Labour in Liverpool: blue suit brigade in abundance and Burnham on best behaviour

Blue suits were in abundance. In the exhibition hall where once mighty trade unions took up large floor space, in their stead were colourful displays from banks, tech companies, consultants and a particularly big showing from energy firms.

One seasoned veteran said it all felt a more like a business conference than a gathering of the party faithful. Though he too was wearing a blue suit.

Talk was of industrial strategy and of being a responsible government in waiting. Former Siemens UK chief Juergen Maier said his business colleagues liked all of that, in contrast to chaos from the Conservatives, but he admitted he’d like to see more of a shrug and an eyeroll on HS2 and a commitment to getting it back on track. 

It was all a build up to the leader’s speech.

Reactions varied but the consensus seemed to be it was confident, prime ministerial, if a little technocratic in parts. The standing ovations were even more annoying than the 28-year-old who grabbed Starmer, shouted something and sprayed him with glitter. That the leader emerged unruffled probably did him no harm. Pointing out that Labour had moved on from being the party of protest.

Starmer arrives for his speech, with wife Victoria

His messages were consistent, a promise to get Britain its future back, saying that his five missions will usher in a decade of national renewal “totally focused on the interests of working people.”

He drew a contrast between his plan and the last 13 years of Tory rule, saying that with his leadership Labour will “turn our backs on never-ending Tory decline with a decade of national renewal” and give the British people the “government they deserve.”

Any of the blue suit brigade expecting a clear set of policy giveaways will have been disappointed at the broad approach, with the only specific commitments a pledge to rip up the rules on the greenbelt to get more houses built. 

But Professor Jon Davis of King’s College London, an observer and biographer of previous prime ministers pointed out that Starmer stopped short of telling business they can come here and make a profit. “Blair owned the market, Starmer still shies away from that,” Davis said.

At a Labour Creatives event later Shadow Culture minister Chris Bryant told an audience of TV executives, theatre directors and assorted ‘luvvies for Labour’ that “We want the businesses of everyone in this room to grow. You’ll be a symbol of national renewal”. Growth is OK, profit not so much.

At a Northern Powerhouse Partnership reception a casually dressed Andy Burnham said Starmer’s speech was delivered from the heart – “you can tell the difference between a speech written for someone, and one they wrote, and Keir clearly wrote all of that” – he also noticeably segued deftly from shadow skills and employment minister Alison McGovern who’d said she trusted Mayors like him to deliver devolved skills policy.

It was a marked contrast to last year’s tetchy stand-offs where Burnham felt snubbed and the leadership gave off the vibe that he was a distracting presence. “Mayors will be there to drive the agenda of the future Labour government,” he said.

He was speaking at the offices of EY in Liverpool’s Albert Dock at an event sponsored by the ubiquitous Northern Powerhouse Partnership, described by event chair Robert Hough as “pragmatic agitator”.

It was a contrast to last week’s events in Manchester where an NPP event at EY’s office in Manchester was cancelled due to a withdrawal by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, with just two hours notice.