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

RACHEL REEVES, Labour’s shadow chancellor and shadow City minister Tulip Siddiq hosted a champagne reception at the Guildhall in the City of London for “industry leaders” in finance at the end of February.
The drinks reception was held “in partnership” with the City of London to celebrate Labour’s Financial Services Review. Ordinary members weren’t invited. Journalists were excluded.
This Financial Services Review says: “Labour’s defining economic mission is to restore growth to Britain. This calls not just for a change in government, but a change in mindset: an active government prepared to work in partnership with business to remove the barriers to economic success.”

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