Pat helps with modernisation

writes: Pat McFadden, for many years at the heart of Tony Blair's drive to modernise the Labour Party, has been close to yet more modernisation moves this week.

Two of the words which have played an integral part in Labour Party conferences for decades have been lost from the Labour Party lexicon - perhaps forever.

When the leadership didn't like a resolution from a trade union or constituency party, they would try to have it remitted for further consideration. Cries of "Remit!" would be heard to avoid a potentially embarrassing defeat for the leadership.

Now "dodgy" resolutions are "referred" to the National Policy Forum, which Mr McFadden just happens to chair.

The Wolverhampton South East MP was also involved on Sunday night in one of what could be the last ever "composite" meetings at a Labour conference. Composite meetings are designed to roll more than one resolution into one motion, to make it easier for conference to reach a decision on sometimes conflicting proposals.

But composites too are disappearing - at least for a trial two-year period - to be replaced by straightforward contemporary resolutions which will normally go onto the conference agenda "uncomposited".

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Barring Gordon Brown, probably the most photographed person at this year's conference was Wolverhampton nurse Sandra Samuels. A striking photograph of Miss Samuels dominates the wall of one of the main thoroughfares at the Bournemouth International Centre.

Delegates have been queueing to get the former city councillor to pose for a photograph - standing in front of her photograph.

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Gordon and Sarah Brown were never going to fall into the trap that earned John Prescott such ridicule in Bournemouth a few years ago. The former Labour deputy leader was spotted by photographers at the conference centre rear entrance emerging with wife Pauline from his official Jaguar.

The car had travelled downhill from the conference hotel, and much was made of this non-green act by the man in charge of Labour's environment policy. The unofficial explanation was Pauline didn't want to walk along the breezy clifftop for fear of her hair being messed up. This week Gordon and Sarah walked the short distance. Trouble is, they were followed by the PM's armour-plated Daimler and a gas-guzzling Range Rover carrying his security officers.

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Despite Mr Brown's hair shirt image, there was no shortage of customers at the Champagne and Seafood bar this week.

And we thought Champagne Socialism had disappeared with Tony Blair.

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The National Union of Teachers were slightly more downmarket at their fringe meeting, although it didn't sound like it.

Refreshments on offer included "Poisson avec pommes frites et puree de petit pois" - fish, chips and mushy peas to you and me.

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A sign of the times? Delegates turned up for a fringe meeting with the title "The Left is Still Alive and Well" on Tuesday evening - only to find it cancelled.