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It is now 33 years and 23 days since that Kinnock speech which led to the expulsion of myself and other loyal Labour Party members and paved the way for Thatcher to remove 47 committed Labour Councillors from office.

And alongside Kinnock’s refusal to back the miners in their campaign against pit closures and destruction of communities, it ensured national support for Labour was severely damaged and paved the way for a further 12 years of Tory government.

During my 33 years in the wilderness it has been very easy to be angry at the Labour leadership in opposition, or the Labour party in power.

Particularly so when it came to the Blair decision to support the right-wing Bush administration and bomb Iraq with no evidence whatsoever of the infamous ‘weapons of mass destruction’.

That cost of thousands of lives and led to the total destabilising of the entire Middle East a region where we are still experiencing horrendous consequences.

But however much I have opposed the Labour Party leadership, my commitment to the party has never waned.

I was brought up believing the Labour Party was the political arm of the trade union movement and however hard Blair tried to change that, it is, and always has been, the case.

That is why in all those 33 years I have never once supported, campaigned for, or joined any other political party, even when Blair and New Labour were trying to destroy all that the Labour movement had struggled for since its formation.

Against that backdrop I don’t think anyone should underestimate the Labour sea change and what we’ve seen at Labour Party conference in my home city this week.

In all my time I have never witnessed such passion, such energy and such powerful socialist leadership. And strangely, that power is despite a kinder, gentler form of politics.

Many people, myself included, probably never thought we would witness an unswerving socialist like Jeremy Corbyn at the helm

He stands there with a set of policies clearly aimed at benefiting the vast majority of people in this country and a strategy which will not be dictated to, or influenced by, the five billionaires who own 90% of the country’s media.

Everywhere Corbyn goes, there is fresh enthusiasm and energy; whether he’s calling out the numbers at ‘Bongos Bingo’, walking around exciting housing developments in Toxteth or speaking at town centre rallies.

Yesterday’s leader’s speech made me say something I never thought I’d say: We have a ‘socialist Prime Minister in waiting’.

Now, in this bold new era, I am pleased beyond belief to say I have rejoined the Labour Party.

Of course, not everything is perfect, there are still some individuals and groupings within the party who would do anything to push it off its present course and dislodge Jeremy Corbyn.

Well I’ve got news for them. From what I’ve seen this week they’ve got no chance.

I rejoin the Labour Party when nationally there is amazing optimism and in Liverpool the most powerful force of local leaders since the 80s.

In Dan Carden we have potentially the best MP this city has seen (by a mile) since Eric Heffer, Eddie Loyden and Terry Fields - a 30-year-old vintage.

At Corbyn’s rally we saw a passionate speech from Joann Kushner, a rising female star in the Labour group, and only last week we saw an outstanding maiden speech in the council by Ian Byrne, surely a future leading light. There are many others to join this list.

Add this talent to the great achievements of some of the current administration and you can really get excited.

Joe Anderson has led significant rebuilding and investment in the city, and it was great last week to see him round on Chuka Umunna for his disgraceful use of the ‘anti-semitic ‘argument to accuse the Labour Party of being ‘institutionally racist’.

For eight years this City Council has experienced relentless attacks by successive Tory governments and I have always argued that it would be pointless going down the road we did - as Liverpool Labour - all those years ago.

That would simply mean getting removed from office overnight, and I would still argue against the stance I once championed.

But I do believe, on the back of this week’s conference, there has to a joint campaign by Labour councils throughout the country, led by the Mayor and Liverpool’s Labour council, the trade unions and backed by the Leader and National Executive Committee of the party.

That is the way to defeat the inhumane cuts inflicted by this Tory government.

Now I’m a ‘Labour Party member’ I believe nothing should take our eye off the ball of securing a Labour government under Corbyn.

This campaign would help not hinder that objective. With Liverpool as a leading player it would mobilise support across the country and put massive pressure on the government.

And catapult Jeremy Corbyn into number ten.