‘Labour convention mantra is ‘Hope Again’ – quiet optimism fills corridors forward of Andy Burnham’s large second’
Everywhere you turn at Labour conference, you see the words “Hope Again”. The not-so subtle dig at Keir Starmer is both a mission statement and a test for Andy Burnham.
After a long hot summer of frenetic activity gave Labour a bounce in the polls, allies of the PM feel vindicated by their high-stakes gamble to depose Starmer. But, as autumn winds blew across the Mersey, Labour faithful gathered in Liverpool to see if this early warmth is about to cool.
The unease and pessimism that hung over last year’s conference has been swept away, replaced with a quiet hope in the corridors and late-night bars.
The next election no longer looks like a lost cause after a difficult summer for Reform and an uptick in Labour’s poll ratings since Burnham came into office. One Cabinet minister told me: “I feel like we’ve got our mojo back. The mood in the Cabinet at the moment is so different.”
But party faithful are still bruised by the turbulence of the past two years. Many like what they’ve seen so far from Burnham, but the pain of watching the Starmer project fall apart so soon after a landslide election victory is still raw.
Burnham is undoubtedly a better communicator, with a clear vision for what he wants to do. He also clearly enjoys finally having the job that he has spent many years coveting.
Tuesday’s speech is his big moment. His chance to address the Labour party as leader, after failing to win the role in 2010 and 2015. His chance to address the country as Prime Minister about a vision he has been developing for decades.
His plans are big. A radical overhaul of social care, greater public control of utilities, ending rough sleeping – the list goes on. But questions are mounting about whether he can actually deliver on this when he’s constrained by a grim economic picture and Labour’s 2024 manifesto.
Burnham writes his own speeches, and this one is one of the biggest of his life. When I travelled to the UN in New York with the PM last week, he was still working on it. He will likely to be tweaking it down to the wire.
It’ll need substance as well as style to convince Labour faithful that they really can hope again.
