THERE was nervousness among Labour chiefs when it emerged Alex Salmond was due to talk at 2.30pm yesterday - the same time as Ed Miliband's conference speech.

Who would the broadcasters follow? Eventually, BBC network kept faith with the Labour leader but BBC Parliament decided to switch to Salmond. Not great for a wannabe PM.

IT was all comradely hugs when Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour's deputy leader, met Sadiq Khan, the Shadow Justice Secretary, outside a Manchester coffee house. Mr K said: "We're having T-shirts printed - we survived the Scottish referendum!" Given what's happened since on EVEL, not to mention what might or might not happen on extra Scottish devolution, the London MP might just want to hold off on the shirts.

SPARE a thought for Pamela Nash, Labour's champion in Airdrie and Shotts. Emerging from the conference hall, her hands were covered in ink thanks to a broken pen. Thankfully, the colour was New Labour purple rather than blue, or heaven forbid, SNP yellow.