Jeremy Corbyn: the moment ‘debate’ turns into ‘row’ edges closer
He arrived with minimal warm-up and in a tie not quite meeting the collar, combined with a jacket that made no attempt to match the trousers. The autocue plates whirred into action but beyond that there were few nods to Blaritie political image management.
Normally after an election defeat, you get an analysis of what went wrong from a heavy-hearted leader. A lot of attention has been focused on the fact that Jeremy Corbyn decided not to mention the deficit. But he also decided not to focus on the defeat.
He talked about his massive mandate from the membership, the surge in members that carried on through the speech – another 250 signed up as he spoke, we are told. But the 11 million who voted for David Cameron and the 4 million who voted for Ukip got short shrift.
In other sections of the speech it felt like he was flashing his teeth a bit. One former shadow cabinet minister, one of the refuseniks, told me he thought it was “confrontational”.
I understand that the Corbyn team were a bit surprised when the new shadow education secretary Lucy Powell backed LEA control for schools off her own bat a few short days into her job. Today they seized the opening that gave to write off academies and the proud Blairite innovation. John McDonnell told me he thought it was the death of academies. One Blairite MP texted a message of despair as Jeremy Corbyn uttered that section.
Another flash of teeth came when he toughened up lines that were given overnight to the media as a teaser. Instead of saying he was against people being forced to toe the line, he said “I don’t want to impose leadership lines ALL THE TIME” (my capitals). He said he didn’t think it was necessary to have “message discipline ALL THE TIME”.
Sir Paul Kenny of the GMB told me there would have to be a line enforced at some point and this was a signal he accepted that. Elements of the “new politics” might be a bit temporary.
Dave Prentis of Unison said he loved hearing Jeremy Corbyn talk about how he had a personal mandate for his opposition to Trident. I couldn’t see that clearly but I wasn’t sure Tom Watson joined in the applause for that bit. After the speech the deputy leader referred to Jeremy Corbyn’s earlier remarks about the freedom to disagree.
I asked one of the big unions what they thought of Jeremy Corbyn saying that the members decide policy. He knows very well that it is the members and the unions in the 50/50 split who decide policy as things stand. The unions noted his mention of use of the internet to get members’ views. One said they were waiting with interest what changes Jeremy Corbyn would bring to November’s NEC when he’s promised a document on party democracy.
Jeremy Corbyn’s been told by senior shadow cabinet colleagues that they can tolerate a change of rhetoric on economic policy right now but he needs to steer clear of divisive areas on foreign policy and defence.
Today he signalled he wouldn’t duck Trident as an issue. There will be a battle on the issue. And tomorrow there will be a conference vote on military action in Syria, although it sounds like there’s been an attempt to diffuse tension on that.
There was ferocious old time religion on the many and the few. The conference loved his references to the false prospectus on Iraq, the renationalisation of the railways, an attack on cyber bullying and his praise of young members pouring into Labour’s ranks.
It was a confident and relaxed performance, better than many expected. But probably a bit tougher than some might have expected. The moment when the benign-sounding “debate” turns into a “row”, followed by a walk-out, edged a little closer.
But for Jeremy Corbyn this was a moment pulsating with promise, packed with young people fizzing, even exploding with fizz.
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