October 2008 Archives

IT'S not often you spot a bona fide slave in Birmingham City Centre.

Yet that's what Nick Cohen was claiming to be.

Cohen is a socialist political-commentator, most famous for his book, 'What's Left?' a vigorous defence of the decision to invade Iraq.

A free thinker is Nick, who no man can control - or so it has always seemed.

Yet here he was at the Tory Party Conference.

Or as he put it to me, ruefully: "Just here to meet my new masters."

It was a socialist political-commentator's dry little joke.

Although instigated by the new reality.

Previously, it was another party, led by Tony Blair, that surfed to power on a wave of 'New'.

Now blue is the new New, while David Cameron is TB Part 2, complete with beautician's facial peel, vanquishing all that Iraq wear and tear.

But the Tories weren't gloating at Conference, and had clearly learned the lesson of Neil Kinnock's knockabout triumphalism in 1992, which turned the tide against Labour in the subsequent General Election.

They were being straight-faced and grown up about all this imminent power that was chapping at their door.

This was no hardship, as the Conservatives are experts at being grown-up.
Or just plain ancient.