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IT wasn't long after I took my seat for Keir Starmer’s keynote speech to Labour conference in Liverpool that the flags came out.
Volunteers handed out England and Welsh flags, as well as Union Jacks and, yes, Saltires to every single party MP, official and member in attendance.
The hall has a capacity of 1350 – that’s a lot of flags.
As the Prime Minister blasted Reform UK, described Labour as “the patriotic party” and suggested the SNP “want Britain to fail” , many of them were waved.
More still when Starmer directly told the crowd: “Let’s fly all our flags, conference, because they are our flags.”
Like some kind of jingoistic bad trip.
But while there were more than a few Saltires in the crowd, Starmer offered little to Scots.
Lots of rhetoric that may galvanise the converted but no new and tangible policy announcements.
Starmer went into the Liverpool event with his party trailing Reform in the UK polls and with his position in No 10 being questioned.
That typically happens when you’re branded the most unpopular Prime Minister on record.
But Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar is also staring down the barrel going into the Holyrood elections next year.
The SNP posted a commanding 17-point lead over the party in two polls in two days last week – a feat thought unthinkable after the General Election win last year.
At Labour conference last year, there were already concerns in Scottish Labour that the Holyrood elections were a sideshow for Starmer – his focus set on 2029, not 2026.
This year’s conference – less than 8 months before Scots go to the polls – was an opportunity to put down a marker, unveil a meaty policy.
John Healey did announce that the UK Government is to fund a skills centre to support shipbuilding in Scotland – with the Defence Secretary accusing SNP ministers of failing to back the country's defence sector.
That attack line may work to a degree. But it’s just £2.5 million.
Meanwhile, the big flagship promise of GB Energy – headquartered in Aberdeen – has delivered more jobs to London than Scotland so far.
Labour can fly as many Saltires as they want. But time is running out for Sarwar.
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