How can leaders on the ropes bounce back?

Can the Liberal Democrats withstand the political turbulence around them? As delegates gather in Brighton for their party conference, Sam Coates gauges the pressure on Sir Ed Davey’s party as it faces a squeeze from the Greens and the Andy Burnham bounce. Elsewhere, the prime minister prepares to go to New York for the UN General Assembly, the duo look ahead to his first meeting with Donald Trump – can they find any common ground? Plus, Anne McElvoy – who’s in Germany – reports on a disastrous set of regional elections for Friedrich Merz – but is he in a similar position to Sir Keir Starmer post-elections in May 2026?