With the last word of conference season and blessed by Mediterranean-on-the-Mersey weather, Keir Starmer’s Labour Party had a golden opportunity to hold a successful party conference this week – and more importantly to confirm their status as favourites to win next year’s General Election. 
 
Neither Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives nor Ed Davey’s Liberal Democrats had enjoyed a polling bounce from their conferences, and with a spectacular by-election gain in Rutherglen last Thursday, delegates arrived in Liverpool in buoyant mood. So much so that Labour strategists were as worried about conference appearing complacent or even triumphalist, as they were about the traditional splits, plots and defeats on the conference floor.
 
They needn’t have worried about either. 
 
Conference was an impressive display of party and message discipline. On the conference floor, the leadership won every vote and rule change, and approved every policy document. There were no gaffes of note, no fringe plotting from alternative leaders (in contrast with the Conservatives in Manchester) and even the glitter attack at the beginning of Starmer’s speech was handled well by its target. The distressing news from the Middle East, which would have caused an internal civil war under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, failed to fracture party unity.
 
Labour is enjoying a rare period of internal peace as the election and power gets closer, just five years after its worst result in 90 years. Mid-20th Century Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson said that his party was “..like a stagecoach. If you rattle along at great speed everybody inside is too exhilarated or too seasick to cause any trouble. But if you stop, everybody gets out and argues about where to go next.” The Starmer stagecoach is the only one on the road and nearly everyone in Labour wants to get on board.
 
The thousands of corporates, journalists and diplomats hoping to hear detailed policy may have left disappointed. But the key themes were there: first, faster economic growth. This is both desirable and imperative if Labour wants to deliver its schools and NHS programme without raising tax rates; hence the pledge to build 1.5 million homes, new towns, ‘grey belt’ land for housing, planning and energy reforms. Second, partnership with business, again vital if growth and investment are to be secured in an era of weak public finances. Third, devolution to nations and regions, backed up by House of Lords reform – an agenda that Labour is quietly serious about. ‘Retail’ policies were light but with a healthy poll lead the party judges there is little to gain and lots to lose by revealing too much too soon.
 
Conference season ends as it began: the real question for all parties is not whether Starmer enters No10 next year, but whether he does so with a majority or needs the support of others.
 
If you would like to discuss how to make your organisation election-ready do get in touch.

publicaffairs@cardewgroup.com