Widdecombe & Campbell
Two political personalities discuss the Tory conference and Ed Miliband’s alternative with agendaNi.
Book launches are regular features in the party conference cycle with the signings often bringing together unlikely combinations of authors.
Promoting her autobiography – ‘Strictly Ann’ – at the Blackwell’s stand, Ann Widdecombe says that the conference mood “certainly seems to be upbeat” and the party was tackling relevant issues: the economy, welfare and education.
Pressed on whether the party was moving away from its traditional values, she replies: “I think it was. I think the fall in membership numbers and the rise of UKIP has caused a rethink.” Widdecombe believes that the party is now “much more aware of its grassroots” – she points to Cameron’s acceptance that same-sex marriage should not have “pushed” by the Government and that it was wrong to “insult” UKIP.
As for the general election, Widdecombe expects a Tory majority: “What Miliband is offering is not Labour. It’s old style socialism and there are still plenty of voters who can remember it.”
Cutting energy bills, it is put to her, is a more catchy message for voters than cutting the deficit. “He’s spouting,” she remarks. “Having spouted, people then analyse it and it is a recipe for disaster. And, as I said, he’s gone back to socialist roots. Well, the country rejected socialism for 18 long years.”
Later that day, Alastair Campbell attracted the occasional passer-by as he signed his new novel. ‘My Name Is…’ tells the story of a young woman’s descent into alcoholism and the impact on her family.
Campbell’s past battle with drink is well-known. He’s here to campaign for minimum unit pricing alcohol in England and Wales – after David Cameron’s u-turn during the summer – and better access to treatment.
“I used to come to these conferences as a journalist,” he surmises. “They were lively because you had all these delegates and parish councillors from all over the country.” It’s now more of a “business convention”.
Campbell accepts that all major conferences may be going the same way but the Labour didn’t feel as “flat” as the Tory gathering. As expected, he dismisses a Conservative majority “because they haven’t got a clear strategy.”
The conference banners are right-wing (on hard work, crime, and immigration) but the party also sought to strike a liberal tone e.g. on redefining marriage. The public will be “very confused” until they resolve the contradiction.
“I don’t buy this idea that Ed’s speech was a lurch to the left at all,” Campbell adds. To him, it’s an understanding that Britain’s energy market has failed and intervention is needed.
The Shadow Cabinet now needs “more energy, more fire, more commitment” and Campbell is pleased to see politicians debating policy. Without that, the news turns to scandals and opinion polls – making ordinary people think that politics has “got nothing to do with them.”
Photo credits: Poppy Berry (for Ann Widdecombe) and Cambridge Jones (for Alastair Campbell).
