Katy Balls

Its own opposition: Labour’s conference was all about in-fighting

• From magazine issue: 02 October 2021

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Some of Starmer’s other allies still insist the conference went well for them. Starmer succeeded in changing the party rules to make it harder for the left to challenge him or deselect MPs. ‘It’s Starmer’s biggest victory since he became Labour leader,’ says one adviser.

This, however, is not saying much. Internal focus groups tell Labour strategists that the voters who backed the Tories in 2019 are starting to have doubts — but it would be surprising if that were otherwise. A cost of living crisis as a result of government cuts, rising gas prices and staff shortages will obviously focus minds. Recent polls suggest that Labour are closing the gap between the two parties, but still, despite all the mayhem, the Tories remain ahead.

Even if Labour does get lucky and the Tories flounder, few believe it will have been a result of effective opposition. The conference, instead of moving the party on from the past 12 months, will have reminded people of how severe Labour’s problems are and how far away the party is from a solution.

If not Starmer, then who? Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, has been accused of showing leadership ambitions after he signed up to speak at 11 fringe events. Some MPs complain that he’s trying to turn conference into the Andy Burnham show, but unless he returns to Westminster he’s not a serious candidate. Lisa Nandy, the shadow foreign secretary, also caught people’s attention. In a packed-out fringe event — with people queuing around the bend — she showed her green credentials by suggesting that a Labour government would only work with allies like Australia if they committed to climate change targets. But she’s hardly ready to make a move.

And this, perhaps, is the best news both for the Labour leader and the Prime Minister. For now, Starmer has no serious challengers. Boris Johnson can sit tight.