Martin Bright

Taking stock of politics after the conferences

Party conference season is over and it all felt very mid-term. It’s always best not to be swept away by the immediate reaction to leaders’ speeches. Miliband’s was surprisingly good, Cameron’s was not bad at all and Clegg’s was OK too. Where does that leave us? Just under three years until the next election with everything to play for.

At the Jewish Chronicle we planned the usual round of political interviews. Simon Hughes was admirably frank. He has not always had the best relationship with the Jewish community, especially since his involvement with the all-party parliamentary group on Islamophobia. He said he was worried the case for a two-state solution was being lost and that realists might have to countenance a one-state option. I used my Bright on Politics column to warn that Hughes is not a lone voice, but someone who sits square in the centre of liberal opinion.

Unfortunately, we were let down at the last minute by the Labour Party, who had offered Douglas Alexander, but decided it would be better to give us Stephen Twigg instead.

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