Steerpike

To the north of Scotland, where in Aberdeen the SNP conference has begun. Activists are gathering, once again, to try and figure out how exactly Scotland might achieve independence after a decisive 2014 referendum, a Supreme Court slap down and, er, almost 20 years of substandard SNP rule. Best of luck, chaps! The party's Westminster leader Stephen Flynn bagged the opening speech this morning, kicking off the conference in his usual punchy style by taking pops at his opponents. First up was an ornithology jibe directed at another politician from the north-east.

It's the SNP's big weekend out as party members and politicians make the painstaking journey to Aberdeen for the nationalists' annual conference. Just seven months away from next year's Scottish parliament elections, the Nats will spend the weekend discussing campaign strategy, devolved policy and – you guessed it – independence. It would appear the talks about separatism are about to get even barmier than usual, however, with SNP members set to face a vote on whether a provisional parliament should be set up north of the border to run alongside Holyrood as part of yet another pro-indy push.

To India, where Keir Starmer has met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the UK-India trade deal and learn more about the country's digital ID scheme. But of course the curious matter of the China spy case collapse came up at today's press conference as questions remain about why the charges against Chris Cash and Christopher Berry were dropped. Quizzed about whether national security adviser Jonathan Powell or any other minister were involved in the decision to drop the case, Starmer was clear: I can be absolutely clear, no ministers were involved in any of the decisions since this government’s been in, in relation to the evidence that’s been put before the court on this issue.

The Conservative party conference may be in full swing in Manchester but Reform UK's politicians are still creating headlines. Deputy leader Richard Tice has given a rather punchy interview to Arabian Business during a trip to Dubai – in which he slated Britain's immigration 'disaster', insisted a decline in the British work ethic was because the 'UK became complacent [and] decadent' and even claimed that Britain is 'going bust'. Then the Reform man turned his attention to some big British names. First he took a swipe at a rather, er, controversial British broadcaster: former England footballer Gary Neville. Taking a pop at the left-wing right back over his patriotism, Tice fumed: Dear Gary Neville, everybody's entitled to their own opinions.

It’s not just Conservative politicians popping up at the Tory party conference this year: Labour’s Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has appeared at some fringe events to wax lyrical about the successes of devolution, his hopes for a Manchester tourist tax and reform of council tax. But just a week after the Labour Party conference, Burnham didn’t gloss over the rather, er, frosty welcome he received in Liverpool. ‘I’ll probably get a better reception here than I did last week,’ he quipped at the Centre for Cities event.  Burnham wouldn’t rate the performance of the Labour government out of ten – but he did pack a few subtle digs into his discussion about Sir Keir Starmer and his cronies back in London.

The Tory conference parties are in full flow and the political speeches are underway. At the TaxPayers’ Alliance reception, shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick was the speaker of choice – and he didn’t disappoint. Crowning himself the ‘drug mule’ of the party, Jenrick laughed about the Ozempic trend that has taken over London: I've managed to persuade quite a few people in this room to get slim. I'm like Pete Hegseth now. Fit, not fat. And the weight loss analogy didn’t stop there: On a serious note. The work that has been done to ensure, through the brilliant campaigns that you have been waging, that we actually begin to turn the tide, and that we start one day to shrink. The size of the state is immensely valuable.

In Manchester, a vigil is taking place after Thursday's horrific terror attack left two people killed and three seriously injured in hospital. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to do ‘everything’ in his power to protect Jewish people in Britain, condemning the ‘horrific’ terror attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has also paid her respects to the victims and their families – before, this morning, turning on pro-Palestine protestors.  And while new Justice Secretary David Lammy has also urged pro-Gaza protestors to 'stop and stand back' instead of joining planned marches this weekend, he has not been well received in Manchester.

Out with old and in with the new. MI6 boss Sir Richard Moore is packing in the clandestine activities for a less secret but perhaps more diplomatic life – hopefully not following too closely in Lord Scandelson’s footsteps. After five years in the role, Moore is stepping aside for Blaise Metreweli – or ‘C’, as all her predecessors have been known since 1909 – who will be the first female in the role in the 116 years of the Secret Intelligence Service. But while his career may have been top secret, Moore wasn’t going to leave on a dull note. First he gave a farewell speech in Istanbul last month – in which he paid tribute to his family connection to Turkey, expressed his belief that MI6 must be ‘more open to stay secret’ and publicly berated Vladimir Putin. Punchy!

Whisper it, but there’s a name on everyone’s lips at Labour conference. A man who clearly seems to be going places – if we look at the sheer number of times he’s been cited in Liverpool. Who is this whippersnapper? A young socialist exciting the grassroots? A rising cabinet star? Errr, not exactly: it’s Nigel Farage, aged 61 and a half. The Reform leader may not be in Liverpool but it’s been impossible to escape his name in recent days, with Starmer setting the hares running by labelling Farage’s polices ‘racist’ and questioning his patriotism. Which is why Mr S was so surprised to hear David Lammy explain yesterday that he was ‘not going to play the man.