policy comes in fairly explicit terms.

In a letter to Communities and Local Government Secretary John Denham, Allen argues:

“…the way the UK governs ourselves seems to be stuck, Brezhnev-like, in command politics. This is seen at its starkest and its most wasteful in central control of local government – a concept both alien and hilarious to most western democracies.”

To remedy the situation he suggests making councils independent, sovereign bodies and even enshrining their rights to independence in a Local Government Act.

“We need to put local independence beyond the reach of central government and to admit that the man in Whitehall does not know best, even if he is a Labour man and even if he talks the "localism" talk. Petty interference from the centre must be denied any legal or financial basis and local government given unchallengeable legitimacy.”

Along with that should come financial independence – revenue raising powers and a system in which all tax collected by a council goes to the council.

The recession is eating up all the column inches at the moment, but the ‘local powers’ issue is still an area where all parties are trying to seem like the good guy.

Allen actually claims the two are linked – councils, he wrote, are best placed to fight the recession in their areas.

His criticism won’t make Denham sweat, but it challenges the claim Labour is the party prepared to decentralise most and give greater powers to councils.

With his role on the committee reforming Parliament and the credibility drawn from challenging the leader, Allen has the potential to be a thorn in Brown’s side approaching the election.

Someone who can nail David Cameron...

Now that I have a chance, this is what Labour rebel Graham Allen told Lobbydog after the PLP meeting the other night.

“The cabinet and the parliamentary party had an opportunity to choose someone who was a better communicator, someone that could nail David Cameron and take the argument to the public, but they didn’t choose to take it.”

He said he’d decided to take part in the plot to topple Brown after considering the impact a Tory Government would have on his constituency.

“I’ve been there before, as a Labour MP under a Tory Government, and it’s very difficult to get your voice heard and to get things done.

“Under Labour we’ve been able to build new schools and bring things like the family nurse partnership to Nottingham and that ability is something worth speaking out for.”

He added: “I made my point of view known publicly and I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself had I not. But we are all grown ups here and now this issue is history.

“Gordon made a good speech – he wasn’t vindictive about people not on his side. Now I’ll get back to working hard for the people of Nottingham and I’ll support the Government of the Prime Minister.”

Note that he said he'd support the Government of the Prime Minister, rather than the Prime Minister himself.

Nottingham's plotter

Graham Allen’s involvement in the plot to oust the PM is unexpected, but revolt isn’t unprecedented for him.

He was one of the MPs who organised the rebel Parliament just before the Iraq War.

The conflict was looming and Tony Blair, PM at the time, was refusing to call Parliament for a debate during summer recess.

Allen, Nottingham North MP, and others won wide-spread, cross party support for the ‘rebel Parliament’ which would meet in a hall elsewhere in Westminster.

They arranged sponsorship, broadcasting rights, officials and even a logo - but nine days before it was to sit Blair backed down and called Parliament.

The move to topple Brown is far more challenging, but the story shows he has some organisational capacity.

He's also spent the last few years on a personal mission to push through 'early intervention' - his agenda on social policy reform - with some success.

Allen will be giving his side of the story in the Post tomorrow.

Like most of his party's MPs he's stomping his patch today desperately trying to get Labour voters out.

MP undressed in the chamber

Nottingham North MP Graham Allen was interrupted by the Speaker in mid-sentence earlier and told to sit down.

He dared to try and speak while being "undressed in the chamber" - he was missing a tie.

Lobbydog feels solidarity after being chucked out of the Press Gallery last year for not wearing a jacket.

Brain boggling

This is a picture comparing the brains of two toddlers, one who was well looked after and one who was deprived.

Can it really be? Apparently so, Graham Allen attaches the image to all his e-mails in support of his cause, early intervention.

As I write the Nottingham North MP is hammering home the message in a Westminster Hall debate.

His patch has the worst teen pregnancy rates in Europe and some of the worst school scores in the country.

Early bird, or quackery?

Graham Allen has a knack of turning any story going into one about "early intervention".

Drugs and crime problems? Early intervention. Rubbish school results? Early intervention. Not enough English players in the Premiership? Early... you get the picture.

The term means blitzing state intervention to young mums and children to try and break the cycle of deprivation.

His devotion to what is a good cause is admirable, but it means it was no surprise when he suggested to me earlier that the Government could tackle the economic downturn by investing in, you know what.

