He silenced critics ...in best tradition of party gathering

DELIVERING a leader's speech when your own leadership is the obsessive topic of conversation among the party faithful can be tricky.

- BY PAUL ROUTLEDGE

But Labour is the natural home of political oratory and Sir Keir Starmer faced up to the challenge, in a defiant message in almost apocalyptic language.

It went down a storm with his flag-waving audience, who poured out of the hall with the biggest smiles on their faces since conference began.

History is being reenacted. Some of Sir Keir’s predecessors faced similar threats. For delegates with long memories, there were echoes yesterday of a famous put-down by Harold Wilson, top, of plotters conspiring to oust him in May 1969.