A Week is a Long Time in Politics...

These past few days, I became quite sick of hearing about Prime Minister Gordon Brown's keynote speech, which he finally delivered to the Labour Party Conference in Manchester yesterday. *

Many were keen to hear what Brown had to say about his political future; particularly in the face of rumour that Foreign Secretary David Miliband is angling to supplant Brown before the next General Election.

When Brown addressed his party, two elements of the speech struck me. First, he was introduced by his wife Sarah, who spoke briefly, kissing her husband before he addressed his colleagues. I've never seen such a thing before, and it strikes me as copycatting the Americans.

The PM used the word I as much as he did the word we, perhaps hinting that he isn't going anywhere just yet. But as we've seen, such defiance can be the kiss of death for a politician. Remember Margaret Thatcher in 1990? She spoke of a further ten years leading the Conservatives. If I remember correctly she was gone within days, replaced by the less-than-dynamic John Major.

Britain in Bloom

I fear that the Thatcher era marked the end of charismatic statesmen or women in this country. Indeed, however long it takes, it appears that Gordon Brown's heir is the aforementioned David Miliband (pictured with Brown). Do we want someone with such an eerie, joyless grin steering Britain into the next decade?

A journalist recently joked that his smile reminds her of Orlando Bloom. I see what she meant.

There can be no doubt that Miliband intends to take the reins. After his own speech in Manchester, he was heard to comment I couldn't have gone any further, it would've been a Heseltine moment. A reference to Michael Heseltine's push for Tory leadership, also in 1990.

Ruthless

Perhaps not so good for New Labour is the news that Ruth Kelly is to resign her post, perhaps bowing out of political life altogether.

The Transport Secretary cited a wish to spend more time with her family; but it may be that she cannot reconcile her personal religious beliefs with her party's policies on genetic intervention and abortion.

I've had little real interest in politics up 'til now, but some of New Labour's ideas intrigue me. In a week when child poverty has been in the spotlight, the PM has announced £3m plans to provide free broadband Internet access to poorer families.

I'm off to look up 'poverty' in the OED. I'm almost certain there'll be no mention of Internet access.


A

* Click post title to view the speech in full