Archive of articles from 2008

Activists unimpressed with rebel Clarke

Clarke has renewed his attack on the prime minister

Charles Clarke's call for an immediate leadership election has met with a negative response from Labour activists at the party's conference in Manchester.

Johnson clears way for Miliband leadership bid

Johnson has made clear he would not stand in Milliband's way

Health secretary Alan Johnson has cleared the way for his younger colleague David Miliband to launch a leadership bid.

Brown announces expansion of childcare programme

Gordon Brown will announce an expansion of the childcare programme

Helping young working families will be a central plank of Labour policy with the prime minister set to announce a £1 billion package to provide free nursery places for all two year olds.

Brown wins support for crisis action

Brown addresses conference delegates in 2007

Gordon Brown has won a boost in the polls following his intervention in the Lloyds TSB-HBOS merger last week.

Justice should be "new public service front", Straw says

Jack Straw wants justice system to be new public service front

Justice secretary Jack Straw outlined his ambition to make justice a "new front in public service" at the Labour conference in Manchester today.

Miliband against British "fatalism"

David Miliband seeks domestic policy improvement

Foreign secretary David Miliband believes a "corrosive sense of fatalism" is affecting British society.

Smith recruits crime-fighting "army"

Crimefighting reinforcement for neighbourhood watch

An "army" of crime-fighters costing £5 million are to be recruited by the government, Jacqui Smith has announced.

Purnell plays defeat card to prompt Labour unity

James Purnell warns of defeat consequences

James Purnell sought to unify Labour supporters in his speech to conference this afternoon by presenting them with the consequences of defeat at the next election.