SOME might have thought that Corbyn’s speech to the faithful was the “big event” of the week – not so.

On the evening before, I queued outside Komedia for the hot ticket event – a Labour history quiz. But the draw wasn’t the quiz it was the quizmaster, one Ed Miliband. The former leader told the packed venue that this was a lifetime ambition achieved, or at least an ambition he’d held ever since he’d led the party to defeat two years ago.

For the purist quizzer, the promise was better than the event as the effervescence that’s characterised this conference, combined with copious quantities of alcohol, ensured that it was almost as rowdy as the Amex. Then came the big speech by the leader. Even before he’d uttered a word there was a two-minute standing ovation as delegates belted out the now familiar “Oh Jeremy Corbyn” refrain.

He began with the traditional Tory-bashing, though he did have a good word for Mrs May – congratulating her on tracking down the “magic money tree” that she said during the election didn’t exist.

His best line came when, after pointing out that on the day before the election the Daily Mail had devoted 14 pages to attacking him, he asked the editor if next time, given the huge increase in Labour’s vote two months ago, he could make it 28 pages.

He did dance around the two big issues of the week. On Brexit, he talked about “securing access to the single market” whatever that means. And he didn’t directly refer to antisemitism.

Overall it was a good, but not a great speech. But the delegates loved it and went home in an even better mood than when they’d arrived. Whether that mood can be sustained until the next election, which could be five years away, remains to be seen

l Ivor Gaber is professor of political journalism at the University of Sussex