He wasn't holding his breath on it being in the next fiscal stimulus package though, so instead he's cooking up a way of paying for it for free.

The basic concept is this – early intervention would mean you save money in the future because you’re not spending on things like lowering teen pregnancy and crime etc.

So councils investing in such policies should be able to do so with money borrowed (that increasingly ugly word) against future savings – so technically no new money is needed.

The Nottingham North MP apparently has a group of top financiers (an even more ugly word) working on the detail.

It sounds risky and dubious to me, but I'd be intrigued to discover just how they think it will work.

Bulwell's Barack

Nottingham North MP Graham Allen is planning his next election campaign!

Icelandic banks

Graham Allen MP thought it would be helpful for Nottingham City Council Leader Jon Collins and his deputy, Graham Chapman, to talk in person to an inquiry investigating the Icelandic banks situation.

I’m not sure the pair would thank Mr Allen, who is MP for Nottingham North.

When Lobbydog contacted the council to see if the leader and his right-hand man would be up for it, there was a predictable lack of response.

The council said it would submit written evidence to the inquiry on how it came to have £42m in the banks when they went under, but no mention was made of a visit to London in person.

If the inquiry committee is interested enough they may ask the council to come to Westminster next year and give oral evidence.

Until then I’d be interested to know whether you think the inquiry should be holding the council to account for its part in the predicament. Vote in the new Lobbydog poll.

Congratulations on your congratulations

Even Coaker himself looked embarrassed as wave after wave of adulation was lavished on him from around the room.

The Gedling MP's promotion from a junior Home Office minister to Minister of State for Police was announced a couple of days ago.

But colleagues at this morning's debate were so eager to congratulate him that it turned into some sort of weird cross-party love in.

Nottingham North MP Graham Allen, who called for the debate, started off: "It would be remiss of me not to congratulate my right honourable friend on his promotion.”

Later adding that improving drug awareness would; "require a minister, perhaps even a minister-of-state, with unique determination - a quality my honourable friend possesses in abundance."

Fair enough, the two Notts MPs do go back a few years. But then there was the Tory's James Brokenshire.

"I've always found him fair-minded and always very honourable in the way he has conducted his dealings."

The homage fest was hotting up now. Time for Lib Dem Tom Brake, whose praise was tinged with a hint of jealousy.

He said: "I'll keep my congratulations short because otherwise we may see the minister's head swelling from all the praise that he's received."

Let's not forget UKIP MP Bob Spink.

"It's lovely to have such a superb minister with us this morning and I congratulate him on his promotion," gushed the George-Formby-voiced member for Castlepoint.

"It's long overdue. He is one of the best, most caring and able-to-listen ministers in the House of Commons."

The new minister made a good go at humility when he stood up to respond, even sounding a little nervous.

He shouldn't worry though - the honeymoon period won’t last.

Previous postings...

Friday, 3 October 2008

Would you Adam and Eve it?
The most recent casualty in the reshuffle was not a minister.

As whispers of who would replace who reached fever pitch a few moments ago, Sky News' Adam Boulton announced that former Sun editor David Yelland was going to be No 10's new communications guru.

It turned out to be codswallop and poor Adam had to do a stuttering live climb-down.After the joy of getting the reshuffle scoop this morning it must've been a bitter pill to swallow for Sky.

But it shows how much gossiping there is going on, and how difficult it is to sort reality from rumour.

Blair for PM - that's Cherie not Tony
As the reshuffle kicks in the rumour mills are going into overdrive.

Now that Hoon's move to the transport brief is pretty set and Mandy is on his way back from Europe, the question is - who is going to take over as EU Commissioner?

It could still be Hoon, a man who quite fancies the job according to sources, but would have to wait before taking it up. Meanwhile others are betting on Patricia Hewitt.

That brings up another interesting question. Hewitt has a 9,000 odd majority in her safe Leicester West seat.Who would Labour put in there as a sure bet to win at a difficult time for by-elections like this? Whispers are saying Cherie Blair.

Crazy, I know. But she has been raising her profile recently, TV panels and so on, and she was the only Blair at Labour conference this year.

Hoon's on the move
Hoon's going to transport.

For a man who felt the need to say he wanted to stay in Government a week a go, he'll be content to have a department back.

The chief whip's job can be a thankless task, particularly when you are trying to keep such disorderly troops in line.

The wider reshuffle is bigger and more surprising than many thought. Peter Mandleson's return could be a plot-line from a film that goes on too long.

