New Day, New Generation

Up early for the first day filming with Daybreak.

But just been watching our new leader on Marr.

Very telling that Ed was continuing to reach out to a lot of people, just as he did as he toured the receptions last night.

But for many, last night belonged to David.

He showed an enormous amount of courage and class to walk round the reception in Ed’s wake.

Expect David’s speech will bring the house down. He could read the Manchester Yellow Pages and people will be in tears.

Having seen three deputy leadership campaigns up close, I know all too well how hard it is to keep smiling when you’ve lost.

And I’ll be smiling again today after the Treasurer vote.

Delegates seemed punch drunk after a four and a half month campaign, which took time to grab interest but then exploded in the last four weeks.

And as David Aaronovitch also said on Marr, Ed showed he was more ruthless.

Today, he’ll continue his task to heal the party. His Sunday Telegraph piece is telling about helping the squeezed middle. He also said he wants to lead a responsible opposition.

But now he’s got to be seen to stand up to the unions and be radical, but on the centreground of politics. They’re not mutually exclusive.

The first five minutes of Marr were taken up with his union support. So Ed’s going to have make a symbolic gesture to stop being defined as the rabid leftie he patently isn’t.

And the unions know that’s going to happen – and will be happy to take a bit of a public kicking or slight.

I don’t buy that Unite will march into Ed’s suite with a shopping list. They’re just happy Miliband Major didn’t grab the crown. Tony Woodley will be happy with that. One for his legacy.

Now they’ve got his way, Woodley and Kinnock should now gracefully step back from the rolling news two ways and let him be the leader of the NEW generation.

So on to the tortuous hell that is the leader’s speech.

16 years ago Ed would be toiling over Gordon’s.

Now he’s on his own.

Expect his aides to be trolling the bars with that age old conference mantra.

“Got any jokes?”