Labour Leadership Conference - Saturday 26th September 2010 Manchester

I took the 7:50am train from Milton Keynes Central just by the skin of my teeth, I couldn't get passed the ticket barrier until I was told by a member of staff that I was using my seat reservation ticket, I did say to her it was very early for me, unfortunately I sat next to a group of Chelsea supporters who were thoroughly unpleasant swearing, and taking the piss out of a respectable middle aged women who sat even nearer to these louts than I was, I was glad to find out later that Chelsea lost 1-0 to Manchester United divine retribution!
I arrived at Manchester Piccadilly Station at about 9:30am and headed to Whitworth Street to see the Hacienda Apartments to pay homage to the site that was the nightclub of the same name I had met one of the co-owners Tony Wilson two years before his death when he spoke at the Milton Keynes Gallery about his memories of various incidents at the club, I had a walk round and sat in a public garden at Deansgate Locks opposite the apartments to eat my sandwich and then a thought came over me could I dare to dream Obama style that Ed Milliband could win?  after all the papers and media were full of quotes from the major bookmakers saying that large bets were being placed on him to win.
I then hot footed it to the newly revamped Peoples Museum and saw Clem Attlee's pipe and various campaign posters of elections past from of 1945 up to 1997, they had a temporary exhibition on the Labour Party Leadership, I saw Michael Foot's driving licence photographs of Hugh Gaitskell and Harold Wilson , an election leaflet from Harriet Harman's first campaign in 1982 and a Labour Party newsletter with a photograph of a very young looking Gordon Brown in it along with a campaign window sticker from the 2001 General Election.
I then walked round the Manchester Arndale Centre and the Town Hall trying to find  Tony Wilson's Memorial plaque to no avail.
I was approached by a very good looking scouser girl and was asked for directions to St.Annes Square I explained I had no idea where it was when a tramp started giving her directions she did have the good manners to say thank you and then started talking with him!
I then went to look for the Manchester Central venue for the Leadership conference which I read somewhere used to be a train station, I saw lots of Labour MP's including James Purnell and Alun Michael eating a massive ham burger with their suitcases along with other delegates walking to the entrance point.
I chatted to a Police Officer who was very cold and said he would be there all week for the conference and asked who I was supporting and we also discussed the impending cuts.
I started to queue and tripped over John Denham's suitcase (the Labour MP for Southampton Itchen) and got to the airport style arch where a Group 4 security guard swiped my security pass bar code and was allowed through, I turned round to see that my photograph and details was still on his screen.
A elderly delegate started a conversation with me who looking at my pass thought that I was from Scotland for some reason and I chatted to him about the dangers of being a front runner candidate like David Milliband and used the example of what happened to Hillary Clinton when seeking to be the Presidential candidate.
Then came the second security check and I had to put my coat and other belongings in a tray to go through the scan and again walk through another security arch.
As I was approaching the main venue through the covered walkway I spotted Peter Kellner President of You Gov the online polling company I asked him how the polls were going but I don't think he wanted to bother talking to the likes of me!
As I was walking to the main entrance I saw  a battery of photographers behind a barricade they shouted to someone behind me to get out of the way which I thought was rude until I saw that David Milliband and his wife Louise were walking as well towards the venue, the press and TV cameras circled around him and like a scrum followed him up the stairs I waited until the fuss died down and then went inside.
I was just getting my bearings when a very attractive steward asked me if I was looking for the queue to the hall I said I was and she duly pointed me in the right direction, I was standing for a while until we were told to turn around and another entrance in which we had to go through.
Once there we stood around the exhibition hall and stands being set by some exhibitors ready for the main conference week, I was on my feet for over an hour the stewards came down the line asking to see our tickets.
Eventually we were allowed in and I took a middle seat in the front row until a steward asked me to move down to the last seat I'm glad she did as it gave me a good view to the events that later took place.
The Hall started to fill up and the former Cabinet members were starting to come in chatting to each other such as Neil Kinnock, Tessa Jowell, Ben Bradshaw and Margaret Beckett etc, the announcer asked every one to take their seat so proceedings could start but typically various MP's were still standing and chatting to each other!
