Last week's Labour Party conference has energised my party. It's vital that a vibrant parliamentary democracy has a strong opposition.
Ed Miliband will now have to construct a top flight team and has a large talent pool to draw upon. Both Ed Balls and Andy Burnham conducted leadership campaigns that were to their credit and the party is buzzing with ideas.
Sadly, David Miliband who was pipped at the post, won't be part of that team but will return to the back benches.
His decision was prompted by the recognition that parts of the media would constantly search for division and difference in every twitch or nuance.
Of course, there are always differences of opinion in any leadership team. They need collective discipline but it's silly to pretend that people don't have different approaches and policies. It's just a shame that parts of the press simply want to boost their circulation by stirring things up no matter damage it does to people. It makes adult debate very difficult.
I feel sure that David Miliband will put his long experience to very good use for his constituents, the North East and the country as a whole.
The main job for the Labour Party now is to unite to protect public services from an onslaught that will be launched next month.
We expect savage and irresponsible cuts for which a majority of people didn't vote and which could make things much worse. My own contribution to the debate was to support Ed Miliband's call for the unions to act responsibly but to back their broad-based democratic protests to urge ministers to think again.
The new Labour leader also drew a line under Iraq. I shared a platform with the UK representative of Iraqi Kurdistan and agree very strongly with her that Iraqis are very well disposed towards our country and want our companies to trade with them and invest in their fast growing economy, beginning with the Kurdistan Region which is currently more stable than the rest of the country. It would be good for them and very good for jobs here. I will encourage ministers to help make this happen.
Newcastle Chronicle and Journal
| Promoted by Paul Foy on behalf of Dave Anderson, both of St Cuthbert's Church Hall, Shibdon Road, Blaydon, NE21 5PT |