A noticeable absence in Liverpool was David Laws. Speculation is rife that he will be back in Cabinet soon but according to Pink News Laws has made it be known that “he’s lost the hunger”. In the mean time it seems he is writing “22 Days in May” about his brief moment in the limelight. No War and Peace then.

The Treasury needs a successful businessmen at its heart, not a former National Park spinner and depending on the outcome of the parliamentary standards inquiry the pressure for Laws to step up to the mark might just outweigh any loss of appetite. The punters are still confident it will be happen.