John McDonnell’s speech showed what Labour’s aim for this conference – were it going smoothly – is. The party wants to present a domestic policy agenda so radical that it drowns out discussion of Brexit. As the progress of this conference shows, though, that’s going to be very difficult.
The shadow chancellor announced plenty of attention-grabbing policies: Labour will reduce the average working week to just 32 hours without cutting pay, it will end in-work poverty, restore full trade union rights, introduce free personal care, and even commit to ‘reparations’ to developing countries for climate change.
He only spoke briefly on Brexit, but even in this short section, he differed from the leadership line by saying once again that he would campaign for Remain. Jeremy Corbyn’s current stance is that he will remain neutral while negotiating a new deal, but that he will allow his shadow cabinet to take their own positions, while also expecting them not to take a position on changing the party position before the election (this isn’t supposed to be clear, in case you’re wondering).
But then McDonnell quickly returned to domestic policy.
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