I was at home yesterday watching the Gordon Brown Speech live at the Labour Party Conference, the first time I have done that for some years.
I was very impressed with him and I know "I would say that would not I" but I thought that it was very genuine and sincere and very clearly setting out to the membership and the Country why he is the best man for the job!
I was pleased that he attacked the Tories and our key message is really to go out and give people the stark alternative, right wing Tories (or Lib Dems for that matter!) or continue to support us through the tough times ahead to come out the other end stronger!
Comparing his speech to the whining nonsense of Nick "Cameron Lite" Clegg is not even worth talking about and I do hope that Cameron will now come under closer scrutiny as the press now see him as a possible PM, then we may see a different press and public reaction!
All in all the right speech at the right time! Forget all the conspiracies and get on with running the Country!
The timing of Ruth Kelly's announcement is strange to say the least and suggests that there are still some malcontents in the Party who care more about their own interests that that of the wider Party and Country. I do hope they are held to account by their Constituencies!! Now is the time to shut up!!!

I have been doing a fair bit of deputising this week and attended the Southwark Alliance Meeting on Monday which had a seminar on "Worklessness". I found it a really useful and positive day with some of the key players in the Southwark sitting around a table talking about some of the key issues facing local people!
A really worthwhile enterprise!

On a personal level my mum is in hospital with pneumonia and my dad and sister are going in to see her every day but I will probably go up to help dad out when she gets home. These are the times when you really do feel far from home and a biot useless!!

Hibs beat a very good Hamilton team 0-1 on Saturday but it was really Derek Riordan's return and fantastic winning goal that stole the headlines.
He was only on the pitch for a minute an scored with a brilliant placed shot in the corner with his first touch of the ball!! All good news and also a good defensive performance. Rangers are next with Celtic and Hearts around the corner! To be honest Hibs are now settling down and do look good so maybe my pessimism at the start of the season may be a bit excessive!