What with the controversy over Ed Miliband's good/bad business comments, I thought it might be interesting for readers to have a look at what Shadow Business Secretary John Denham had to say on Sunday.

Ahead of his own conference speech, Mr Denham made it clear that a Labour Government would come down "very strongly" on the side of good companies and use public policy in that strategy.

So the analysis is held not just by Ed Miliband, but within his frontbench team.

And Mr Denham also insisted Labour's economic message was increasingly clear and that the party would win the argument, including with businesses.

In the wake of Ed Miliband's conference speech, I've picked up a little hint of union doubts about whether they backed the right brother. There was also a suggestion of unions taking a public line about the speech and thinking differently in private. Of course all of this might be untrue. But it is fair to say that Mr Miliband's leadership address to the Labour conference in Liverpool garnered a wide range of responses.

A new bargain for Britain. That is why Ed Miliband is expected to promise in his conference speech tomorrow.

But don't necessarily expect detailed policies. Talking to those in the know, the speech appears to be an attempt to set out the Labour leader's "direction of travel". A cynical person might argue it's a way of saying something while saying nothing.

But within Labour's top ranks, the thought is that more detailed policies will then developed in the run-up to the next general election. Party strategists expect the coalition to last until 2015.

The way it has been told to me is that Mr Miliband's first conference speech was about setting out who he was, while the second is about setting out his vision for Britain with consequent speeches offering more detailed policy.

But do expect some interesting arguments about a broken system (just don't call it Broken Britain) shown by the crisis that have hit the political, financial and media worlds.

I'm getting worried now. This is the second optimistic blog in a row. Those that take time to read this nonsense (all 4 of you...) tell me that I need to be a bit more positive with my musings. Apparently my moans and gripes do nothing to heal those Monday morning blues. So here we go.

Update 19.21. With talk of a Greek default and the global economic crisis entering a "dangerous phase", calls from within Labour for a clearer economic policy underline how this is the big test for Ed Miliband and Labour at its autumn conference in Liverpool.

On Friday, Mr Miliband had a go at David Cameron's austerity plan and that the country needed growth - but many would say isn't beein clear about his own plan of action. Now we know Labour talks about cuts going too fast and too soon, and suggests cutting VAT.

But I've been talking to Labour insiders who now want some "real meat on the bone" and how Labour would be an alternative Government.

"It's all tactics and no strategy." That's the blunt assessment of Ed Miliband from within his own ranks.

"He has had some good hits on the Tories like phone hacking, but I think what we need out of his party conference speech is direction."

And certainly, that is a feeling shared in sections of the party - a worry for Ed Miliband that must be emphasised by polling for The Guardian, showing continued doubts over his leadership amongst voters.

Tuesday night saw Newcastle carry on their unbeaten start to the season with a 4-3 win over struggling Forest in the Carling Cup. Coupled with a score draw against Villa on Saturday, you'd have to say it has been a good few days.

Lib Dem minister Andrew Stunell has admitted he has come under pressure over "controversial" reforms to the planning system at his party conference.

But he has defended them as vital to keeping the countryside alive and seems to have warned that without planning changes, local people will be driven out - with rural areas suffering from depopulation and the fabric of local communities undermined.

Update 19.30

Is the Government edging towards a plan A+ with a BBC report tonight that ministers are considering a £5bn boost in terms of capital spending on roads, rail and broadband?

It comes after John Longworth, new chief executive of the British Chambers of Commerce yesterday told me that the coalition may need to introduce a plan A+ if the economy dips amid the choppy international outlook worsens.

But if more stimulus is needed, Mr Longworth warned that may have to go hand in hand with more austerity. And he raised the question about whether that means "sacred cows" such as the NHS should be cut.

Is such a scenario now more likely given that Italy's credit rating has been downgraded. And now the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cut its growth forecast for the UK after warning the global economy has entered a "dangerous new phase".

Certainly Lib Dem Vince Cable painted a grim picture, while mentioning the word "stimulus" in his party conference speech yesterday. At the very least, some might wonder if that is a grasp towards plan A+.

Interesting thoughts from Business Secretary Vince Cable tonight at a fringe event at the Lib Dem conference. It suggests something of a two-speed Britain, with London able to roar ahead, which in turn is a nightmare to work out how to ensure the rest of the country's economy moves ahead.

"London is the biggest city in the country by a long way. But the point I would often make is that in some ways London isn't part of Britain.

"I mean it is a global city that operates in an entirely different way. It is competing, if competition is the right word, with Hong Kong, with New York, with Paris."

"It can boom when the rest of the country is in slump," said Mr Cable.

Is the coalition really trying to upset the shires and the countryside? Energy Secretary Chris Huhne may not win many if any fans in rural areas with what they might see as a casual dismissal of communities seeing ever more wind turbines being built around them.

Talking about wind turbines at a Lib Dem conference fringe event, he said: "There is an awful lot of nimbyism.

"I was I am afraid visited recently by some MPs actually complaining about offshore wind ruining the seascape from their constituencies.

"I really think that's taking nimbyism too far.

"But one of the sad lots of an Energy Secretary is to realise that there is no source of energy whatsoever that does not have both proponents but also detractors and that is one of the reasons too why we need a good portfolio."

And for good measure, the Lib Dem cabinet minister declared to the meeting that onshore wind turbines were "beautiful".

Follow me on twitter: @politicseditor