There were no rows, and so Labours national policy forum at the weekend made no news. Delegates gathered to thrash out policy on every issue but they werent thrashing each other, unlike previous ferocious all-nighters. Even on old intractables such as Trident, rail renationalisation or social security, agreement was reached by discussion, with just one, roundly defeated, rebel vote against austerity. Westminster no longer regards the party as full of mad people, and the party no longer thinks its leaders bent on betrayal.
This outbreak of self-discipline is a sure sign of Labours growing terror at the prospect of losing the election. With a weak poll lead, they give a united shudder at what David Cameron and George Osborne would do in a second term. So not a penny of uncosted spending was committed, and no calls of the wild beckoned the party back to the future. Instead, old-time music was played at yesterdays revivalist Progress meeting, where Tony Blair told the party not to deviate from 1997 and, refighting his old battles, he warned of dangers Labour knows all too well.
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