Eventually everyone started to take their seats, opposite the row I was sitting in two mature ladies took their seats with two young boys I thought I recoginised and the penny dropped they were John and Fraser Gordon and Sarah Brown's sons! they were separated at quite a distance whether this was because of the risk they might fight with each other or chat through the proceedings I don't know, with them was a burly minder who when a camera man started to film them, he shot up from his seat and told them in no certain terms to stop, they did not look impressed.
The music died down from playing the stone roses and then Ray Collins the Labour Party General Secretary came to the podium I hoped then he was going to make the announcement but said you waited all these months for today so you can wait a bit longer! he then made his speech and there then followed a video which concentrated on the Labour Government's past achievements which got a clap when each success was mentioned, along with an interview with each leadership candidate, each candidates supporters when he or she made their appearance got a clap also. Someone behind me said looks like Ed Balls rent a mob are in!
Then Gordon and Sarah Brown came behind the back drop to thunderous appalause, Gordon thanked Harriet Harman and the Labour Party staff and thanked the press for their coverage of his leadership the Fife press that was!
Gordon made mention of his sons and said that when collecting one of them from school he said daddy when I grow up I want to be either a teacher or an astronaut or a dad as you have only every been a dad which got a laugh!
He did say that he took full responsiblity for the election defeat, and said that politicians never muched used the two words Thank you!
Then they both left the stage and went down the aslie and shook hands with members of the audience and  walked past me and left.
Then it was Harriet Harman's turn she said her speech would be short as she only had a few minutes left as Acting Leader of the Labour Party, after which she introduced Ann Black from the National Executive Committee (NEC) to make the announcement Ann started to make a speech and when she said finally I shall make the announcement a great cheer went up!
Then all five candidates walked passed me all with their best poker faces on so that they did not give the game away, as they were told the result before they entered the conference hall.
She then said she would read out the electoral college votes in the different rounds until the candidate with 50% or more of the vote passed the threshold and would be the winner, my maths is crap at the best of times so predicting the winner before the final round was not going to be easy for me so I had to go with the flow.
Round one Diane Abbot was knocked out in round two Andy Burnham was also knocked out in round three Ed Balls was eliminated then it came to the fourth and final round with the two Milliband brothers left in the contest it was so close with each round when the electoral figures which were flashed up on the video screen that I was convinced David Milliband had done it, and then Ann announced by the narrowest of margins that Ed Milliband had done it a loud cheer went up including from me I stood up clapping feeling very emotional and throw a punch in the air and shouted YES!!!!!!!
After what seemed forever the clapping died down and Ed went to the podium to make his first speech as the 20th leader of the Labour Party.
He began by saying how much he loved his brother and respected him even more after the contest he then proceeded to thank each rival in turn and to remind the audience of each of the qualities they brought to the leadership campaign.
He said we lost the General Election and lost it badly and that every hour that he is the Labour Leader he will work at connecting with the people and to persuade them that Labour is the alternative Government in waiting.
He also said how he got it that the public were worried about immigration, jobs and the economy, and at the end said that a new generation has now taken over the leadership of the Labour Party which was exactly what I was thinking and made me very excited that for the first time my leader was the same age as me and now it was my generations turn!
A very impressive first speech!
Then with the speech over he went down from the podium and started going down the alise shaking hands, with a battery of photographers following his every move, so many that you could not see anything over them and he took it all in his stride.
The same as with David Milliband who as he left shook hands with a blind journalist with his lovely Labrador dog who was well behaved through out all the speeches, and said rather acidly we fought a good campaign didn't we.
The other candidates then followed suite but Diane Abbott stood there looking very lost.
As I left the conference hall one attractive lady said to no one in particular ding dong New Labour is dead I hope shes right.
I saw a crowd looking at the screens on the BBC stand who were showing interviews from people such as David Blunkett with their reactions.
I decided to go to the main lobby and get a drink from the cafe you could tell who the David Milliband supporters at the tables were as they looked so glum as if they just came back from a funeral I did not help by having a permanant grin on my face, the queues were long so I decided to leave the confines of the conference and got lost but finally went through the Arndale Centre and wound my way to Manchester Piccadily, luckily with minutes to spare until my train left so did not have long to wait.
Once getting home from Milton Keynes Central at about 7:30pm I switched on BBC News 24 to see what the proceedings looked liked and saw myself in the audience clapping, my second television appearance this year!
I was so shattered but glad I was there to witness the historic moment and to see my generation take the reins of power in the Labour Party.