My friend Janice has been re-elected 17 times as president of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union. She chaired the PCS Rally at Labour Party Conference. The rally featured trade union speakers Matt Wrack (Fire Brigades Union, FBU) and Mark Serwotka (PCS) plus Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, Marsha de Cordova MP (her voice, like McDonnell’s, was just holding up), Richard Burgon MP and Ellen Clifford from Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC).

But the undisputed star of the evening was Jess Green, a stand-up poet. She writes poetry about politics and in particular Jeremy Corbyn, who she told us in poetry form she was in love with. She was highly amusing and her poem about the media smears against Jeremy were a delight. She received a standing ovation from a TU-hardened audience and that takes some doing for a poet.

On leaving the rally we passed a huge old building called Bongo Bingo which we thought was a bingo hall until we heard the loudest music we had ever heard. It was a music venue and just after we passed the music stopped to let Jeremy Corbyn speak to them. I really can’t understand where he gets his energy from. He had already been to Anfield, a children’s playgroup conference yet at 10:30 at night he was speaking at a music venue. Perhaps it is vegetarians that will take over the world with their stamina alone …

Ann Bonner