Thursday, 2 October 2008

Is Hoon the new Kelly
A long awaited reshuffle was expected sometime today.

But contrary to original whispers it seems it's going to be a small one - maybe just replacing Ruth Kelly.

After the Labour Conference last week Notts MP Geoff Hoon, along with two other cabinet members, sparked suspicions of cabinet unrest when they publicly said they wanted to stay in Government.

Hoon's name was linked to the soon-to-be vacant EU commissioner position - now it seems "they" are saying he may be given Kelly's old job at the Department of Transport.

Ole, Ole Ole Ole...
Absolutely no triumphalism allowed at the end of Tory party conference.

That was the rule for Team Dave.Ironically the message may have got lost on the way to the communications department.

Journalists in the press room were offered free red footballs with "give Labour the boot printed on them."

At least Dave's speech stayed on message, to read about how it and the conference went pick up a copy of Friday's paper.

Tuesday, 30 September 2008

Practical jokes...
Smug Tories have been handing out free computer memory sticks at their party conference.

The nifty little sticks carry a warning in red print reading, "WARNING: To avoid data loss keep out of reach of Labour."

Other smug Tories haven't laughed so much since yesterday, when boxes of free bananas were given away to delegates.

The boxes were placed underneath life size cardboard cut-outs of David Miliband standing in his now notorious banana pose.

Tuesday, 30 September 2008

Interest rates...
Cameron did well to get some sort of speech on the financial crisis out this morning as it is now overshadowing his party's conference.

His team fears the key-note speech scheduled for tomorrow will not get as good a showing in the media as it would have done had things been more stable.

A number of journalists from the press room have already packed their bags and gone back to London to watch the markets fall apart.

Don't come back Ken
It was like a bizarre pantomime, but with the editor of the Telegraph Simon Heffer instead of Widow Twanky.

With his oddly coloured hair darling-of-the-right Heffer got on stage at a conference fringe meeting and bemoaned the handover of power and sovereignty to Europe.

Sitting a little to his right, in both senses, was UKIP leader Nigel Farage.

It was only a few minutes before he mentioned our very own 'big beast' Ken Clarke to grumblings, boos and hisses from a Tory crowd frustrated with Cameron's cuddly Conservatives.

Ken of course is one of the few openly pro-European Tories - and he had, according to Heffer, extracted an assurance from the Tory leadership that the party would not withdraw from the right-of-centre group in the European Parliament.

If in doubt about why the Tories are still in Europe, Heffer's line of argument seemed to be, blame Ken.

The Rushcliffe MP's name, mentioned on at least two other times in Heffer's speech, was met with more grumbles or rapturous laughter.

We'll see whose laughing if Mr Clarke is recalled to the shadow cabinet in the weeks to come.

Cameron
Emergency legislation on the financial crisis? It seems to be the first time anyone has talked about that seriously.

Either way by altering the programme of his conference and making a speech on the growing crisis, Cameron has thrown Brown a difficult conundrum.

Possibly even a no-win situation. Speaking to him in a side room at the conference before his speech Cameron let slip that he had been on the phone with the PM last night, as well as the head of the Financial Services Authority.

It may have been that he was truly trying to hammer out a cross party deal on emergency legislation - perhaps it was knocked back by the Government.

If it was, then Cameron's pledge today to support legislation is throwing down the gauntlet to Brown. If it wasn't then Cameron has stolen Brown's thunder.

If the Labour leader does now bring forward legislation, with or without Tory support, he risks making it seem like Labour is following the opposition's lead. If he courts Tory support that risk grows - it may even feel as though the Government 'needs' the Conservatives to move forward.

If Brown refuses support and brings forward a bill he may look as though he is playing party politics with the most important piece of legislation in a generation - playing into the "irresponsible" tag put on him by Cameron previously.

The third option, not bringing any legislation forward, will make him look like he is doing nothing - the worst possible outcome.

While Cameron called for a stop to the jockeying for position that led to the failure in American politics this weekend, he was actually doing just that.

But looking beyond the sly move made by the Conservative leader, there is something else here.

If Cameron, Brown, or both think that emergency legislation to stop banks going under is necessary - doesn't that mean they strongly expect more to go down? Watch this space.

Monday, 29 September 2008

Oops...
As the Government talks tough at the world of finance and the Tories attempt to look tough at their conference the Lib Dems roll out Vince Cable to do his bit.

