Labour has attracted a surge of interest from big business at its conference in Liverpool with the biggest attendance of companies since 2010, including a firm owned by a major Tory donor.

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Others with stalls in the main exhibition hall included Sainsbury’s, Google, Lloyds Banking, and the energy company E.ON, while people were queueing out of the door to get into a business reception. Labour’s business forum – where companies pay for access to events attended by shadow ministers and officials – was sold out in July with more than 90 companies in attendance, and ended up oversubscribed by two to one.

Starmer, Reeves, the shadow chancellor; Jonathan Reynolds, the shadow business secretary; and David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, all spoke at the reception for businesses, ambassadors and international visitors, which was sponsored by Bloomberg.

A senior Labour source said there had been a huge increase in engagement from businesses this year. “They are genuinely encouraged to see a sensible, functioning opposition party. The vast majority aren’t party political – there is just a sense of relief that there are some grownups in the room,” the source said.

Party donations are increasingly coming from businesses as well as traditional trade union donors, with the help of Lord Levy, Tony Blair’s former fundraiser. Trevor Chinn, a financier and businessman, and Sir Victor Blank, the former chairman of Lloyds Banking Group, who both donated during the New Labour and Miliband eras, have returned to giving money since Starmer became leader. The party also this year accepted £250,000 from Fran Perrin, 43, the daughter of Lord Sainsbury of Turville, who is part of the supermarket dynasty.

IMO this hasn't been reported or talked about much. It's encouraging stuff because 1) It plays into Labour trying to make itself the party that'll grow the economy and help businesses and working people 2) Labour really need the donations