Good morning. Are you feeling the Blitz spirit?

The defining message of Keir Starmer’s conference speech pitches Labour at war for the soul of the country, engaged in a battle every bit as momentous as rebuilding Britain after the second world war. The assembled Labour ministers, staff and paid-up members of the public alternately clapped and waved their union jacks.

It followed a week of rallying cries to the Labour base, in which Starmer decried the “division and decline” under the “snake oil merchant” Nigel Farage.

Yet earlier this week, as I walked around Liverpool’s Albert Docks the atmosphere at Labour’s 2025 conference felt subdued. Despite the prime minister’s bombastic call to arms, there was a striking absence of energy among conference attenders, few of whom even appeared to be grassroot activists at all, so dominant were the lobbyists, parliamentary apparatchiks and thinktankers.

I spent the conference speaking with the members who remain. Some were energised by Starmer’s message; others sounded disillusioned or exhausted. But can Labour really win again without them? We’ll explore that in today’s newsletter, after the headlines.

Five big stories

Gaza | Donald Trump has given Hamas an ultimatum of “three or four days” to respond to his proposed peace and reconstruction plan in Gaza, warning the militant group would “pay in hell” if it rejects the deal, as the Israeli offensive continued, inflicting further civilian casualties. US politics | The US government shut down on Wednesday, after congressional Democrats refused to support a Republican plan to extend funding for federal departments unless they won a series of concessions centered on healthcare. Afghanistan | Afghans are living under a near-complete communications blackout after Taliban authorities cut internet and mobile phone services for a second day as part of an unprecedented country-wide crackdown. The administration offered no immediate explanation for the blackout, although in recent weeks it has voiced concern about pornography online. UK news | Police have responded to online speculation after a gang-rape in Banbury by saying that there is no evidence linking the crime to migrant accommodation. The force said that “any assumptions being made are unfounded and unhelpful”. Inequality | Scientists have linked the impact of living in an unequal society to structural changes in the brains of children – regardless of individual wealth – for the first time. The findings suggest “inequality creates a toxic social environment” that “literally shapes how young minds develop”, researchers said.

In depth: ‘We will fight you with everything we have’

View image in fullscreen The cabinet applauds Keir Starmer.