Highs and Lows

The massed ranks of the CLP flocked to the Council House on Thursday for a rally. Posted as a debate between the wings – Progress versus Compass this was in reality an opportunity for a group caress. A chance to massage the raw edge of the enormous disappointment which is the G Brown administration.

So. We turned up, by all appearances, one of the better represented constituencies in the Region. We sat, quite by accident in the Council Chamber seats allocated to the Tory Party. This didn’t spoil our enjoyment of the evening. Just felt a little bit uncomfortable.

Steve Richards chaired the evening. Steve is a TV guy but we were determined not to hold this against him. He was certainly confident, fluent, articulate, media savvy. The Party is not as enthusiastic abut these skills as it used to be.

And the debate wasn’t bad. One side or the other, fielded Gisela Stuart and Liam Byrne, Minister for Immigration. They were both very good. We endured short apology from Sir Albert when he explained that the microphones weren’t working because the organisers forgot and the electrician had gone home.

Undaunted we flogged on. There was, as you might have imagined, a lot of agreement, it was all very civilised. The bigger names spoke very well, Byrne managed it without notes and took us effortlessly out of the humdrum into the opportunities presented by the emergence of the new economies. Hadn’t struck me but both Liam and Gisela are market people. And here we were in the midst of our travails getting to the very core of the Labour Party role.

Do we need to be players in International Commerce. Or can we insist on a morally secure position doing a lot of good to our own by concentrating on the sharing out function. It was noticeable that the Edgbaston Constituency were not lining up obediently behind Gisela – when we got to questions there were vigorous arguments from a couple of activists taking a contrary line.

Roy took the opportunity to berate the ministers on their insistence on digging their way into further trouble then expressed his blank astonishment that the Government, our government had somehow managed to get a state funeral for Thatcher on to the national agenda. This, of all the contributions seemed neatly to catch the mood of the meeting. There was a last an issue where we could safely unite – applause broke out and the subject offered subsequent safe ground to reach back into the party’s soul. We were at last agreed.

So. Surprisingly upbeat. We were still old campaigners, we were holed in various parts of the vessel, we were no longer as sprightly as once we were, we were/are still hideously white. But hey. Maybe it’s still in our hands. And it’s the summer, and the mistake quotient has to go down when they’re all on the beach.

So bloody cheer up.

I didn’t win the monthly draw on the way home. Conducted this time on the 8.05 to Four Oaks.

And then we lost Glasgow East.


Nightwatchman