I’ve seen despair at the Labour conference, but Starmer’s battle for Britain’s soul is one he can still win | Polly Toynbee

The government’s fall in popularity has affected party morale, but there are signs that finally taking the fight to Farage can provide a much-needed spark

The shock of falling out of the sky faster than any previous government has been a sickening sensation for the assembled MPs and councillors here at Labour conference. Just one year, and already close to crashing. The question is whether Labour’s leader, chancellor and cabinet can tug open enough parachutes to prevent calamity. But the next election is aeons away: only five years ago, Boris Johnson was king of the world, due for another 10 years in No 10. Things go faster, up and down, in this dizzying era. The local elections next May are approached with dread: for many in Labour there is expectation of a massive loss of seats, and the once unthinkable loss of the Senedd in Wales.

Arriving here, graveyard humour echoed around halls and corridors. “Welcome to the walking dead,” one new MP murmured to me. The newbies are the most “frit”, many with tiny majorities, always at risk of just one term on the green benches. But Keir Starmer’s sudden assault on Faragism sent a bolt of electricity through glum delegates. His “battle for the soul of the nation” has raised hope. (Battle and soul were lacking until now.) Gloves off, with Reform UK a terrifying 10 points ahead, he has started to throw off facing-both-ways caution. This marks a turning point, supporters hope. For the party that championed race discrimination laws, calling out a “racist” policy as “immoral” is compulsory, with vicious abuse on the rise again.

Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist