The left, just like the right, is a broad but unhappy church – will its internal rifts reach breaking point at Labour’s upcoming conference in Liverpool? Asks Helen Thomas

This Sunday, Liverpool plays host to the Labour Party conference, where the party’s competing wings will jostle under the harsh glare of the government spotlight. Just as the right wing of the UK political system has fractured under pressure, Labour too is showing fault lines, with ideological tectonic plates shifting beneath its feet. The rumble of division is growing louder, as internal internecine warfare over what it means to be “Labour” has broken out into a messy public battle now that fiscal constraints are forcing tough political decisions. The upcoming Budget could well be the flashpoint that finally cracks the party wide open.

Before that set-piece event, the conference will provide an opportunity for the competing factions to mass their ranks. So many MPs, advisers, think tanks, donors and party activists will be crammed into the sweaty dockside bars of Liverpool that it will be almost impossible to escape the pressure to pick a side. This is just how the enemies of the Prime Minister want it. Despite the large majority gained at the last election, there is a group of Labour supporters who were never too happy with Keir Starmer commanding the helm. They hope to change the direction of the party,........

© City A.M.