The Labour Party conference in Liverpool was a barmy affair, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham returning to his Merseyside roots to deliver his first conference speech as party leader. Burnham, sometimes dubbed the "David Brent of politics" in the media, roamed the main stage without a tie and fought back tears as he paid tribute to his late dad, Roy. The party faithful gave him a roaring standing ovation.
Rubber ducks and a giant giraffe
Outside the main hall, freebie-hunters went wild for mini plastic versions of Burnham, handed out at an exhibition booth hosted by The Purpose Coalition. Meanwhile, delegates were greeted by a massive, life-sized giraffe towering over the stalls, hosted by Chester Zoo, whose experts held a panel on reintroducing species like wild beavers and white-tailed eagles to restore ecosystems.
Pricey pop and a pub gaffe
Thirsty party members were forced to cough up nearly three quid for a simple 330ml can of fizzy pop. In one of the biggest gaffes of the week, Labour's nature minister Jenny Riddell-Carpenter claimed that the nostalgic vision of country pubs, a pint of warm ale and a black Labrador sitting by your feet is a "far-right fantasy that never existed". Ironically, pictures were later uncovered of the minister cuddling her own beloved pooch in a pub.
Vintage tie, creepy mask and robot dog
Chancellor John Healey wore a bright red tie he originally lent to Gordon Brown back in 1999, which Brown signed before handing it back. A demonstrator from Clean Up Westminster wandered outside the conference perimeter wearing a hyper-realistic mask of Burnham's face. And a four-legged robot dog, spotted at a defence systems stand run by Oxford Dynamics, stood guard and scared passing delegates.