Unfortunately they seem to have forgotten to fully update their old press release...

Liberal Democrats
Contact: **** ****** - 0207 *** ****
Embargo: Immediate, Sunday 28 September 2008

Nationalisation of Northern Rock is the least worst option - Cable

Commenting on the Nationalisation of Bradford and Bingley, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: “It would have been better if Bradford and Bingley could have been saved with a private sector purchase, without recourse to the taxpayer. But in the absence of a buyer, the Government had no alternative but to learn the lessons of Northern Rock and act decisively.

Sunday, 28 September 2008

Come-back Ken?
Rumours abound that Rushcliffe MP Ken Clarke may be invited back to the front bench by David Cameron.

The Tory 'big-beast' is tipped to be Leader of the Commons - with responsibility for organising Government business.

It is really a position that can be as important or insignificant as the holder makes it.

Speculation has been fuelled by numerous recent television appearances which have seen the former Chancellor talking on the world financial crisis.

There have also been references at party conference to his sturdy economic record including specific praise from shadow foreign secretary William Hague in his speech today.

Birmingham - City of the future...
Birmingham's paper quoted David Cameron as saying the city was "on trial" during the Tory conference - with a successful event leading to future bookings.

But for one Conservative MP at least, whose name we shall spare, the city already seems to have been hung, drawn and quartered.

After the welcome drinks had started to flow he made his way through rowdy Saturday night revellers to queue at a secured hotel bar."

I'd forgotten just how vile Birmingham is," he commented to his colleagues surveying the drunken scene.

Unfortunately most of the rest of the queue was made up of members of the press.

Saturday, 27 September 2008

Me, Sam and Dave
We are a friendly bunch on the 1.17pm to Lime Street, Liverpool. Good thing too – it’s going to be a longer journey than planned because of track works.

The train, which also stops in Birmingham – hosting the Conservative Party’s conference – isn’t as packed as on the way to Labour’s Manchester gig last week.

There is me, the lustful Chinese lovebirds at the end of the carriage and the irritatingly cheerful girl who laughs too loudly.

Oh, and then there is David and Samantha of course. A well-preened couple up in first-class.I met them in the café at Euston Station before hand.

Dave walked in dutifully pushing a mountain of bags on an airport style trolley while Sam tottered along behind in her heels and bright red jacket.

A lackey found them a table, before Sam started picking at a brown-coloured salad which looked as appetising as dog food.

I thought I’d let Dave wolf down his sandwich before pressing him for a message for the people of Nottingham.

His eyes told me to p*** off, but true to style his voice slipped into the sales pitch.

“I hope next week we will show the people of Nottingham a strong, united party that will help them deal with all of the problems they are facing,” along with some-other platitude.

For some reason he didn’t look thrilled to find out we’d be sharing our journey.

Thursday, 25 September 2008

Trains and Trannies...
On the train back from Manchester after Labour Conference some delegates reflected...

"It all seemed a bit subdued. There weren't as many fringe meetings, not as much going on," one said.

"Mmm," the other replied, "nothing really out of the ordinary, oh, apart from the miming transvestites of course. That was a bit odd."

And indeed it was. Visitors at one fringe after party were welcomed by transvestites in white boiler suits cleaning a stage.

An hour in they shed the suits and burst into song, well, into mime.

They mouthed the words to camp pop and danced while the crowd looked on confused by why someone thought it would be good or appropriate entertainment.

At least they made a lasting impression.

Wednesday, 24 September 2008

Due process...
Brown bought himself a few months at least with his speech yesterday but the leadership issue has by no means disappeared.

Two East Midlands Labour MPs – who have given their backing to the PM publicly – said to me that they wouldn't push for a leadership contest and didn’t think one would be helpful, but if one were to come about their support for the leader would not necessarily be automatic.

A decision on who to cheer for would be based on who the other candidates were and the situation at the time, they said.

Before Ruth Kelly’s resignation she was overheard describing Brown’s speech as terrible, and with at least one other cabinet member briefing journalists against the PM he has a tough job to decide what shape his new cabinet will take – keep your friends close, but your enemies closer?

Oh, sit down!
The speech should have started half an hour before and the crowd were starting to get a bit impatient – so to entertain themselves they sang and danced to the rousing music playing in the hall.

Conference songs are supposed to embody the party spirit – think M-People’s Moving On Up – but for some reason the 90s indie hit Sit Down had sneaked its way into the play list.

