The beauty contest hasn’t even started, but at least two of the potential Labour deputy leadership contenders have been strutting their stuff on the TUC catwalk in Brighton.
In public and behind the scenes at the TUC conference, would-be candidates Richard Burgon and Alison McGovern were meeting and greeting the barons and the brothers – and sisters – in what looked like canvassing support.
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But this pair weren’t the only people who caught the eye in the Brighton Centre. Former Labour MP Sam Tarry – yes, really – Angela Rayner’s partner, turned up mid-afternoon.
He queued for his pass, visited a few stands in the exhibition area, and then chaired a fringe meeting on workplace rights.
He looked serious and a little sheepish, as well he might, and told the audience at his fringe meeting he wouldn’t be answering questions. No surprise there. But given the events of the past week, he was jolly brave to turn up at such a big public gathering.
Earlier, Mr Burgon and Ms McGovern had been quick off the mark. The Labour Party hadn’t even announced the timetable for the election to succeed Angela Rayner when the pair – separately – strode into Brighton’s famous conference centre shortly after midday.
When Sky News asked Mr Burgon if he was going to stand, he replied: “What I think needs to happen is there needs to be a left candidate for deputy leader of the Labour Party.
“And by that I mean someone who voted for a ceasefire (in Gaza) and someone who voted against disability benefit cuts, because the deputy leader is meant to be the voice of members at the top table.
“Members, quite rightly, had a strong position on a ceasefire in relation to Gaza, a strong opinion on Palestine, and a strong position against the disability benefit cuts. As to who that left candidate should be, colleagues will discuss that.”
It was an answer that suggested Mr Burgon – MP for Leeds East, the constituency…
