Labour’s annual conference has begun with a minute’s silence following the death of the Queen.
The tribute came after party leader Keir Starmer described the late monarch as “our queen”.
Fears that the minute’s silence could be disrupted by anti-monarchy protesters proved to be unfounded.
Delegates in Liverpool then sung ‘God Save The King’, the first time that the party’s conference has begun with a rendition of the national anthem.
Starmer said: “The late Queen Elizabeth II was this great country’s greatest monarch. She created a special, personal relationship with all of us. A relationship based on service and devotion to our country.
“Even now, after the mourning period has passed it still feels impossible to imagine a Britain without her.
″Hardly any of us have ever known anything else. For us, the Late Queen has always been simply the Queen, the only Queen. Above all else, our Queen. And I am proud to lead our party’s tribute to her today.”
He added: “As we enter a new era, let’s commit to honouring the late Queen’s memory.
“Let’s turn our collar up and face the storm, keep alive the spirit of public service she embodied and let it drive us towards a better future.”
