It was great to see so many members, MPs and union members to Whitley (Hilton Hotel on Kennet Island to be exact). There was a really positive atmosphere and good discussions. Quite a few of them also came out to knock on doors and chat to Whitley residents and I had a good chat with John Prescott in the bar at his ‘tweet up’. I don’t know what one of those is either, but Prezza seemed to!
Some highlights for me were:
Social care
This was clearly high on everyone’s agenda, with comments from MPs that this is ‘grown up politics’ and that it is a difficult issue that has to be tackled.
Off the cuff/side comments:
David Miliband describing the plans to remove hereditary peers (which the conservatives are against) as ‘humane – we weren’t proposing euthanasia or anything’.
John Prescott ‘I’m not allowed to talk about class… they [Conservatives] are a class party’. ‘I’ve got an iphone AND a blackberry – after all I already had 2 jags’. And numerous asides!
Harriet Harman ‘You’re not past it when you’re past 60. Good thing, I’m about to be past 60 myself’
I’ll post up photos shortly