The recent Labour conference as an exercise in denial, revealing a party plagued by internal divisions and lacking a coherent economic plan, says Helen Thomas

As the Labour conference drew to a close, one word dominated the mood: denial. Denial of the scale of Britain’s economic challenges. Denial of the fault lines within the party and the country. Denial about what must be done to bridge them.

This year’s gathering was therefore less a triumphant reset and more a masterclass in self-delusion. Beneath the public bravado lurked deeper fractures: between moderates and ideologues, between ambition and pragmatism and between political theatre and fiscal reality.

Party conferences often lean rhetorical, mobilising supporters by drawing contrasts with opponents and casting someone else as the enemy. But this year, Labour took things further. Rather than engage with internal dissent or escalate self-criticism, speakers opted for theatrical confrontation. We heard ministers urge attendees to “grind........

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