Liberal Democrats doubt that Manchester’s supercasino will ever be built. The casino could have generated millions of pounds, people could have been provided with jobs, the community could have been boosted.

As it has become known, Gordon Brown “has a moral objection to a supercasino”. So, at the Liberal Democrats’ cGonference in Brighton, culture and sport spokesman Don Foster will ask the prime minister to fund an alternative regeneration package.

Manchester council still wishes for the casino to be built.