'Boring' Labour plot a conference course to government

MPs stayed on-message, and businesses queued up to get involved, at a gathering that passed with barely a hitch

- Pippa Crerar, Peter Walker and Kiran Stacey

• 12% The swing that the Labour party would need to achieve a majority of just one at the next general election

On the last night of the Labour conference in Liverpool last Tuesday, one senior aide of Keir Starmer was taking soundings from journalists about how they felt the annual gathering had gone. The adviser nodded along when they said it had been a competent and professional affair but it was only when one reporter replied that it had also been "a bit boring" that he broke out into a big grin. "That's the right answer," he said.

After years of Labour conferences being overshadowed by factional rows, and in stark contrast to the last two chaotic Conservative gatherings, this year's event in Liverpool passed by with barely a hitch, with the party leaving looking like it was on the path to power.

Even the dramatic interruption of Starmer's speech by a protester who threw glitter over him worked to his advantage, as he removed his jacket and literally rolled up his sleeves to deliver what was widely regarded as his best speech yet as leader.

While the media may have felt the conference was uneventful, for Starmer's supporters it was anything but. The fringe events, speeches and receptions were packed to the rafters, with queues snaking through the venue and the cafes running out of food.

A senior aide said the conference was the biggest ever, with more than 18,000 delegates - larger than during the heyday of Tony Blair. Sue Gray, the former civil servant and Starmer's new chief of staff, was a major presence.