Good morning from Liverpool (and hello again to the newsletter subscribers I met in person, as I took First Edition on tour to Labour party conference). It’s the first gathering of the party faithful since Andy Burnham ousted Keir Starmer in July, in what I’ve heard delicately referred to as a “soft coup”, and the theme of this conference is “Hope again.” Yesterday, in an engaging and emotional speech that staked out bold positions on some of the most intractable issues of the day – social care, NEETs, electoral reform, the EU – Burnham added substance to the slogan that graces the banners hanging from the lofty ceilings of the exhibition hall. You can read our politics team’s key takeaways here.
Meanwhile, on the conference fringe yesterday evening, the debate continued between energised activists and “policy grownups” warning of dire fiscal headwinds. Today I’m passing on what I saw and heard during my 48 hours with the lanyard class – but first, the headlines. UK news | One of the five men arrested near RAF Fairford as part of a terror investigation that prompted fears of an Iran-backed plot called the police to report the incident.
The call from the man, in his 20s and from London, was one reason armed police were scrambled to arrest the men. Football | The Premier League has confirmed Manchester City have been found guilty of all charges of breaching its financial rules over a nine-year period, with the club found to have boosted their income by a staggering amount of more than £900m. France | More than 400 people, most of them children, have been detained in France on Tuesday after teenagers across the country blockaded their schools in protest at class sizes, teacher shortages and long timetables.
US politics | The Trump administration can resume quickly deporting immigrants to a “third countries”, or countries other than those immigrants’ homeland, without giving them any opportunity to contest their removals, the supreme court ruled on Tuesday. UK news | A six-month trial of live facial recognition technology in London’s railway stations cost more than £320,000 and led to one false match against a watchlist of suspects and no arrests. As I wandered past the merchandise stall at conference, I noticed the Burnham-branded mugs had sold out within hours, with one lonely ‘hope again’ tote remaining.
Her combination of relief and excitement marked most of my encounters with activists, campaigners and politicians around the exhibition stalls and fringe events during my two days in Liverpool. Things are undoubtedly looking up since last year. Local members have a spring in their step; cabinet ministers are smiling; and party activists have a new message to offer on the doorstep.
Everyone tells me this is all about Andy: “His empathy cuts through,” says one Scottish politician, “He has a natural instinct for connection,” says a campaigner from Manchester, “People on the doors love him!” exclaims a branch organiser from Loughborough. But if you’ve never been to a party conference like this, how can I best describe it? Merseyside police said they were anticipating 20,000 delegates and visitors to the city over four days.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
