Labour membership rises as party ends conference buoyed by polls

Angela Rayner invites activists to imagine meeting under a Labour government, and insiders say gathering was big financial success

Labour membership increased by more than 2,500 over the party's conference, fuelled by the Conservatives' turmoil and polls suggesting it is on course for victory.

The conference in Liverpool was the most financially successful in the party's history, according to insiders. A new poll by Deltapoll as the conference closed on Wednesday gave Labour a 13-point lead, as Liz Truss faced calls to sack her chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, following the emergency intervention by the Bank of England after his mini-budget.