Introducing a rally organised by the Socialist Campaign Group of far-left Labour MPs, Rebecca Long-Bailey told supporters:
“We’re considering disbanding the Socialist Campaign Group, we got a lot of socialism in Andy’s speech.”
The rally featured classic leftist MPs like Richard Burgon, Ian Lavery, and Kim Johnson. Andrea Egan, general secretary of the Unison union, said:
“Comrades, we haven’t been short of positive signals from Andy Burnham, we shouldn’t underestimate the gravity of the British PM talking about ending four decades of Thatcherism, and that is a historic shift in itself. Nor should we undersell the biggest break with Israel for decades… so it’s been an encouraging start and we should be supporting him.”
Egan added how angry she was that Jeremy Corbyn was “smeared and demonised” by the previous Labour regime. Labour NEC member Jess Barnard, meanwhile, said “so many” of the policies once called “hard left or communism” were in Burnham’s speech. Gulp…
Long-Bailey added “what’s clear about this Conference is that the door has been opened again to the membership to have those discussions, to start shaping policy. Andy set out a broad vision today, it’s up to us now to fill in the gaps… shaping the next manifesto.” They’re just getting started…
Burnham said in his main conference speech: “For the historic victory he achieved for us, I am here to say: thank you, Keir.”