One of the events that is catching people’s eyes at this year’s Conference in Birmingham is being hosted by ConservativeHome. Yes, it’s also raised a few quizzical eyebrows, but tonight why not have a silent disco?
What could be more Conservative? An uplifting celebration that is in no way antisocial or loud. A quiet response to the continued presence of Steve Bray and his musical mayhem outside the Conference centre, which, these days, seems to be about as pointless as a political protest as a scatter cushion.
We lost. Badly. We’re out of government. Move on.
That cold post-election reality is why I thought by the time we got to Monday night in Birmingham the only soundtrack that might make sense for our disco would be anything by the Moody Blues.
Not so.
Something very odd but very gratifying is a foot.
Tory members do not seem to be gathered in corners nursing their undoubted, and understandable emotional bruises from the election. They seem remarkably upbeat.
I confess I did not have that on my bingo card.
Firstly, members have turned up. In large numbers. They seem hungry to be enthused and inspired by the four leadership candidates, but mostly, all those I’ve spoken to just want to get up off the floor, and back in the fight.
No, they aren’t deluded about the task ahead. They seem to accept there’s no guarantee that the necessary steps it will take to be truly match-fit to win again, will be taken. However, they do seem ready to start that journey in earnest.
Now I’ve never been so tribal that I do not talk to friends who support Labour. I have done so over the weekend, and last week, and every single one has said to me the mood at Labour Conference was very different:
Sombre, subdued and a little flat. Quite unlike a Lord Alli penthouse.
Why? Surely the expectation was it would be completely the other way around.
Labour has a huge majority, a mandate, and delivered a devastating blow to the Conservatives in July.
So why are Tories seeming to have a better time at their Conference? Well, rightly or wrongly (but very widely) they are starting to think, if they can get their act together, Labor can be beaten.
That majority is wide but very thin. The numbers don’t lie.
Then there’s the whole look of problems Keir Starmer and his Government have got themselves into impressively quickly. Their pre-election litany of sanctimonious attacks on Tory probity have blown up into a hurricane of hypocrisy that if the prime minister can’t the damage himself, he probably needs a new pair of designer glasses.
As it turns out he really should have gone to Specsavers.
So, the mood is pretty good. However, Labour’s current woes aren’t going to make Tory fortunes soar just yet. So, are the four leadership contenders providing the fire to raise their spirits higher?
Well again, the hottest ticket in town last night was a Conservative Home reception for the 1922 Committee. I’d like to thank the hundreds of people who messaged me before hand to congratulate me on my new job, and immediately followed that up with a request to get them on the guest list. I’m sorry I didn’t reply.
Our excellent events team made a simple request to Robert, Tom, James and Kemi: you get a one minute ‘elevator pitch’ to sell why it should be you. Sixty seconds only.
I was skeptical they’d keep to time. Again, I was proven wrong, in one of the punchier outings I’ve seen from all four. Fast and furious, with a fire even a Labour supporter was impressed by.
Not a bad start to be politicians who actually keep their promises.
This four-by-four farrago is of course rather the point of this years Conference.
Rishi Sunak has been and gone, but even the reception he got as he addressed party members for a final time as Leader was more enthusiastic and forgiving than he might have expected. A good-natured goodbye to all that, with a plea that Conservatives get behind whoever emerges victorious on November 2nd .
There’s still the feeling that whoever wins might not see out an entire Parliament but there’s a detectable acceptance that such infighting is what got them here in the first place and that the party simply doesn’t have the luxury to wallow or backbite any more. That way lies the political abyss.
That might be wise because Boris is still trying to grab some Conference attention – without even being here. His book is being serialized in the Mail and as Tim Shipman, wrote in the Sunday Times
” Why, when his party is about to select a new leader, would an ex-prime minister drummed out in disgrace need a future platform? The conclusion many will draw is that Johnson views his time in Downing Street as unfinished business. While he is happy to draw a line under his time in lesser roles, he has not — quite — abandoned hope of a second innings in No 10 “
However, for the moment the members here seem to want to see if the four candidates can offer the fire Boris does, and on last night’s showing they seem keen to show they can.
I hope this unexpected spring in Tory steps lasts until tonight – our ConHome silent disco will be a quiet riot if it happens.