Labour conference doesn't care about Scotland how it used to

Following the huge victory at the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, everyone wanted a piece of him and new MP Michael Shanks.

Every time Mr Sarwar made an appearance, the room was packed out with people desperate to catch a glimpse of the Scottish Labour leader and talk about how many seats the party might win north of the border.

Everyone was excited for a Labour Government to come in for the party to have a decent number of MPs north of the border.

It was a similar story last year, after Scottish Labour won a whopping 37 seats and increased its vote share by 16 per cent.

There had been some bad headlines about freebies and the winter fuel payment, but most people were still delighted after returning to government following 14 years in the wilderness.

Mr Sarwar was still sought after because he seemed set to finally oust the SNP and become the first labour First Minister for nearly two decades.

But not this year.

Mr Sarwar and Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander were on the main conference stage after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese - a tough act to follow.

The room was packed out for the Labor leader from down under.

He received a huge standing ovation after talking about winning a second term earlier this year.

Labour members are dreaming of a similar scenario in the UK - although the opinion polls suggest that is wishful thinking.

As soon as Mr Albanese finished speaking, a saltire was emblazoned above the main stage.

But the people weren’t interested streamed towards the exits.

The conference hall drained quicker than Scottish Labour’s polling lead after the general election.

To say the room was half-full would be an overstatement.

Mr Sarwar said during his speech that “Scotland is at the beating heart of Labour's future.”

Clearly no one has told the members.

Mr Sarwar was keen to point to what he reckons are Labour’s successes over the last 15 months - telling members six times to “not be shy about that.”

He talked about improving workers rights, recognising Palestine, trade deals, shipbuilding money for the Clyde, booting out the Tories and suggested the government had made full-time working couples with a mortgage £5,000 better off a year.

The MSP also had a go at SNP spending - in what appeared to be a veiled dig at the Nationalists’ finances scandal - by repeating four times: “Where has the money gone?”

Perhaps what is most telling is that the biggest cheer Mr Sarwar received was when he called Nigel Farage “a poisonous little man”.

The ears of those in the hall obviously pricked when the name of someone they had heard of was mentioned, rather than all the slagging off of the Scottish Government or gaslighting them into thinking Labour has had a successful time in office.

There’s nothing like a common enemy to unite a party.

But what it also shows is that Mr Sarwar is longer the belle of the ball.

And the Labour Party Conference is no longer as interested in Scotland as it was.