The Jackie Wilson song '(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher' has been covered by the likes of Dolly Parton and was used in blockbuster movie Ghostbusters 2 when the Statue of Liberty started walking. Now, it will be known as the song which launched prime minister Gordon Brown's comeback. Well, sort of.
Glued to the television in the busy Labour Party Conference press office (I couldn't get into the main auditorium as I didn't have the Purple Pass) I and loads of other journalists were waiting eagerly to see what Gordo would have to say. Would he wow the crowd? And more importantly for Personnel Today readers, would he touch on employment issues? Would he speak about the countless legislation that's been introduced recently, or perhaps the government's skills or flexible working agenda?
The atmosphere in the press office was perhaps just as tense as that on the main auditorium floor. For the press counter would not give out a printed copy of the PM's speech until he stood at the podium. When the 'Higher and Higher' music blared from our TV screens, signalling the start of something, hordes of journos began anxiously waiting at the counter to grab their first copy. The press officers had disappeared behind black doors. It was the calm before the storm. When Gordo finally took to the stand - after a 'personal touch' intro from wife Sarah - press officers finally burst through the doors with the all-important papers ready to serve at the counter.
But there was a problem. Press office had vastly underestimated how many journo's wanted a copy. Human dignity went out the window: people were literally scrapping for the speech, they risked arms and legs to be one of the first to grab a copy. They then literally ran back to their desks to type type type - this is the sheer physical effort that goes on behind the scenes to report the news first.
But back to the speech. As expected, there wasn't much new on employment or work policy. But Gordo did mention the commercial opportunities for business in creating a low-carbon economy and he praised the work of his fellow ministers on other topics: including women's minister Harriet Harman for the forthcoming Equality Bill, swiftly followed by skills minister John Denham for "extending university access".
Err, hang on. Extending university access? Before you could say 'skills pledge' Gordo had moved on to another minister, another topic. Not a peep on the skills agenda, Lord Leitch or world class talents capable of competing with India or China. After all that talk earlier this year.
He then swiftly mentioned the new agency workers rights and very briefly the longer hours for GP surgeries. But that was about it on the work front.
The rest focused on eradicating child poverty and beating the Tories. Oh, and Labour policy being "fair" and "the fairest" of all (he must have repeated the word "fair" or "fairest" nearly 40 times)... which conjures up the disturbing image of Gordo standing in front of a mirror every morning and asking, "Who has the fairest policies of all? - I do."
It remains to be seen whether his speech did the trick to win over doubters to his leadership skills. First thoughts from the press hacks? "We've heard it all before," they cried.
