Right, conference has come and gone and we are left wondering what is really going on behind the scenes...

 

First, the speeches:

 

I didn't see Gordon Brown's speech, although I am told not to expect too much. It was apparently flat, which doesn't surprise me. Gordon Brown fails to motivate people unless he is speaking about something he really feels passionate about. I heard him speak in Manchester a year ago on third world poverty and he was fantastic. He lacks the 'actor-presenter' (I hate Clare Short) characteristic that Tony Blair has.

 

Blair's speech was classic Blair. Like him or loathe him you cannot deny that he has no equal in British politics when it comes to speech making. The way he helds conference in the palm of his hands was so symptomatic of what has happened over the past 12 years.

 

John Prescott was typically John Prescott. That is what we expect from him, not croquet at some luxury government owned country house. He seemed genuine about his apology.

 

John Reid has presence, but I must question the content sometimes. He can be too extreme on the wrong side. I must question this stance put forward by him, Blair and indeed George Bush about the foreign policy not being the cause of aggression towards Britain and America, which is obviously wrong. Why these people - supposedly intellectuals, although Bush - cannot see the consequences of their actions amazes me...

 

The cloud of the leadership hung over conference like a bad smell and whilst I accept that it is important, more so than an election of an opposition leader, but there are serious policy debates that needed greater attention. I was delighted the leadership were defeated over private sector involvement in public sector, particularly the NHS.

 

The party may seem united, but as soon as the MPs are back in Westminster the troubles will most likely continue.

I read David Milliband's recent article in the New Statesman the other day...

 

Milliband basically implored his cabinet colleagues not to cause a fuss by standing against Gordon, whilst at the same time ruling himself out of an contest.

 

I disagree with my rather 'wonkish' comrade who, for personal reasons, seems to be strategically positioning himself for every eventuality. Just say we have a three-way leadership contest, one of which will be Brown, and nobody gets enough votes; Brown is humiliated and is discredited - from being the heir apparent to being incapable of winning an election that was seemingly only ever in need of a stamp of approval - which creates an ideal situation for Miliband to step into the breach because of his 'excellent', common-sense stance through this. hmmm

 

Possibly not...

But whoever is leader it most certainly should not be Gordon. Why?

I simply do not think he has anything about him that can win us the next election. What we need is another Tony Blair, daft as it sounds, to get us out of this mess that we are in. Don't get me wrong, I am not in sympathy with Blair's 'ideology', if he even has one, but I do give him credit for making Labour electable again. Brown has no emotion, he has no guile and he cannot convey empathy, which Blair could and still can. I know Blair has made mistakes but can you imagine Brown persuading CLinton to enter into Kosovo, or negotiating with the G8 to get climate change and third world poverty on the international agenda, or even seemingly breaking the Franco-Germanic hold over EU affairs? Similarly, can you imagine Brown not making the mistakes that Blair has made, only Brown lacks the political flair, although he most definitely has the brains, to come out smelling better most. To compound matters I believe Brown's inactivity last week was disgraceful; if ever there was an opportunity to stand it up and be counted and reinvigorate the party behind him, it was then. Face it Gordon, you were never meant to be Prime Minister, you are just not suited to it. You have been an excellent Chancellor, and if you were to become PM then you will be compared with James Callaghan rather than Atlee or Wilson, who Blair has equalled and, some would argue, surpassed.

 

Blair's major fault, internally anyway, was not setting the party onto renewal whilst it was in a period of strength in government. Now we have to conduct an internal process of renewal, which will, despite the talk of an orderly succession, will degenerate into deals and backstabbing because that is simply politics, whilst fighting off a resurgent Tory party. Tough ask...

After months of mental torture and anguish I have finally finished my dissertation!

 

So relieved...

 

Funny though, why do all the little nothing-jobs, like printing, abstracts and acknowledgements, take so long?

 

Anyway, now that is done it is time to focus on the job hunting. Anyone any ideas...?