The Daily Mirror used this year's Labour conference to push back against a small minority hijacking Britain's idea of itself, hosting events that celebrated community spirit and togetherness.
At a reception held by the charitable foundation This Day in Liverpool, Andy Burnham reflected on his speech on the main stage, saying he had been invoking his father's "quiet patriotism" – "patriotism that comes from the bottom up… steeped in the values of togetherness." He called on people to find "people of decent heart and good values" and mobilise them: "Gather them together, face the same way and say no, this is us, this is what we stand for."
A golden thread of togetherness
The Prime Minister's speech summed up the conference's theme in four words – "Get behind each other". For the Mirror, it started on Saturday night at Birkenhead, celebrating the social revolution on the Left Bank of the Mersey, and carried through to the 'Community Power' bus on Liverpool waterfront.
The Mirror held three big fringe events and took part in many more with partners including UCL Policy Lab, Power to Change, We're Right Here and Locality. The theme, across projects from Britain Talks to Island of Strangers, was that a small minority are hijacking Britain's idea of ourselves.
Island of Strangers and Britain Talks
At Future Yard in Birkenhead, the Mirror screened two new Island of Strangers films, joined by the Fasi family, who star in the Bute film. Abbie, a Bute islander engaged to Abdul Fasi, said: "This film has given people like me and the majority of people the opportunity to show, we do welcome people into the country and we're grateful for them. We've not only changed their lives, but they've changed our lives too."
The following day, a packed fringe meeting promoted the 'Britain Talks' platform, aimed at bringing the country back together "one conversation at a time". The panel included Tracy Brabin, Lisa Nandy, Brendan Cox, Lord Alf Dubs and Imam Adam Kelwick. Lisa Nandy spoke about how good people must "fight for the country we believe in", noting Wigan has been targeted by the far right for over 100 years. Brendan Cox said: "There's something fundamentally gone wrong in our country when we have blackshirt paramilitaries on our streets in balaclavas… I think it does require a more fundamental response."
Community events and campaigns
The Mirror also held a pub quiz at The Casa Bar to highlight the Save Our Social Clubs campaign, and chaired a fringe for the National Youth Agency about rebuilding a sector decimated by 14 years of austerity. Secretary of State for Communities Angela Rayner appeared at a panel with Liam Kelly, saying: "The work you are doing is helping local people to thrive and boosting the economy in ways people can see."
The quote of the week came from Tracy Brabin, speaking out against misogynist abuse: "If we are afraid, they win. I know that the majority of the hate I get online is bots. The rest of it is losers in their Y-fronts in their mum's back bedroom eating Pot Noodles, who would never say that to my face."
