Five years ago, the Labour Party’s conference was a sea of Palestinian flags. Delegates voted overwhelmingly to support suspending the sale of arms to Israel, in solidarity with the people of Palestine. As this year’s Labour conference convenes in Liverpool, those very weapons manufacturers will be welcomed with open arms. Boeing — who earlier this year agreed to supply the Israeli Air Force with twenty-five fighter jets — will sponsor the New Statesman’s fringe events. They will be joined by an array of fossil fuel companies, banks, and industry lobbyists determined to woo the “government in waiting.” The days when an antiwar activist led the party will feel like a long time ago.

Business representatives will make up almost a third of conference attendees. Trade union delegates, on the other hand, form just 3 percent. Despite the imbalance, the leadership continues to restrict members’ influence. Last week, the party’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) agreed that next year only motions considered “contemporary” would be allowed. A further step toward total stage management, this will aid the leadership in its efforts to eliminate the space afforded views that do not match their own.

With debate stifled and power stripped from members’ hands, what purpose does this year’s conference serve? A further look at the sponsors of the New Statesman’s fringe events holds the answer. For Ovo Energy and SSE, the goal will no doubt be to herald the private energy market’s role in mitigating climate change. Private health care provider Bupa eyes an opportunity to charm Wes Streeting, after the shadow health secretary hinted at further privatization of the National Heath Service (NHS). Financial groups like TheCityUK, Santander, and TSB will be out to get their claws into Labour’s promised £28 billion green investment fund — a predictably easy task.