Apart from a bright spark of hope in the victory of the Gaza motion, this year’s conference lacked vision and purpose — we need to urgently reconnect Labour with its roots rather than weakly aping the flag-waving right, argues KIM JOHNSON MP

WHEN the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) killed seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK) in Gaza this month it brought IDF-backed plans to deliver Gaza aid by sea to a temporary halt.
The IDF is promoting both sea and air aid deliveries, even though all aid groups agree they are much less effective than bringing lorry loads to Gaza by land. It’s arguable that the IDF backs these eye-catching but inefficient sea and air routes because they get lots of press coverage while delivering limited aid.
Aid groups will try any method they are allowed to get food into Gaza, but by pushing them towards these sea and air routes, the IDF generate news stories about aid being delivered, while actually squeezing aid deliveries.
The “sea” route from Cyprus to Gaza was opened by two charities: Open Arms ran the ship while WCK built the temporary jetty from the rubble of bombed buildings and distributed the food.

The new angle from private firms shmoozing their way into public contracts was the much-trumpeted arrival of ‘artificial intelligence’ — and no-one seemed to have heard the numerous criticisms of this unproven miracle cure, reports SOLOMON HUGHES

It is rather strange that Labour continues to give prestigious roles to inappropriate, controversy-mired businessmen who are also major Tory donors. What could Labour possibly be hoping to get out of it, asks SOLOMON HUGHES

Keir Starmer’s hiring Tim Allan from Tory-led Strand Partners is another illustration of Labour’s corporate-influence world where party differences matter less than business connections, writes SOLOMON HUGHES

MBDA’s Alabama factory makes components for Boeing’s GBU-39 bombs used to kill civilians in Gaza. Its profits flow through Stevenage to Paris — and it is one of the British government’s favourite firms, reveals SOLOMON HUGHES