Labour breathlessly declared a “groundbreaking new initiative” this afternoon. Ed has “personally” invited thousands of members of the public to Labour party conference for an “open day”. Another wonderful engagement strategy and of course absolutely nothing to do with the fact that conference applications this year have hit a new low. The heightened interest last time round for the conclusion of the leadership race has not been sustained. It’s a sorry state of affairs when the conference – traditionally a golden fundraiser for parties – has to be packed with members of the public enticed by a freebie…