With a little hope from my friends

In a Monday briefing from Liverpool, Andrew McDonald previews key political events and the UK economic focus ahead of a budget expected one month later. He says the Labour conference spotlight will include speeches by Ed Miliband, John Healey and Shabana Mahmood, totaling 50 minutes on the main stage, with Healey as the most closely watched. McDonald notes Healey has spent much of the time in a hotel suite reviewing budget drafts, while markets will watch for signals that the “hope” message may clash with constrained fiscal room. The report says Healey is expected to promise a “new age of industrialization” backed by a £6 billion plan to build three floating docks at the Royal Navy’s submarine base on the Clyde. The briefing also highlights limited room for manoeuvre due to migration reform constraints and references comments by Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds.