Good morning. Despite Labour’s best efforts to hog the limelight over the weekend with the resignation of Rosie Duffield – the fastest that an MP has stood down after a general election victory in modern times – many eyes this week will be on the Conservative party conference, which began yesterday and runs until Wednesday. Three months after a historic electoral defeat, it is the first conference out of government for the party since 2009.
It is going to be a low-key affair in Birmingham, with Rishi Sunak having made his final conference address as leader on Sunday, and many former senior Tories not in attendance. The lack of a clear leader has also exacerbated the low interest, with business leaders and lobbyists also steering clear. A quiet, wound-licking atmosphere seems assured, as members, activists and politicians try to piece together the remnants of their party.
