Fishburn Hedges

31.08.2010

Ahead of the party conference season, Vincent Moss, political editor of the Sunday Mirror, looks at the challenges facing both MPs and their communications teams.

A new army of political spin-doctors will be sailing into unchartered and choppy waters when the party conferences get underway in September.

You'd think nothing could be simpler than to oversee a Cabinet Minister or Opposition heavyweight as they turn up, deliver a well-prepared speech from autocue, smile over warm white wine at a few receptions, and then go home.

But in 15 years of covering the main conferences, I've seen events that can defeat even the best communications experts and most experienced politicos.

In 2008, despite the valiant attempts of Gordon Brown's former spinner Damian McBride in the bar of a Manchester hotel at 3am, the impending resignation of then Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly was an unmitigated disaster for Brown.

David Miliband's Mr Bean-style pose with a banana in the same year was an infamously gawky image just as he was on the brink of challenging Brown.

And who thought it would be a good idea to let then Cabinet Minister Peter Lilley regale the 1992 Tory conference with a parody of Gilbert and Sullivan's "little list", or to allow Michael Portillo deliver his gung-ho "who dares wins" speech in 1995?

Lib Dems face toughest challenge

This autumn, many political spin-doctors will be in untested roles and could face similar challenges. Those previously in Opposition, for the Tories or Lib Dems, will be batting for the Government for the first time.  Others will be entirely new to the political bear-pit of conference.

But it is the Lib Dems who will face by far the toughest challenge of promoting their message and avoiding the many pitfalls amid a glare of publicity they could only have dreamt of in previous years.

Yet Nick Clegg has seen his support virtually halved in the polls. And, many of his rank-and-file are restive about his support for "Tory cuts".

Traditionally, the Lib Dem conference is deputed to a junior political correspondent who is delighted if their copy gets a page lead. This time, every speech and fringe meeting will be scrutinised for a rift, row or gaffe in the hope of a front-page splash.

To combat that threat, Clegg's chief of staff, Jonny Oates, his former press secretary (now deputy director of comms at Number Ten) Lena Pietsch and his political spokesman James McGrory will have to work around the clock.

They will doubtless organise interviews with Clegg, Cable and other senior Lib Dem ministers to run on the eve of conference and pray they all stick to “the line”.

But the Cleggites will face a huge battle in the post-speech huddles in the press room when they try to spin the latest about the Lib Dems’ pupil premium when the only narrative journalists will want to write is one of where the spending axe will fall in George Osborne's spending review of October 20.

An easier ride for the Tories

It will be far easier for a triumphant David Cameron - a Tory leader addressing his conference as a Tory PM for the first time in 14 years. At his conference in Birmingham, there will be the same "grid" of pre-conference interviews with Tory Cabinet members, including Cameron, followed by the advance briefing of some speeches to favoured newspapers.

The key post-conference spin will be that of Cameron's speech. Cameron will speak personally to many national newspaper editors to try to ensure the best coverage. His communications director Andy Coulson will call others senior media players, while his highly regarded Press Secretary Gaby Bertin will hammer home the details to the print and broadcast hacks.

Labour leadership distraction

When it comes to Labour, their activists won't even know who is leading the party until the conference kicks off on September 25 in Manchester. 

So, the most frenetic media speculation will be ahead of the event, focussing on which Miliband brother gets the top job. After that, media interest will tail off while the party looks inwards and rebuilds after its election defeat.

Careless talk costs careers

One significant difference at this year’s conferences could be the influence of bloggers and networking sites like Twitter. 

One indiscreet comment in a lift, bar or late-night reception, and a Cabinet career could be crucified on the internet in minutes. How does any communications expert deal with that kind of nightmare?