Strange Events in Brighton - a Holmesian analysis

Sherlock Holmes informs us that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.

Reflecting on this week’s Labour Party Conference, it is clearly impossible that the Labour Party has become so ossified and authoritarian that they are employing Stasi style security ‘consultants’ to suppress dissent. That being so we need to explore the ejection of Walter Wolfgang further. If this wasn’t a conspiracy it must be a cock-up – most conspiracies turn out to be cock-ups on examination, as incompetence is the natural mode of being for most would-be conspirators.

So how to explain Wednesday; Walter, a long-term and loyal member of the party, was obviously trying to help, not undermine, Jack Straw. The Government’s proposals on glorifying terrorism are loosely defined (see 22 September posting). Jack’s defence of UK/US actions in Iraq were clearly leading him to transgress this new law by being an apologist for RAF/USAF bombings. Walter, a man of immense goodwill, was trying to deflect Straw from this hazardous course and thus save the Government from the embarrassment of a further enforced resignation for dubious, if not downright illegal, activities.

Unfortunately effective liaison with the enthusiastic and robust security consultants was not established – thus disproving wild, if common, accusations of Labour Party control freakery. It is clear that the way forward for Renewed Labour is through a commitment to a close control of communications strategy, not hand wringing over unfortunate errors. Fortunately a single minded desire to achieve this is already visible, as Alistair Campbell said in the Guardian yesterday “Because he prefers consensus to conflict, others sometimes underestimate the steel. His greatest strength as a leader is that he sets a course, and stays it.” The Tony’s not for turning.