19 September 2008
The fraught global economic situation could help Prime Minister Gordon Brown to sidestep questions over his leadership at Labour's party conference next week, according to well-placed observers.
The conference in Manchester, beginning on September 20, is now certain to be played out to a backdrop of questions about future financial regulation and speculation over stock markets and banks.
Rick Muir, senior research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research, said: 'The leadership question is likely now to be overshadowed by the global economic crises, which will allow Gordon to show leadership on the issue.'
Improving social mobility by increasing childcare provision and changes to care for the elderly are expected to be central themes. Muir told Public Finance that a document had been released setting out policy priorities, especially on childcare and care for elderly people. 'This is Gordon giving himself some definition… saying that he's helping people, particularly the very elderly and young families.'
Fabian Society deputy general secretary Tim Horton told PF that the challenge for the party at the conference was getting the 'politics of policy' right and setting out what was meant by the 'protective role' of government.
He hoped to hear Brown return, 'in a more revitalised way', to important themes he had always espoused, such as the role of the state.
The campaign to impose a windfall tax on energy companies will resurface at the conference. Left-wing pressure group Compass said a debate on 'record energy prices, windfall profits, fuel poverty and government intervention' would be one of the 'main political flashpoints'.
A Unison spokeswoman told PF that the issue of equal pay for millions of women, particularly public sector workers, would be raised at the conference.
PFsep2008
