Labour's uneasy peace

The conference caravan may have moved on to the Tories in Bournemouth, but for the benefit of those who want a recap of last week's events in Manchester, my Labour Conference Podcast is now live.

As the great Mr Rawnsley said yesterday, the conference was ulimately a fudge that didn't really resolve either of the two big questions facing Labour - when is Mr Blair finally going to step down, and who is going to replace him?

"The warring factions have made their peace, but just like when the mafia hoods made their peace with eachother in the Godfather movies, it is a very fragile peace."

You can listen to the podcast HERE, view the text version HERE, and subscribe to the podcast by copying THIS SHORTCUT into your feed reader or listening software.

Thanks by the way to the podlounge.com for including my Week in Politics podcast in their directory. It lists all 36 of my podcasts HERE.

I expect I'll get around to posting on the Tories when I can be arsed....

Scariest song ever?

For all those in need of a break from the party conferences... there's a really good thread developing over on The Observer blog in response to a request for nominations for the scariest song ever.

As the illustration suggests, my vote has gone to Pink Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall Part Two, largely on account of the Gerald Scarfe video portraying a teacher putting his pupils through a mincer and an endless procession of hammers marching in unison. It may seem a bit tame now, but at the time it came out it was truly shocking, although the fact that it was scary didn't stop it being a great piece of music.

I have been amazed by the number of nominations for such 70s ephemera as Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep, Seasons in the Sun, Two Little Boys, Billy Don't be a Hero and even Puff the Magic Dragon. Were these songs really scary as opposed to just sad?

Anyway, for anyone with more than a passing interest in music, the full thread is well worth a read. Hat Tip: David Gladwin.

Labour contest: How is the Cabinet shaping up?

I began this week's postings on the Labour Conference by posing the question who is backing Gordon Brown for PM among the Press. I end it by looking at how much support he - or any other candidate - can expect from within the Cabinet.

For this purpose I have divided Labour's 23-strong top team into four groups ranging from Gordon's most public and enthusiastic supporters to the small faction who seem determined to stop him at any price.

It will immediately be seen that the Chancellor is in a very strong position, and that's reckoning without the cash for honours affair bundling Mr Blair out of office early after all.....

I will be updating this list regularly as the contest draws nearer and if and when the public positions of any Cabinet members change. I have a slight hunch that Alan Johnson might well be the next one to endorse him.

Cabinet members explicitly and publicly backing Gordon Brown for the leadership

John Prescott
Margaret Beckett
Peter Hain
David Miliband

Cabinet members who have not expressed a public preference but who are known allies of Mr Brown

Jack Straw
Alistair Darling
Douglas Alexander
Des Browne
Ruth Kelly
Stephen Timms

Cabinet members who are currently remaining neutral, including those required to do so by virtue of their position

Tony Blair
Alan Johnson
Patricia Hewitt
Hazel Blears
Hilary Benn
Hilary Armstrong
Jacqui Smith
Valerie Amos

Cabinet members who have privately expressed doubts about Mr Brown and who can reliably be expected to support "Anyone but Gordon"

John Reid
John Hutton
Charles Falconer
Tessa Jowell