GORDON BROWN will arrive in Dundee tomorrow to address Labour's Scottish faithful, hotfoot from his trip to the United States and his meeting with President Barack Obama.
The Prime Minister's address to delegates, no doubt focusing on the economic situation, will set the tone for the speeches and debates at the party's Scottish conference over the next three days.
It's a long way from the White House to the Caird H
all.
The global financial crisis means the concerns about jobs, mortgages and the plight of ordinary families is the same in both places.
The economic situation is set to be the dominant theme of the conference. Non-stop discussion of recession, redundancies and repossessions might not be anyone's first choice of how to spend a weekend – especially if your party is being accused of being responsible for the whole depressing picture.
Despite the attempts by the other parties to pin the blame for the recession and the banking crisis on the Government in general and Mr Brown in particular, Labour insiders claim the opposition's accusations are not hitting home with the voters.
One insider says: "The work we have done with focus groups shows people expect the Government to respond to the economic problems, but they firmly blame the banks and the international economic situation.
"The Tories' attacks are just not resonating. People want us to put our heads down and help them through this rather than play the blame game."
The agenda for Dundee also includes key debates on education, health and crime – all issues which voters care about and which fall within the remit of the Scottish Parliament.
But Labour is acutely aware that long before the next Holyrood elections, in 2011, the party faces European elections this June and, of course, a general election for Westminster before summer next year.
So, as well as focusing on the economy, the conference will give a platform to three leading UK Cabinet ministers – deputy leader Harriet Harman, Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband – as well as to Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy.
Ms Harman has been accused in recent weeks of positioning herself to become Labour's next leader, but one former minister insists there is no leadership crisis, adding wryly "just a general crisis about winning the next election".
With recent polls showing the Tories ahead again, there is a feeling in some Labour circles that defeat at the general election is inevitable.
But a senior figure argues that even if the party loses in England, it will not do so badly in Scotland, despite the SNP's continuing popularity.
"When it comes to Westminster elections, it's a Labour-Tory fight – and the Tories are not strong in Scotland.
"People may not like us, but they like the Tories even less.
"The anti-Labour vote will be more fragmented and the SNP will struggle to reach its target of 20 seats."
This weekend's Scottish Labour conference is Iain Gray's first as leader. He took over the helm just in time to address last autumn's UK party conference in Manchester, but he has not yet delivered a leader's address on home turf.
Labour at Holyrood were in a much worse position this time last year, with the row over Wendy Alexander's campaign donations swirling around her leadership.
On the eve of last year's conference, former Labour Scottish Office Minister Brian Wilson launched a scathing attack on her for "prattling on" about constitutional change.
In a portent of a controversy to come, he said on television: "To be honest, I would rather have a referendum than this sort of incremental nonsense of fiddling about with powers."
Mr Wilson, for one, should be happy with this year's conference agenda – despite all the chat about a referendum and the ongoing work of the cross-party Calman Commission, the issue of the constitution does not appear.
Of course, when people are worried about losing their jobs and having their homes repossessed, it is fair to argue that extra powers for Holyrood politicians is not top of people's priorities.
But given that the SNP has been accused of trying to "clear the decks" for its promised referendum and Alex Salmond has appointed Mike Russell as "Minister for Independence" to mastermind the independence campaign, Labour could be accused of ignoring a crucial debate.
Labour's submission to the Calman Commission is vague on increased financial powers for the Scottish Parliament and many Scottish Labour MPs at Westminster are still unhappy about any more powers for Holyrood.
One Labour MSP, frustrated after studying the agenda, said: "I was looking for the constitutional debate so I could speak, but it's not there. I suppose people don't want these differences aired in public."
Another party insider says the constitutional question is a "non-event" for the vast majority of Labour activists.
"When it comes to the debates on the floor of conference, what people will be talking about is the cuts being made in their areas as a result of the council tax freeze – like cuts in nursery places and children's services. That's what motivates people and that's what concerns the voters."
Gordon Brown will be hoping for an "Obama bounce" as a result of his trip to Washington. Labour in Scotland will hope this weekend can persuade the voters it shares its concerns and priorities.
