The sun was shining at last year’s Labour conference, the good weather adding to a sense of optimism for a party that was clearly on the brink of power. 

This year? Almost incessant rain. Despite July’s general election triumph, the mood has been somewhat dampened in Liverpool by months of warnings about the need for spending cuts and tax rises and a string of embarrassing donor scandals which have taken the shine off Labour’s front bench.

Here are the key talking points from the conference for construction.