FROM THE BOARD
Welcome to the special Conference edition of The House magazine, in which Labour’s vision for Britain is laid out in a series of cracking interviews, mini manifestos and articles.
Sienna Rodgers interviews deputy leader Angela Rayner in a fun but serious read which includes the story of when Rayner met the late Queen Elizabeth II over Zoom. Aside from the anecdotes, Rayner reminds us why this Labour conference and the next general election are so important. She attacks levelling up, “another slogan on the back of a fag packet”, and sets out her deep-seated concerns about the effect of poverty on children. She is looking forward to taking on Deputy PM Therese Coffey at the despatch box – surely box office viewing, not just because of the personalities but given the real dividing lines on policy, which Rayner outlines in her usual forthright manner.
Rayner talks about Labour and the trade unions, a theme also picked up in a wide-ranging interview with GMB general secretary Gary Smith by Tali Fraser. Smith presses home his union’s campaign for a £15 an hour living wage, highlighting how people who kept the country going during Covid “seldom get the respect they deserve”. He praises shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves for her plan to invest billions in energy and green jobs, but challenges Labour to be bolder on a number of fronts.
Politicians, he says, are stuck in “groupthink” about the energy crisis and “are just not willing to face the extent of the crisis”. He also lays out the failures of the Conservative government, but says he would be open to meeting former fellow Paisley resident, PM Liz Truss. In critiques of the government, Yvette Cooper highlights the focus a future Labour government will place on tackling violence against women and girls, while Lisa Nandy sets out the failures of the support for Ukrainian refugees. In an issue highlighting some of Labour’s top women (we may not have had a female prime minister, but this edition is a reminder of some of the talent among Labour women MPs), we also hear from Diane Abbott and Kim Leadbeater about their vision for Britain; Margaret Hodge on why she is bowing out of Parliament at the next election and former Lewisham MP Heidi Alexander about why she’s seeking to return.
Whatever the many political achievements of those featured, hardy Chi Onwurah beats everyone with her wild swimming, which she enjoys as an antidote to the Westminster bubble,
“but not when it’s really cold – not after November” (and she a Newcastle MP…).
Elsewhere, Anas Sarwar is candid about the extent of the challenge to win back government, highlighting how Scottish Labour has made progress but that “being second is not good enough”. He gives us hope that a comeback is possible for Labour across the United Kingdom, as he is confident it will be in Scotland. Meanwhile,
Lord Morgan reminds us what Labour in government can deliver, as it has done for 100 years in Wales.
We also bring you a range of top analysis, including Kevin Maguire on the state of the party, while Chaminda Jayanetti delves into the economic crisis and how Labour can raise the money it needs to deliver on its priorities as “the gloom of the age of austerity may loom long”. The House also gazes into a crystal ball to see what Keir Starmer will deliver in his speech to show that Labour is ready for government.
As well as the focus on what a future Labour government will deliver, new delegates and visitors will find Sienna Rodgers’ guide to Conference jargon an essential read. And if you just can’t face any more conference canapés, do bookmark The House’s top tips for places to eat and party in Liverpool.