Labour conference 2009: Anger, polls, and a fight for the %&!!@## speech

Andrew Marr and Brownite loyalist Ian Austin (Photo: FT)

A quick few bits picked up through the Metropole and Grand bars. First, this picture, courtesy of the excellent FT Westminster blog, which shows Ian Austin, MP for Dudley and long standing key figure in Brown Central, having a heated discussion with Andrew Marr. Now, it may be that they are analysing the results of a football match, but I doubt it. More likely Mr Austin is giving Andy his two bits worth about the pills question. It continues to exercise Labour folk, who remain incensed at the BBC. My equivocating earlier prompted one minister to ring me up and berate me for not coming down clearly against the question, one the straightforward ground that the allegation is untrue and therefore to raise it is to collude in the long-running Tory sub-strategy of undermining Mr Brown’s character. There is still plenty of heat in this one.

Then there is Ed Miliband. He’s been addressing an Independent fringe, or rather been questioned by Steve Richards. I couldn’t stay long but the room was large and packed, and I overheard one person telling another “so, is he the one?” Miliband E had a good outing on Sunday and has an easiness that his more sober older brother hasn’t quite got. Much of this week will involve scrutinising those who in a few months might be candidates for the top job.

Polls keep evolving. YouGov, who do the polling for the Telegraph, have launched a daily tracker with Sky News that is well worth keeping an eye on. You can find it here. The first one puts Labour up 5pts, on 29pc to the Tories’ 39pc. It’s conference so a bounce is expected, but getting within 10pts of the Tories and them under 40pc is the kind of straw Labour folk will cling to.

Finally, tomorrow is the PM’s speech. There is a lot of static coming out of that operation, talk of drafts and redrafts and much complaining from those who would normally be loyal (one supporter moaned to me that “Gordon has really f****** up this conference and he’s going to f*** up the speech”). But one minister told me earlier that the party does not want confrontation and is desperate for someone to tell them there is still a chance (witness the enthusiasm for Mandelson’s sunshine speech earlier). Expect it to surpass expectations. From a low base.