On the brink

Keir Starmer had little time to savour his Labour Party conference as he headed off to the UN General Assembly annual get together.

As he took to the air, his team were drawing up plans for an emergency evacuation of its citizens from Lebanon if fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continues to escalate. About 700 British troops are being sent to Cyprus, with Royal Air Force planes and transport helicopters on standby to provide support if necessary.

All British nationals have been urged to leave Lebanon but with airlines suspending flights to the country because of the violence, commercial escape routes could be cut off as the situation deteriorates.

At the UN, Mr Starmer was on his first visit as prime minister and he called for an "immediate ceasefire" between Israel and Hezbollah to add to his demand for an end to the hostilities in Gaza.

Protests over its approach to the Israel-Palestinian war were on a slow burning fuse in Liverpool but heated up on Wednesday.

Whether by accident or design that was after the leader's speech session. As it opened the biggest applause was for a video showing the moment the TV news announced the election had been won by Labour. A record-breaking attendance for a party conference was just about the biggest signal of celebration.

Commentator Philip Collins, who wrote Tony Blair's best speeches, believes Keir Starmer should have led the hall in a celebration of the general election triumph before hitting the ground into the meat of his address.

Fears that the party has blown the first 100 days were more likely to be the talking point at the coffee stall queues.

Energy mission

When Mr Starmer listed his five missions to change Britain and declared "that is the mandate we won", the applause line fell surprisingly flat. Except in one regard.

Street posters advertising that it's 13 years since the UK last built a nuclear reactor. Energy companies putting vans on the precincts with cuddly toy giveaways.

The obstacle course through Liverpool’s smartest shopping strip to the Labour Party conference was filled with commercial reminders of the UK government’s top policy priority.

Only the clean energy agenda led by former leader Ed Miliband is powering ahead, something shown by the large number of lobbyists for the sector among the crowd.

Perhaps that is because this is an area where the government has something to say and money to spend.

Make the UK work

One feature of the government's recent troubles has been rare divisions between the top team on key measures as new laws are being thrashed out. An overhaul of employment rights and makeover of the workforce is being hard fought behind the scenes.

This has seen a split emerge over the benefits of working from home, with the Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds suggesting it increases productivity, while Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been encouraging more people into the workplace.

The merits of another measure designed to modernise UK work practice was aired at the conference. The UAE's experiment with a four-day working week was highlighted as an example of innovative thinking on work practices.

Pressure is now growing in Britain to follow parts of the UAE lead by broadening uptake of a pilot scheme in the public sector, said India Burgess of the Autonomy Institute, which researches the future of work.

Britain conducted its own four-day week experiment in 2022 when 3,000 workers in the private sector began a 32-hour week with no loss of pay, which led to much higher levels of happiness, health and productivity.