Focus · UAE Digital
How long can Labour's feel-good factor last? published at 07:42 BST Laura Kuenssberg Presenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg Image source, Getty Images Andy Burnham might not yet have delivered his all-important conference speech, but he has been preparing for this moment for years. He'll lap up the inevitable whoops and cheers – not just as Labour's leader, but the kind of leader who chimes with the party's rank and file, who puts social justice at the top of his list, who is not averse to cranking up the greatest hits – whether taking a pop at Mrs Thatcher, privatisation, or the divides between north and south. Speaking to MPs, ministers and advisers inside the party, there is no doubt whatsoever that Labour is in a much, much happier place than this time last year.
But however much Burnham loves being PM there are also less tempting realities he'll have to confront. One senior figure warns that what's coming could turn things sour. "The Budget looks like a disaster – by Halloween we'll be looking at something else," predicting a big change in mood.
That portent of doom doesn't match the overall atmosphere around Labour right now, but there is a quiet creeping concern about whether Burnham's rhetoric of hope, and change, the classic political mantras, can be matched with people's experience. Read my full analysis on how long Labour's feel-good factor can last
Source: BBC
