By John Stevenson BBC Wales Political Unit

Will Gordon Brown's Budget raise the Swansea feelgood factor?

This year the party's spring conference at the Brangwyn Hall in Swansea will be in all but name a pre-election rally.

And things don't get much more tribal than that.

The party gathers as it absorbs Chancellor Gordon Brown's well received pre-election budget, which reclaimed his place at centre stage of Labour's election campaign strategy.

It's a long haul, but First Minister Rhodri Morgan, through his health minister, has tried to wrong foot those who say that Labour has yet to get to grips with hospital waiting lists.

The Budget seemed to be a restatement of more traditional Labour values and policies... which will certainly strike a chord with the party in Wales

In Swansea, the feelgood factor may well be high.

With the Iraq war still an active political issue as far as sections of the party are concerned, Labour will hope to focus on the record in government and thereby divert attention from the issue high on the list of concern to many: that of trust in the prime minister.

In that respect there seems to be a coming together: with New Labour turning more to Old Labour to bail it out.

Dogfight

Labour hopes its prospects are as rosy as the Swansea Bay view

When for instance the newly-selected candidate for Newport East, Jessica Morden, was asked about her views on the war against Saddam, it wasn't Tony Blair or Alistair Campbell's name she cited.

Rather it was that of Ann Clwyd, the prime minister's special envoy on Iraq and Labour MP for Cynon Valley. A subtle but telling difference.

Similarly, Mr Brown's Budget seemed to be a restatement of more traditional Labour values and policies: priorities which will certainly strike a chord with the party in Wales.

As was clear Labour in the Budget statement, Labour will be anxious in Swansea to concentrate on key issues of delivery: on jobs and the economy since 1997 and delivery to key target groups such as pensioners and young families.

Labour at Westminster is all too aware of the dangers of being punished for its Welsh counterpart's perceived failings over hospital waiting times

After the political dogfight over Margaret Dixon's shoulder illustrated again, health will be a central battleground.

Health in Wales is, of course, a devolved issue and Labour at Westminster is all too aware of the dangers of being punished for its Welsh counterpart's perceived failings over hospital waiting times.

"Nothing to do with me" will hardly answer Labour's Westminster opponents.

On the subject of the assembly, many in Labour - particularly outside the political class in Cardiff Bay - believe that the next logical step for the party in Wales is to contribute to or even start a debate about the political culture that should develop so as to underpin the new constitutional structures.

It's a process, they say, which they're currently going through in Iraq.

To those in Labour, it's much more than about what the Richard Commission did or not recommend about further powers for the assembly; to them, it's about the whole meaning of what it means to be Welsh and Labour.