I watched Labour party and TUC conferences avidly for years as a young socialist idealist. The fights and clamour showed cracks BUT that very debate proved their was LIFE in the Labour party and not a monolithic super-whip beating the members into submission.

Now ordinary delegates cant even speak out.

Mr MacDaid, from the broadcasting union BECTU, said "Let’s have an open conference" - and the sound from the microphone into which he was speaking was turned off.

And thus will go our democracy whilst Blair whips us into submission to his vision, his third way (for that read reich). Afterwards Mr MacDaid said "It’s stage-managed. At one time you could submit motions that could be amended and you would get an opportunity to speak. But now you get presented with policy documents and only the selected ones get to speak. All delegates should get their say."