Labour Party Conference 2013: day four live 11.56 Cooper criticises the government over the 'bedroom tax', which Miliband has promised to scrap. She does so by way of an example - a woman whose home was set up as a special 'safe sanctuary' following domestic abuse, with a spare room used a 'safe space', who now has to pay the tax on that room. Cooper calls it "the disgraceful face of Tory and Liberal Democrat Britain." Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Women's Aid, had this to say on Cooper's comments on domestic abuse and the bedroom tax: Protecting women and children who have experienced domestic violence from the impact of current welfare reforms is urgent. Therefore Women's Aid welcomes Yvette Cooper's speech today, in which she highlighted the Bedroom Tax as a serious concern for women escaping domestic violence. We are pleased to see that protecting these women and their children is being put centre stage at a national political party conference. The "Bedroom Tax," puts women and children at risk: potentially making women who have a spare room set up as a safe space through the sanctuary scheme move from the only place they are safe from their abusers. It was introduced without consideration of the difficulties survivors of domestic violence face in moving safely from one property to another, and at a time when there is a severe lack of safe smaller properties to move into. The case study that Yvette talked about is a shocking story and just one example of the negative impact of welfare reforms on women and children affected by domestic violence. 11.50 Yvette Cooper, Shadow Home Secretary, is up now. She looked to be moved to tears minutes ago by a delegate's speech on the difficulty of being able to afford to feed her child and eat properly herself. Cooper begins by thanking Keith Vaz for his "entertaining" chairing of conference and by condeming the "vile and cowardly" terror attacks in Nairobi. She also refers back to the death of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich and other recent terror attacks. 11.38 Sadiq Khan also praised Doreen Lawrence, who was sat next to Ed Miliband's wife Justine on the front row during his speech, for her "experience and expertise." Lawrence will he joining the Labour benches in the joins. 11.30 Sadiq Khan has just finished. Here's some key points from his speech. Criticised government contracts for private security companies - Khan criticised his opposite member Chris Grayling for "rewarding G4S and Serco with more and more contracts despite them letting down the taxpayer time, and time again." Let's not forget the monumental gamble that Chris Grayling is proposing with public safety. Privatising our Probation Service, and handing over supervision for dangerous and violent offenders to G4S and Serco. Public safety in the hands of the same companies that let us down on Olympic security, tagging and prisoner transport. Government letting down victims of cime - Khan accused the government of "letting down" victims of crime by abolishing indeterminate sentences, giving half off sentences for guilty pleas, cutting back judicial review, and cutting legal aid, which he What's the outcome of cutting legal aid? The family of Jean Charles De Menezies, the innocent Brazilian man shot at Stockwell tube station would no longer have access to expert lawyers in the future. Nor indeed the Gurkhas or the Lawrence family. Human rights laws - Said Labour was proud to stand up for human rights laws, "laws the Tories want to scrap." What if the Conservatives succeed in their clamour to abolish human rights laws? There'd be less protection for victims of crime. We'd lose: Laws that halted the diabolical situation of rape victims being cross-examined directly by their attackers; laws that helped bereaved families find out how loved ones died; laws that offer protection against the grotesqueness of modern day slavery, human trafficking. 'One Nation justice policy' - outlined his main policy points under the One Nation banner. So what would a One Nation Labour justice policy mean? Number One - when someone reports a crime, the police will tell them what action will be taken and kept regularly updated. Number Two - when someone's charged with an offence, victims will track the progress of the case, from beginning to end, charge to sentence, using IT. Number Three - victims will be kept informed when the offender is released from custody. We need a change of culture. But that needs to be led and underpinned by a new Act of Parliament. That will sweep away the worthless codes of practice that's nothing more than pieces of paper hidden away in a drawer. Labour will ensure victims who regularly complain that they aren't aware of their rights and entitlements will know where they stand. And so will judges, magistrates, the CPS, the police, lawyers, court officials, victim support, probation and everyone else. There will be no excuses for ignoring or overlooking the rights of victims and witnesses! And it's not on that only legal experts truly understand how long someone will spend behind bars when a judge sentences. Under Labour, judges and magistrates will set out in plain English a clear minimum and maximum time that will be served in prison. With sentences published on the internet. 11.22 The debate on stronger, safer communities is now underway. Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan is speaking now and will be followed by shadow local government secretary Hilary Benn and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper. 11.13 A little update on the unedifying scuffle on Brighton seafront between Damian McBride's publisher Iain Dale and nuclear protestor Stuart Holmes, who was attempting to disrupt an ITV interview with McBride. Police have confirmed that they questioned both Dale and Holmes last night. Dale voluntarily attended a Brighton police station yesterday after officers arrived at the LBC radio studio where he was presenting his regular show. Here's the bout again 10.59 Royal Mail privatisation - conference is still hearing motions, currently motion 9 on the Royal Mail. Billy Hayes of the Communication Workers Union urged delegates to fight privatisation of the postal service. The Royal Mail offers an excellent example of one nation politics. Wherever you live, you can post a letter for the same tariff ... If it falls into the hands of private companies there will be price rise for small companies ... If this lot try to privatise Royal Mail we want an incoming Labour government who will renationalise it. Veronica Bennett, parliamentary candidate for South Ribble, seconded the motion. "Privatisation hasn't happen yet, our priority should be to stop it," she said. Delegates also heard a motion on nationalisation of the railways. Mick Carney, president of transport union TSSA called on a future Labour government to renationalise the rail network. He was seconded by train drivers union Aslef. 