Ed's Up!
There's one thing they don't tell you when you apply to become Labour leader: on your first day in the job you are expected to drop in on 13 social receptions at the party's conference.
The delegates at each one will expect you to know who they are, and to have a reasonable grasp of their local geography; preferably you won't confuse Scotland with Wales, or the East Midlands with the West Midlands.
The imminence of the Welsh elections - and the existence of the only Labour government in Britain in Cardiff Bay - helped concentrate Ed Miliband's mind as he dropped in on Welsh Night here in Manchester.
He brought warm words for First Ministers past and present, a departing general secretary, and his brother.
He asked delegates to unite behind his leadership: "We will have no more factions in this party, no more Blairites or Brownites or anythingites - we are Labour and we will work together as a united team."
Of the coalition at Westminster he said: "The Government only want to talk about cutting the deficit." Reducing the deficit was important, he said, but he reminded delegates that the deficit was bigger after World War Two when Labour still managed to create the welfare state.
He told his audience that "humility" should be their watchword of the week and Labour should face up to its mistakes in government. "We lost that burning sense that we want to change our country and we need to regain it again."
Expect more on this theme when he speaks to the conference on Tuesday. There was a hint of a change of policy on tuition fees at English universities - he favours a graduate tax.
It was a confident enough debut, even if his audience were willing him on. He got a warm reception, as you might expect, although many in the room don't really know their new leader yet. They should know rather more by the end of the week in Manchester.
*One notable absentee from the welcoming party for the new leader was the shadow Welsh Secretary Peter Hain. His office had apparently been given a later time for Mr Miliband's arrival and Mr Miliband was efficiently punctual.
Hello. I'm David Cornock and I'm parliamentary correspondent for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Wales. This is the blog for the latest news and gossip from the Westminster village - with a Welsh accent.
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