A View From Bournemouth

Well, it’s once again the time of year when us MPs dig out our buckets and spades and head towards the seaside for the annual Labour Party Conference. This year was one of the most exciting I can remember for a long time; Gordon Brown’s first at the helm, and the air thick with expectation about whether or not a November election will be called. And what can conclusions can we draw, after a week packed with rumour and speculation? Well, the only certainty is that it will be on a Thursday!

So far at Conference, we’ve seen important and far-reaching new policies being introduced; including a widely-welcomed proposal to give all NHS staff attack alarms and tighten security in hospitals, an extra £80m for improvements to armed forces’ living accommodation, together with £140 council tax rebate for troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a new independent body to maintain standards in school exams. Not bad, considering it’s only Wednesday!

For me, this Conference has been the usual mix of meetings, speeches and events. As well as all of the Conference debates to attend, anyone who is anyone in the political world heads to Bournemouth to try and meet with MPs as well, so we end up having hectic days and very little sleep! On Monday, for example, I had my first meeting at 8.15 and my last at midnight – so much for all of these Conference parties that the Press report! My personal highlight of the Conference has been undoubtedly the Ken and Gordon show. Forget Nixon meeting Mao or Reagan and Gorbachev, their joint victory salute in Bournemouth tops them all. With unity breaking out in the most surprising places it’s the most harmonious Conference I’ve ever known!