The government is throwing away a vital electoral asset

Editorial: Gifted with a manically irresponsible Tory chancellor, Labour is now the party of fiscal responsibility

Labour leaders have made some solid and fairly obvious policy proposals in the national interest (Reuters)

Though they’re not quite ready to sing “God Save the Keir”, members of the Labour movement gathered in Liverpool under a huge video banner of Elizabeth II were content to belt out “God Save the King”. To the intense relief of conference organisers, there were no heckles.

It was certainly an unusual moment – the national anthem has never been a regular fixture at the meetings of any political party, except perhaps those of Ukip – but it was an unfortunate necessity in a world in which the Conservatives have kidnapped the union jack, Brexit is equated with patriotism, and Labour has been called “anti-British”. Absurd as all of this is, it needed scotching.

More to the patriotic point, Labour leaders have made some solid and fairly obvious policy proposals in the national interest. On the economy, and on a new “green” foreign policy championed by David Lammy, Labour is showing it has some fresh ideas based on common sense.