10.40 Energy share price hit - despite looking robust yesterday in the immediate aftermath of Miliband's speech, energy company shares look to have taken a hit today. Shares in Britain's listed energy companies, Centrica and SSE, fell by more than 3 per cent. The share prices are likely to move up and down between now and the election in response to the latest opinion polls, according to one analyst. Here's more from my colleague Richard Evans. Shares in Centrica fell by about 3.8pc, although about a third of that fall was due to the stock trading without entitlement to the latest dividend payout on Wednesday, which took 4.9p off the share price. Shares in SSE were trading 3.4pc lower. Centrica said in response to Mr Miliband's speech that, if costs were to rise at the same time, his plans could make it economically unviable for suppliers to operate. "The impact of such a policy would be damaging for the country's long-term prosperity and for our customers," the firm said in a statement. 10.29 Here's some more of Ed Miliband's letter to the energy companies: In recent years we have discussed the need to rebuild public trust in the energy market many times. I think we all agree on the importance of that objective if we are to build a market that both delivers for consumers and underpins the investment in future clean energy capacity that we all want to see. A fairer market for consumers must be matched by a better deal for investors. So we have also committed to set a 2030 power sector decarbonisation target; hold to the system of contract for difference in the Energy Bill; create an Energy Security Board with responsibility for identifying our energy needs and providing a clear framework to deliver this; and give the Green Investment Bank borrowing powers to support investment. We believe that this framework will create certainty and attract the range of domestic and international investors we need in the years ahead. 10.20 This, apparently, shows Ed Miliband being interview next to a large block of ice, intended to symbolise Labour's proposed energy price freeze. How much energy does that use? Ed Miliband gives an early morning radio interview next to a giant ice cube (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images) 10.06 Caroline Flint, Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, has just been on BBC News talking energy price freeze. She dismissed talk of blackouts as 'ridiculous'. The idea that a 20 month price freeze will have that effect is quite ridiculous. Companies like Centrica make billions in profits in this country and the idea that they'll abandon that position and up sticks to Geneva is ridiculous ... And six companies dominating 98 per cent of the market is just not good enough. She then faced the same question Miliband did on his round of broadcast interviews this morning, how can Labour safely say that war in the Middle East or other causes of volatility in the energy market won't cause a shock rise in wholesale prices? These companies buy their energy well ahead, two, three, four years ahead to hedge against such volatility in the market. A twenty month pay freeze alongside legislation will be taken through to reform this market. Flint went on to deny that this was a return to the Labour party of the 1970s, or that the party was pursuing an anti-business, anti-market agenda. 09.58 That was what was in the speech, what was missing? Here's summary from this morning's Telegraph leader. What was as significant as what was said was what was unsaid. Read the full leader here. 09.49 We can expect continued disection of Miliband's main policy announcements over the course of the day. Here's a quick recap of those: Cut business rates for small businesses with levy on bigger business Seize land from developers who sit on "land banks" Give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote 'Strengthen' the national minimum wage Breakfast clubs and after-school care for all schools 09.30 Miliband's speech - what the papers say The Telegraph: Miliband returns to politics of the Seventies The Times: Miliband has shifted Labour decisively to the left (£) The Guardian: Miliband delivered real substance in Brighton The Mail: Miliband understands nothing about how the world works. The i: the faithful will be pumped up for a year on the doorsteps 09.19 Miliband has written to the big energy firms this morning, here's the key bit from that letter: Here's Telegraph Deputy Editor Benedict Brogan with his take on the letter in his morning briefing: His message is simple: get with the programme or get out of the way. He is prepared to marshal public opinion against the bad guys. And that is the arresting theme emerging from Mr Miliband's remarkable speech. He is patently putting himself at the head of what he hopes is a public insurrection against the various centres of power and wealth. Energy companies? Hand it over. Property developers? Use it or lose it. Big companies? Pay more. Employers? Hire who we say. Is it any wonder that the analogies being suggested range from Stalin to Mugabe to Poujade. The test then will be whether the public respond to his rallying cry and say that yes, they too want to stop the world and get off. Sign up for the morning briefing here. 09.12 Miliband has done a full round of broadcast interview this morning, and it wasn't all energy prices. Here are some other snippets. Being called 'Red Ed' You always get these labels thrown around, I think people are interested in is