As the first Labour prime minister to address conference in 15 years, Keir Starmer should have walked on stage in Liverpool as a conquering hero. Instead, he arrived amid a series of missteps and scandals.
Starmer's claim that concerns about immigration are legitimate was painful to hear. That the PM chose to go after (minuscule) benefit fraud and worklessness while benefit rates don't even cover claimants' basic needs gave a grim insight into his priorities.
His tactic today was clear: sweeping optimism with a large dose of classic Starmer caution. There is light at the end of the tunnel he said and there would be no return to Tory austerity.
Some inroads were made, but insiders will admit there is much work still to do. The true test is, when tomorrow's front pages splash on Starmer's speech, will voters' first thought be: What did he say? or Who paid for his suit?
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