The recent Labor Party conference in Brighton saw Prime Minister Tony Blair in an unprecedented position. Set against a backdrop of enormous public discontent, evident in the response to the fuel strike by the major oil companies, the Labor Party staged its centenary conference. The phony peace that had reigned since Labor's general election victory had produced an electoral honeymoon that seemed to many as if it would last forever. The events prior to the conference had meant it was well and truly over, however. For the first time since 1994, Labor trailed in the opinion polls.
Last Tuesday, Blair faced the most difficult speech of his life. He strove to balance a newfound humility with continued leadership. The song "Let's get together" echoed his theme -- building relations -- as the government looked to maintain party unity and inspire public confidence in their future as leaders of Britain. Blair's central contribution was buttressed by other speeches, most notably by Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, in which Labor made it clear they would listen, learn and act, and acknowledged they had made mistakes, over pensions and the Millennium Dome, Jaguars and second homes.
Did Labor succeed? Broadly speaking, it was a resounding success. First, the whole performance triggered an enormous revival in support for the Labor Party and the government. The conference concluded with a new national poll putting the party 11 points ahead of the Conservative Party. Yet this needs to be interpreted with care. The shift shows an almost unprecedented disorientation among the public as much as a restoration of Labor's popularity.