Who is popular today?

After Kamikwasi and clueless Hunt, Labour knows that her nerdy calm will reassure voters. Even Mark Carney says Britain needs Rachel Words I never thought I’d write: it wasn’t just standing room only at the side and the back of the hall for Rachel Reeves – it was a proper mosh pit. Close up and sweaty. In the front row, the entire shadow cabinet. Plus Peter Mandelson. New Labour has got its party back. Up on stage were Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner. Of course they were. They are the king and queen of this conference. Rachel is the brains.This isn’t normal. Generally most people go out of their way to avoid a Reeves speech. Not because she doesn’t have anything much to say – she almost always does – but because a stage is not her natural habitat. She’s not an extrovert. Just very normal. Extensive media training has helped a lot, but even so public speaking is still as much as an ordeal for her as it is for her audience. But these days you can forgive a lot. Sanity beats smooth talking every time. Especially when the person doing the talking is one of the most powerful people in the country. Continue reading...