Catch Up : Blair is No Tory
One week after Ardwick's 'Boost' I skip the equivalent for Bradford Ward and drag the family on a road trip. This time we are off to see Mr Blair address a rally in Liverpool.
I guess our last medium or long haul political road trip en famille was on 15 February 2003. And now we are walking past protestors into St George's Hall to hear him speak.
This is my third audience with Blair over the last few years. And I must say this one turns out to be far more comfortable than the first at least.
Warm up comes from various scouse celebs. Liz Dawn from Corrie is also on hand but stays schtum. Liverpool and Scotland soccer star Phil Thompson is probably the star turn. But Ian McCartney - the Party "Chair" - is close.
Manchester Central has been a pretty prolific and successful generator of conference resolutions and rule change proposals down the years. The latest proposed a properly elected Chair and Deputies. McCartney, though hugely popular with the grass roots, - loyal and disciplined yet willing to admit mistakes - is appointed by Blair, not elected or selected by the party.
In fact his role is more like a PM's Ambassador than a Chair. But this one, unlike say Alan Milburn, would have every chance of being elected anyway.
Before this proposal we successfully got through a rule change allowing constituencies and unions a fair crack of the whip when it comes to prioritising contemporary debates at conference.
Before that we faced down the control freakery, alongside Rodney Bickerstaffe and Barbara Castle, to push through policy to restore the earnings link for pensions.
Though we're still waiting for the legislation!
I digress. Cherie and Tony arrive. And Tony is actually very good indeed. It seems that he does understand Labour values pretty well. The charge that the parties have completely converged is ripped to shreds. Positive differences are apparent.
Labour left and centre are uncomfortable of course with the commodification of public services and the consumerisation of "customers" and "clients". The creeping private good, public bad shibboleths.
Yet there is clear red water. Blair obviously has the invited audience on side. But I am amazed at the extent to which he hits the Labour Values buttons. He didn't trouble these in Bolton a few years ago. Or in a Big Conversation event a year back.
On the way in I spot Ciaran who is a leading Labour Student at UMSU, currently doing a stint in the election press office in London; he says sorry he isn't helping in Central. I say that if Tony loses there will only be 10 Labour MPs left so we'll probably manage. On the way out I see a regional office worker who is also a member in our constituency.
He says he is doing Pendle, and Oldham East, but Rochdale needs some help too. I say I'm probably not going there. And he says 'fair enough'.
Not going there Rochdale-wise may become a bit of a theme. And the word is that Rochdale members are grudging workers too. Though none of them want to lose a Labour MP and they are doing their bit.
The kids get a rare McDonalds as a reward for their patience.
I guess our last medium or long haul political road trip en famille was on 15 February 2003. And now we are walking past protestors into St George's Hall to hear him speak.
This is my third audience with Blair over the last few years. And I must say this one turns out to be far more comfortable than the first at least.
Warm up comes from various scouse celebs. Liz Dawn from Corrie is also on hand but stays schtum. Liverpool and Scotland soccer star Phil Thompson is probably the star turn. But Ian McCartney - the Party "Chair" - is close.
Manchester Central has been a pretty prolific and successful generator of conference resolutions and rule change proposals down the years. The latest proposed a properly elected Chair and Deputies. McCartney, though hugely popular with the grass roots, - loyal and disciplined yet willing to admit mistakes - is appointed by Blair, not elected or selected by the party.
In fact his role is more like a PM's Ambassador than a Chair. But this one, unlike say Alan Milburn, would have every chance of being elected anyway.
Before this proposal we successfully got through a rule change allowing constituencies and unions a fair crack of the whip when it comes to prioritising contemporary debates at conference.
Before that we faced down the control freakery, alongside Rodney Bickerstaffe and Barbara Castle, to push through policy to restore the earnings link for pensions.
Though we're still waiting for the legislation!
I digress. Cherie and Tony arrive. And Tony is actually very good indeed. It seems that he does understand Labour values pretty well. The charge that the parties have completely converged is ripped to shreds. Positive differences are apparent.
Labour left and centre are uncomfortable of course with the commodification of public services and the consumerisation of "customers" and "clients". The creeping private good, public bad shibboleths.
Yet there is clear red water. Blair obviously has the invited audience on side. But I am amazed at the extent to which he hits the Labour Values buttons. He didn't trouble these in Bolton a few years ago. Or in a Big Conversation event a year back.
On the way in I spot Ciaran who is a leading Labour Student at UMSU, currently doing a stint in the election press office in London; he says sorry he isn't helping in Central. I say that if Tony loses there will only be 10 Labour MPs left so we'll probably manage. On the way out I see a regional office worker who is also a member in our constituency.
He says he is doing Pendle, and Oldham East, but Rochdale needs some help too. I say I'm probably not going there. And he says 'fair enough'.
Not going there Rochdale-wise may become a bit of a theme. And the word is that Rochdale members are grudging workers too. Though none of them want to lose a Labour MP and they are doing their bit.
The kids get a rare McDonalds as a reward for their patience.
posted by Chris Paul at 11:33 PM
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