Democrats gather in Chicago ahead of national convention week

In a few hours time Chicago will be filled with thousands of delegates and party grandees.

Conventions are more colourful and raucous than our party conferences, big on personality and not so much policy.

Tonight is the night of the long goodbyes, with a few ghosts of elections past. Hillary Clinton will be here. The last time a woman was prevented from making history by Donald Trump. They will of course hope that history won’t repeat itself. But the main attraction is Joe Biden, still President but no longer a candidate.

By bowing out he has allowed the Democrats to hope again that they can win.