CONFERENCE SPECIAL
BALLS ASKS THE OBR TO CHECK HIS HOMEWORK
STORY OF THE DAY
WE HEAR THAT… Labour MPs and GLA members are in agreement that there is no clear standout Labour candidate for the 2015 London mayoral election, despite ‘a lot of ankles being shown’… The light-hearted cocktail menu was a popular choice in the London Lounge last night. The Mili-tini was the pick of the bunch, whilst Union Sour and #EdBalls did a roaring trade, too.
Ed Balls has turned to the Office for Budget Responsibility to prove Labour’s credentials on the economy. In a bold move, the Shadow Chancellor has written to the OBR asking them to review Labour’s costings and confirm whether they demonstrate “iron discipline”.
The BBC's Nick Robinson and Andy Burnham were overheard waxing lyrical about Leighton Baines’s free kick ability. Let’s hope unlike Leon Osman they’d kept him in their fantasy teams…
TWEET OF THE DAY
Involving the OBR in Labour’s costings is a risky strategy as the organisation could conclude they aren’t up to scratch. The move shows Labour’s concern at increasing poll leads for the Conservatives on managing the economy. However, it does seem to have caught the Conservatives off guard, as they scrambled to dismiss Balls’s “stunt”. Whether the OBR can even conduct a review of policy costings for Labour is dubious. However, for Labour the prize is worth it – should the OBR analyse the costings and declare them credible, the Tories’ election strategy will be in shreds. As Tory Treasury Select Committee Chairman Andrew Tyrie put it, “thoughtfully done, this can improve the quality of public debate” – and Labour’s chances.
TODAY’S KEY EVENT Chuka Umunna is the warm-up act to Ed Balls’s headline address this morning. Although the Shadow Business Secretary has been tight-lipped about the content of his speech, we expect it to concentrate on Labour's economic discipline and readiness to work with businesses, large and small. It will be worth watching to see Umunna’s attempts to enhance his leadership credentials.
Daily Bulletin 2013
@rowenamason Damian McBride is a relic of the past, I’m glad we’ve seen the back of him and that I wasn’t around for Blair/Brown wars, says Chuka Umunna
A GOOD DAY FOR...
Stephen Twigg, whose announcement that Labour plans to offer childcare from 8am to 6pm has been widely applauded. The policy nicely fits Labour’s ‘cost of living’ theme, whilst Twigg and colleagues have also claimed it would not cost the Government any extra money.
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A BAD DAY FOR…
Ed Miliband, whose appearance on the Andrew Marr Show was described as "extraordinary" by the host. The Labour leader has had a poor start to Conference, with announcements failing to capture headlines, and Gordon Brown’s former spin doctor Damian McBride continuing to cast a shadow over Brighton.
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