Tony Blair is back. Ed Miliband has been revived. Even Clement Attlee got his first mention at a Conservative Party Conference since 1986. The Prime Minister’s closing speech on Wednesday morning was her boldest yet - a brazen grab for the centre ground and fed-up Labour voters. Theresa May wants “a country that works for everyone” and will govern for “the many, not the few.” Her speech could have been delivered by any previous Labour leader. Government is no longer a problem issue for the Conservatives, but a “part of the solution.” And what could sound less Thatcherite than “there is more to life than individualism and self-interest”?

The political party conference season this year has been fascinating. It’s hard to believe that just a year ago David Cameron’s advisers famously talked all the way through May’s last speech as Home Secretary. How the tables have turned; this year Cameron wasn’t even offered a speaking slot. The speech painted the clearest picture yet of what we can expect from a May government. Companies that hire foreign workers rather than training young home-grown talent and bosses who mistreat their staff will be “on warning". We’ll have triggered Article 50 by March next year, and ending the jurisdiction of EU law and free movement are the PM's top priorities. In stark contrast to Cameron and Osborne, May made the case for state intervention, saying the best way to defend capitalism is to reform it. Big infrastructure got a firm nod, with a tantalising hint that Heathrow will be approved. The UK’s housing market was acknowledged as “dysfunctional” as May promised to build more homes and use public sector land for more and faster house building. And we heard that workers will start to be represented on company boards, with employment rights protected and even enhanced. May’s beliefs and intent are now clear - in her words, it’s Labour that is now "the nasty party".

Were it that simple. Labour is now the biggest party in Western Europe. Jeremy Corbyn gave his second party conference speech as leader, consolidating his power over the party and enthralling the party's new grassroots. A leader who most of his MPs have no confidence in has emerged victorious. Corbyn delighted in announcing a national education service, a national investment bank, curbs on tax avoidance and a school pupil arts premium. The biggest cheers were reserved for rail nationalisation and giving councils the power to borrow to build more homes. Corbyn urged the party to be ready for a snap election. It remains to be seen whether he will find the MPs to complete his shadow front bench and truly hold the government to account. The victories of Sadiq Khan in London and Martin Rees in Bristol show that a social movement can win power. But if Corbyn can't even unify his own MPs, what chance does he have of appealing to those Tory voters he will have to win over if he's ever to step into No 10?

Of the three main parties, Tim Farron is now the longest serving leader in Westminster, and he used his conference speech to tell Labour voters only the Lib Dems can provide "strong opposition" to the Tories. For Farron, Labour had "left the stage" under Corbyn. Nick Clegg said the government had "absolutely no clue" how to handle Brexit, quipping that May was "up a creek without a paddle, a canoe or a map". But the Lib Dems stand at 8% in the polls, with a mere eight MPs. While Farron's direct challenge to Corbyn on his commitment to the single market is smart, his call for a second referendum risks angering the 52% of voters who backed Brexit and think the voice of the people is being ignored.  If the party is serious about regaining power, Farron needs to demonstrate that he understands why the party lost it - and so catastrophically at that.

Want to know more about how the parties’ policies are shaping the political scene in the UK, and the effect on your business? Newington's consultants have a depth of political knowledge that means we are best placed to help you put together a strategy to achieve your communications objectives. Contact Chris Ricôt for more information on how we can help.