It was not a speech to save a premiership. Gordon Brown won respectful, occasionally warm applause for his last Labour conference appearance before the election. But the speech, overburdened with announcements old and new, small and only slightly less small, scarcely changed the political calculus. Mr Brown has never learned to tell a story; perhaps that is because he has never really had one.

Sarah Brown’s appearance on the Brighton stage provided a touching moment before the main event. She is clearly genuine in her devotion to and admiration for her husband. But, cruelly, Mrs Brown’s ease in touching the emotions of her audience served only to put his shortcomings into sharper relief. The prime minister does not do empathy. That’s a problem for a leader going into an election 15 points behind.