It seemed cheery enough until large portions of the crowd began to sing along to the lines: “Those who feel the breath of sadness sit down next to me, those who feel they’re touched by madness sit down next to me, those who find themselves ridiculous sit down next to me…”

After a few embarrassed laughs they did all sit down.

Cue Sarah Brown to introduce a video which was meant to show how Labour had improved Britain since the Tories ruled.

It started with videos of police beating back rioters and burning buildings before the film took the viewer into a bright white light – symbolising the 1997 victory I suppose – and on the other side were pictures of kids eating fruit and nurses.

Three things key to the speech were the attempt to define the lines between Tory and Labour, the attempt to define Gordon from anyone else and the attempt to create the clear direction that everyone has been crying out for.

That direction it seems is fairness – the word or some form of it was mentioned no less than 37 times.To be fair, the PM was very fair in his speech – giving a mention to just about everyone, including all his cabinet, who were working hard to make things better for kids, parents, families, teachers, nurses, soldiers, employees, workers, business and everyone who New Labour need to vote for them.

Then it was Tory-bashing time. His voice took an almost pantomime sinister edge as he said: “When the salesmen wont tell you what they’re selling, it’s because they are selling something no-one should buy.”

It was no time, he explained, for a novice to be running the country – a jibe overtly aimed at Cameron, but also perhaps at light-weights closer to home.

The Scot then went on in an odd warbling voice, as if he might cry, to practically accuse the Conservatives of stealing from babies.

This was, all in all, the same old Gordon with the same old hand movements – the double karate chop and the better known ‘flat-hand-thumb-sticking-up’ – the same odd air gulping thing he does and the same incorrect pronunciation, “revolyoution” and “transpearency”.

What felt different was that he was talking to a room full of people that were listening and clapping.

Same old song...
After Gordon's speech at conference last night the party was supposedly looking to the future.

But as delegates and MPs attended the free-bar bash of think-tank the Institute of Public Policy Research there was a more reminiscent feel.

Tipsy delegates were a bit slow taking to the dance floor when the DJ suddenly shouted "remember how good this felt?"D:Ream's 1997 Labour anthem Things Can Only Get Better rang out and the dance floor was packed in seconds.

Tuesday, 23 September 2008

Toughest of the tough...
There is so much "tough talking" at Labour conference that I'm starting to feel a bit intimidated.

You can't walk around a corner without a furrow-browed party member jumping out and vowing to fight the Tories to the death.The most recent offender was Lilian Greenwood, the candidate who will fight to hold Alan Simpson's Nottingham South seat for Labour.

Mr Simpson - whose own tough talking against the Labour leadership has been key to his popularity - will step down at the next election.

If polls this week are anything to go by, which show the city seat as a Tory gain, Ms Greenwood has a fight on her hands.

In her address to conference today she claimed the party had changed the world over the last ten years and praised the Government and city council - and swore, steely faced, to stop the Tories coming back.

The question is whether the people of Nottingham South will mind being represented by someone who talks tough in a different direction.

Obamallaber
The contrast between the left-of-centre parties in the US and the UK could not be starker.

The Democrats have a leader who is considered visionary, has captured the public's imagination, has a campaign machine that is the stuff of legends - it raised $66m in August - and is looking like winning the next election.

Wondering if any of that shine would rub off on the Labour party Amber Valley MP Judy Mallaber spent some time working with the Democrats this month and has been chatting to her colleagues at conference about what she saw.

She said: "Politics over there is a very different thing and I’m not sure that kind of approach – at least to raising money – is transferable.

"These are huge amounts to be spending on an election, that kind of money comes from somewhere and it may mean that you are tied to lobbyists very closely."

Spoken like a true New Labourite.

Missed opportunity...
Last night Gordon had a great opportunity to capture the headlines on a day that might turn out to be a turning point in his leadership.

But in his “major policy announcement” he has really missed a trick – not to mention a golden opportunity to show he is in tune with what people’s worries are.

The ‘educational technology allowance’ – worth up to £700 – will be offered to low income families to cover the cost of getting them on the internet – including, a computer, software, a connection fee and initial monthly charges.

This is the key policy that Brown has chosen to release in advance of his major speech, which suggests he might think it is one of the most important.

It is of course important that all youngsters should have internet access.

But at a time when families across the country are scared they are not going to be able to afford fuel bills this winter, when people are worried about keeping their jobs, the Prime Minister’s ‘come-back’ speech should not hinge on internet access for families in 2010.

