It’s now September.
I am very much looking forward to Conference. I see the point of Mark Ferguson’s post on Labour List, which I really enjoyed, and also that fellow of comrade Darrell Goodliffe, on Left Futures.
Like recovery from alcoholism, you can really overanalyse or overintellectualise it. I like conference as it’s a great atmosphere. For me, it has all the nostalgia of weddings which I’ve been too – a curious mixture of anticipation, nervousness and excitement.
In 2010, I met John Prescott for the first time – and of course David Prescott, in a special curry #tweetup in Rusholme (“Curry Mile”). Also there were Anthony Parker, Ellie Gellard, Johanna Baxter, Charlie Whelan, and Grace Fletcher-Harwood. 2010 was wonderful, as I also met Martin Rathfelder, Sam Tarry, Andy Kinsey and Mike Blakeney.
Last year, I was staying in the Hotel Indigo, Liverpool. You would be sitting in the foyer, looking at Jon Sopel obviously having a terrific time with lots of journalists. Then James Landale would walk in, followed closely by James Naughtie. I spoke to Landale and Naughtie last year, and they were both extremely nice people.
The night before Ed’s speech is like the eve before a football match. Around 10 pm, ‘tomorrow’s papers’ are issued, when we get to hear about what has been officially briefed about the big speech. It’s well known that I thought all of the bloggers made a complete mess of understanding Ed’s speech. The only one to understand that speech was James Macintyre – like James, I believe that time will prove it to be a seminal speech. In the last year, we’ve seen the bungling of ATOS, G4s, A4e, to name but a few.
I especially love going to the events by the Fabians. In 2010, I loved the meeting of ‘Next Left’ hosted by Sunder Katwala, where Sunder accurately predicted that, even if the deficit reduction plan worked (which nobody believed it would do even then), it would be left with a wake of social destruction. In 2011, Emily Thornberry hosted a meeting of Dragons Den, and Daniel Elton from Left Foot Forward gave a brilliant pitch for his idea (and won). I was reminded how much affection I have for the Fabians when I heard news of the Fabians’ annual pub quiz, from Brian Duggan.
This year, my buddy from the Legal Practice Course will be there with me in Manchester. He has been a good friend on that course here in BPP Law School, and he claims to know the City well!
Yes, whether or not any policy comes out of it, bring it on!
