Conference Diary 2012: Tuesday

Living Wage

Rachel Reeves led the discussion about the Labour councils across the UK now paying a Living Wage to their staff.  Not just about better living standards.  Staff committement and service quality has improved as a result or more motivated and committed staff. Such a human touch when a very nervous Fran, talking about how the living wage had transformed her life had a microphone failure.  Rachel had to sit with her arm around her to share a microphone.

Missed the chance to speak in follow up debate as still scribbling changes to speech to make it relevant.  didnt stop others who spoke on all sorts of issues.  We did finally get a couple of scottsh delegates in including Gordon Mathieson who was excellent.

Better Together

Fiery speeches from Margaret Curran and Johann along with a great new video.  Session didn't really come alive though. There was no debate or opportunity for speakers which I thought made the session a bit stale.  One for the cameras probably.

Fringe Event: Connecting Britain

Politics Home, Angela Smith MP, Alstom.

Angela Smith: HS2 is a key part of growing and integrating regional economies.  Big investment needs to be combined with devolution of service planning, franchising etc to local regions.

Tim Bently (Alstom: maintains the pendolino fleet).  Build Manchester to Birmingham first.  Big benefits. Need to join up the local bus and tram infrastructure with the right location of HS station. East Coast line could be upgraded to cut 50mins off journey time to Edinburgh without hs2

Leaders Speech

Just brilliant. Relaxed and confident. Talks about himself.  Some really good jokes (dinosaurs).  Key policy announcements; banks, technology Bach; apprentices.  Really took on the Tories with some blistering rhetoric.  Two standing ovations mid speech.  Sealed the deal with the party.  A new kind of prime minister.  Will the country see the same inspiration?

Policy Seminar; growing the economy

Another big Q&A session with economy team; Ed Balls, Chuka Unuma, Rachel Reeves.  Got question in about how we will incent or instruct telecoms companies to drive high speed broadband into rural areas like the highlands.  Shoud it  be a condition of their franchise?  Long shouts of other areas with the same problems from other delegates; Cumbria, Essex; Norfolk, Cornwall and more. This is a big issue across the country.