There is another scenario – that Brown has more eye-catching policies that he will pull out of the hat and that this was just something to get the morning headlines.

If that is the case then the story failed to get the showing Mr Brown would have hoped for – suggesting that the communication problems that have dogged his leadership continue.

Furthermore, the whole policy is based on the idea that these families who can’t afford to pay for the internet now, will be able to once they have a computer and are connected.

A special advisor to Mr Brown said: “It’s a common feature of studies that families can save hundreds of pounds a year through on-line buying and price comparison websites.“So in the long term, especially with these help and start up costs, there is a benefit to families which will out-weigh the cost of ongoing internet connection.”

In other words, the money the family will save shopping at Tesco on-line instead of the supermarket will pay for the monthly broadband charges – it is not the basis for a solid policy.

I fear people will be thinking, ‘if they can find £300 million to pay for this, why can’t they use it to give poor families £700 to pay their gas bill this winter?’

One other thing – the scheme will only apply to England. That won’t go down too well in November’s Glenrothes by-election, which rebel MPs say will be key to Brown’s chances of continuing in his job unchallenged.

Monday, 22 September 2008

Men in tights...
Unions and some MPs struggled to persuade the Government to levy a one-off windfall tax on energy companies this morning.

Seeking to re-ignite enthusiasm for the cause one union delegate stood up and argued for the measure, calling it a "Robin Hood" tax - stealing from the rich to give to the poor.

As it seems the Government will be unmoved by the reference to Nottingham's most famous son, it doesn't look like the union delegates, or the fuel impoverished, will be merry men this winter.

It's party time...
Despite years of bashing the Labour Government Nottingham South MP Alan Simpson was big enough to brush it all aside with one of Brown's most loyal ministers.

He shared a hearty embrace with the "photogenic" Housing Minister Caroline Flint when the pair wished each other happy birthday.

Both celebrated their special day on Saturday, the first day of the Labour Conference.

Mr Simpson, who is stepping down at the next election, opted to skip the first day in favour of spending his 60th having a picnic with his wife and young daughter.

Ms Flint, defender of an embattled Government, had to settle for a different kind of party, meeting Labour delegates on how to make housing affordable.

Sunday, 21 September 2008

Walking the line...
In a tucked away room of a huge empty building, an hour before anything else at the Labour conference began, Nottingham North MP Graham Allen attended a meeting.

It was set up to discuss the Early Intervention projects, helping families and young people with social problems, which the MP has pioneered.

The intent was admirable and the discussion meaningful, but the meeting was odd for two reasons.

Firstly because at the front of the room former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith sat to the left of Guardian journalist Patrick Wintour - we'll never see that again.

Secondly because Iain Duncan Smith was there at all, remember whose conference this is.

This is an event where Labour is desperately trying to define the dividing lines between itself and the Tories.

It seems an issue like this which has won cross party support, hence the presence of Duncan Smith, is not something the event organisers want to draw too much attention to.

The ghost of Tony walks these halls…
Some old wounds would have been opened for Gordon Brown if he had attended a debate chaired by Sherwood MP Paddy Tipping last night.

As the debate was thrown open to the floor Mr Tipping pointed at the man he had chosen to speak next.

But as the microphone worked its way to him, another delegate sprang up, intercepted the microphone and started talking.

When the next person then came to speak Mr Tipping commented: “You’ll have to make it quick because someone here jumped in before it was their turn.“But that’s the way it goes, it is the Labour conference after all.”

Saturday, 20 September 2008

The red green zone
The theme for Labour’s conference which started today was ‘winning the fight for Britain’s future’ – and ready to fight they were.

The conference descended on Manchester with a mammoth security operation – the local paper even reported that one man’s 999 call had not been responded to for an hour because police were busy guarding the event.

Sealed off behind fencing and a wall of armed, uniformed and mounted police, the main venue forms a sort of ‘green zone’ in the middle of the city which only people with the right pass can access.

The drawn-out application process for passes started months ago, more than enough time to weed out any terrorists and hecklers.

Unfortunately a few others also fell victim to the application process – including Nottingham North Constituency Labour Party who, after a mix up with their application, didn’t manage to get accreditation for a delegate.

Luckily their MP Graham Allen stepped up to the mark. But oddly that means he now holds the rare position of being both Nottingham North MP at the conference and his own local party’s delegate – that is devotion.