not labels, people are interested in how somebody's going to tackle the problems in their life. Development It's One Nation Labour, One Nation Labour that demands responsibility from all, including from developers and, you know, part of my approach is to say we need competition, we need to make markets work, but when competition doesn't work, we've got to act. But let's talk about the housing situation, we have a housing crisis in this country and one part of this crisis is when developers sit on land and don't build, now we want to work with developers who want to build on land where they have planning permission, that's a good thing. But if they sit on it year after year after year then it's right to say that local authorities can have power to do something about it. Again, most people watching this programme feel worried about their sons or daughters getting a house, buying a house, renting a home, would say, look, it is time someone tried to sort out this problem in this country of "land-banking" as it's known, which is a longstanding problem, and we're determined to do it. What it means is we would give the powers to local authorities to put a charge on land where developers sit on it for year after year after year and eventually the ultimate sanction, a compulsory purchase order. But we'll look at the detail of it and we'll consult, including developers, but the basic aim here is to get the houses built and I thin kit's right that we do that. Page 3 girls Yes, yes, look, it's a decision for him but if you want my opinion it's an anachronism and it doesn't have a place in the modern world. I think a ban on [topless women in newspapers] is not right but I will say to you very squarely, this is an issue I take incredibly serious. You know, when I think about my two young sons, who admittedly are two and four at the moment, I don't want them growing up in a country where the perception of women and young girls that they are given is simply as sex objects. Firefighters strike What I say about any industrial dispute, Eamonn, is it's a sign of failure. Both sides should be getting round the table, because we need an effective fire service that is actually going to serve people and what the Government should be doing is not ramping up the rhetoric but getting round the table with the firefighters to try and prevent this happening and sort it out. additional qotes from Politics Home 09.02 The day's schedule 10.30: Conference opens. Debates on rail and the Royal Mail. 10.55: Debate on stronger safer communities with shadow local government secretary Hilary Benn, shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper. 11.45: Debate on health and social care with shadow health secretary Andy Burnham. 14.25: Leaders Q&A with Ed Miliband and delegates. 15.50: Deputy Leader Harriet Harman gives closing speech. Other key things on the agenda today 09.30am Bank of England financial policy committee releases statement, following its policy meeting on September 18. 12.00 National firefighters strike for four hours in a row over pensions. It's the fourth and final day of the Labour Party Conference. Leader Ed Miliband has been on the Today Progamme this morning following his speech yesterday. Here's some of the key questions and answers: Energy price freeze Q: Are you worried that your comments create a sense of us and them with the energy companies? Miliband says he thinks it creates a sense of "us and us" and says that the energy markets should work in the public interest. Q: Do you anticipate a legal challenge to the policy? Miliband says they have thought about the policy very carefully and they can pass legislation to force the energy companies to freeze prices. Q: What about if there is a big shock to wholesale prices in the energy market, would you let energy firms go bust? Miliband says Labour has studied the possible contingencies carefully and he's "confident" that that won't happen. Q: But that's predicting the future, you can't predict the future ... what about in Caifornia, where energy firms went bust? Miliband says that they have studied the past carefully and you can learn from the past. He says California was about the market being completely deregulated, it was a different situation. Then, interestingly, he says if there was a major wholesale price shock, the energy companies could "make their case" to government, but attempts to back away slightly, saying it is very unlikely to happen. We will make sure this is a genuine freeze. Q: Tesco has greater profit margins than some of the major energy suppliers, what is your evidence that they are predators? "I don't think you can compare a supermarket with the energy market," says Miliaband. Q: What about other markets? What about the petrol market, why is that different? Miliband says that if competition fails in particular markets a should a regulator act, if the regulator fails, "as has happened in this market," the government should step in. We'll make sure this freeze works for consumers and if we have to take action to make sure that happens, we absolutely will ... I happen to believe we have an obligation to stand up for the British consumer, and we are going to make this work. Cost of living and borrowing "This will be really hard for the Labour party," says Miliband, "but we're not going to borrow more for day to day spending. I think we've got a government that stands up for a few people at the top, and we've got a cost of living crisis. The speech Q: That was quite a feat of memory wasn't it? But you know what the polls say about you, about whether the British public see you as prime ministerial. Do you think it matters, do you think the charisma issue matters? "I think what matters is what you believe," says Miliband, "and that's what I set out yesterday." Polling Q: Do you think you can be elected, do you think labour can be elected, with your poll numbers so low? I don't think focusing on poll numbers is the answer for this country ... the biggest question for most families is the disconnect between prices and wages at home. Q: Do you see yourself as prime ministerial? I do see myself as a future prime minister, that's why I gave the speech I did, and the public will be the judge.