CONFERENCE SPECIAL
MCBRIDE COMES BEFORE A FALL
STORY OF THE DAY
WE HEAR THAT… The BBC’s Nick Robinson has revealed that following Ed Miliband’s speech delegates will be given a book called “One Nation Economy”, detailing Labour’s view on economic policies. The book won’t be red. Conservative MP Iain Dale landed himself in hot water this morning as he was involved in an altercation with an antinuclear protestor who threatened to interrupt a Damian McBride interview on ITV’s Daybreak. Dale is Managing Director of Biteback, which is publishing McBride’s book.
Today is the big day: not of Ed Miliband’s speech, but of the publication of Damian McBride’s memoirs. The former spin doctor’s serialised extracts in the Daily Mail have already hugely overshadowed Conference. Few Labour figures will draw any comfort from McBride’s claims to have rejected bigger offers to publish during the next General Election campaign. Whether McBride’s revelations have wider significance is uncertain. The person most damaged by the revelations so far is probably McBride himself and his former boss, Gordon Brown. How much cut-through the furore has with the British public is unclear, but Damian McBride may have nailed it last night: “It’s damaging now, but by May 2015, it won’t make any difference”. Nonetheless, Labour will be frustrated that Miliband’s speech may struggle to make the front pages. Labour has been forced to respond to criticism of being policy-light with a series of significant announcements, such as increasing the banking levy to fund free childcare. Miliband’s challenge now is to coordinate these into a convincing narrative that can boost his ailing poll ratings and electoral chances.
TODAY’S KEY EVENT After channelling Conservative politician Benjamin Disraeli to great effect at last year's Conference, Ed Miliband will today imitate another conservative figure, Ronald Reagan, asking delegates in his speech to consider in 2015 ‘am I better off than 5 years ago?’ Expected policy announcements include an ambitious housebuilding programme and an £800m freeze in business rates for SMEs.
Daily Bulletin 2013
Alastair Campbell declined Newsnight’s invitation to debate with Damian McBride. Campbell responded in jest that he had just asked Sir Alex Ferguson if he would have a debate with the reserve manager of Blackburn Rovers.
TWEET OF THE DAY @jonswaine Just asked Gordon Brown at UNGA fringe event if he condemns what @DPMcBride did on his behalf. He deathstared at me and marched off
A GOOD DAY FOR...
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A BAD DAY FOR…
Dave Prentis. The motion from the UNISON General Secretary scrapping the public sector pay cap was unanimously voted through by Labour delegates. Although Labour currently supports the Government's position, and the motion was not binding, it will put pressure on the senior leadership to address the 'cost of living issue'.
Lord Adonis, the former Labour transport minister and architect of HS2, whose ambitions were dealt a blow yesterday when Ed Balls warned there would be "no blank cheque" for the project. Balls joins a growing number of senior Labour figures demanding a rethink on HS2, including Deputy Leader Harriet Harman, who this morning called for value for money "at a time when finances are squeezed".
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