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

MICHAEL GOVE has announced plans for “reform” that look designed to give favoured corporations and Tory insiders more control of the supposedly independent Civil Service.
He wants to turn government into “Gove-rnment,” a system that hands over public services to his mates, so they can make a profit at our expense.
Gove pushed the plans at a conference arranged by a former Tory MP’s personal think tank. The event was funded by a former Tory adviser’s company, one that tries to win public-sector contracts for corporations — which rather gives the game away about what is being planned here.

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