THE slick continuity of Labour’s policies with those of its Tory predecessor is striking. Whether it’s foreign policy, economic policy, or social policy — the question is, really, where has there been a break in continuity? Where is the change we need to benefit our communities, to restore and rebuild the lives, hopes, and opportunities of all of us?

As we head into Labour’s first conference as the party of government for 15 years, it’s clear that vision for change is absolutely absent. In its place comes a trumpeting of values that are alien to the best traditions of the labour movement — not least when it comes to foreign and defence policies.

Indeed, Labour’s position on so-called “defence” — actually war-fighting and militarism — is thoroughly reprehensible, underpinned by a rhetoric that is at times more extreme than that of the Tories.