The Labour conference was an odd experience, but I suspect next year’s will be even odder. Out with the smart suited twenty something men. In with the Trots. That’s if Jeremy Corbyn survives that long. My own view is that he will, but it was astonishing that more or less every single Labour MP I talked to was totally dismissive of their leader. Even on air. Lord Falconer wouldn’t even say he expected Corbyn to be the next Prime Minister, let alone a good one and he’s the Shadow Justice Secretary. Justice for Jeremy, that’s what I say. Any new leader deserves a bedding in period and the benefit of the doubt, but Jeremy Corbyn isn’t being afforded that by his parliamentary colleagues. It’s all very well to talk about “the new politics”, but it’s very difficult when you aren’t able to explain what that means beyond putting off difficult and dividing policy decisions.
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Well the “kinder, gentler” politics didn’t last long. Tom Watson, the pugnacious new deputy leader of the party gave a rumbustious closing speech to the conference in the slot previously inhabited by Harriet Harman and before her, John Prescott. He reserved a lot of his ire for the Liberal Democrats. Well, you can’t really blame him, can you? He was forced into an apology… “I did go too far though when I compared the Lib Dems to a Banarama tribute band. Some people were angry, and I accept that I crossed the line. What I said was demeaning, unjustified and wrong. Siobhan, Sara, Keren – I should never have compared your tribute acts to that useless bunch of lying sell-outs, the Lib Dems and I’m sorry.” Boom, boom. He then had a go at the Conservatives, imploring his comrades to “kick the nasty Tories down the road where they belong”. But in a kind and gentle way. Obvs.
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I’m told that Craig Oliver has been noticed wandering about Number Ten oinking. What’s that all about then?
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Can there be anything more irresponsible that an aspiring prime minister telling our country’s potential enemies that there aren’t any circumstances in which he would press the nuclear button? Doing so undermines the whole thesis of our nuclear deterrent.
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Some of you will have seen a rather public spat between me and Louise Mensch on twitter a few days ago. I’ve taken a lot of criticism over Lord Ashcroft’s book, not least on this site last week, and I can take it. But when Louise Mensch tries to take the moral high ground, I’m afraid I just have to laugh. I’ve always been a defender of hers but she has developed a habit of becoming completely obsessed by various causes. Last week her cause was trying to make me apologise for something I had no intention of apologising for. I was evil, so was Isabel Oakeshott, but of course we had led the noble Lord Ashcroft astray and it was all rather a disgrace. Well, it’s a point of view, I suppose. Her tweets became ever more regular and ever more unhinged. In the end I got fed up of reading her bile and poison and blocked her. And still she continued apparently. She’s still at it for all I know. Or care.
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At the Labour Party conference I dropped into the News International reception. It was an event devoid of a single Shadow Cabinet member. Except the Shadow Work & Pensions Secretary, Owen Smith. Make of that what you will. I pointed this out to him and he roared with laughter. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. He’s one to watch.
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I also ran into my old friend Tony Gallagher at the same reception. He is the new editor of The Sun. “You’ve been nasty to one of my columnists, I see,” he greeted me. “Yes,” I said. “Now that you’ve got rid of Katy Hopkins, you could do us all a favour and do the same with Louise Mensch.” I did laugh as I said it, but Tony didn’t really bite. He was far keener on discussing the merits of our mutual football team, West Ham United. A wise man.
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Later this year I’ll be publishing a biography of Jeremy Corbyn, written by top political journalist Rosa Prince. I haven’t dared ask about his university antics…
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Dammit. I said last week that all publishers get print runs wrong for any book they publish. I have printed 35,000 copies and as of Wednesday night, we have now sold 34,678, leaving fewer than 300. The books go on sale in shops on Monday, so it looks as if I might have to order a reprint pretty quickly.
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I hear an edict has gone out to Conservative ministers that if any of them attend the launch of CALL ME DAVE on Monday week their career prospects might take a nosedive. Indeed, Number Ten have tried to ensure that few Tory MPs attend the event, having scheduled the English Votes for English laws to be debated in the Commons that night. Just as I predicted they would when the date was set several months ago. Predictable. And petty.
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If you’re in Manchester on Sunday evening, do pop along to the Liberty fringe meeting at 5.30pm in Manchester Central. Shami Chakrabarti will be chairing a Question Time style panel featuring Dominic Grieve, Peter Oborne and myself. I keep telling Shami human rights is not exactly my area of expertise, but she can be very persuasive. So if you want to hear me make a fool of myself, be my guest.