Analysis:

SCOTTISH Labour’s conference got off to an undignified start.

First, the name of its founder Keir Hardie was misspelled on the main stage, to the obvious embarrassment of Richard Leonard, who was marking his first conference as party leader.

Mr Leonard founded the Keir Hardie Society and is well known for his geeky immersion in Labour history.

Then shadow Scottish secretary Lesley Laird demanded Downing Street lift a shroud of secrecy around key Brexit powers – despite the fact they had already been made public.

Meanwhile, internal splits over Brexit threatened to break out into an almighty row as party leaders blocked a vote on membership of the single market.

To top it all off, UK leader Jeremy Corbyn sparked controversy after he insisted his party’s Brexit vision must include barriers to prevent employers “being able to import cheap agency labour”. Nicola Sturgeon accused him of echoing Nigel Farage. Senior figures in his own party also piled in.

Labour are billing themselves as a government-in-waiting both north and south of the Border. As day one drew to a close, it looked like they might be waiting a while.

Things could only get better. And thankfully for Labour, they did.

Mr Leonard’s speech went down a treat with the party faithful. It was unashamedly socialist and peppered with policy – but it was also well-delivered and occasionally funny.

Stories about his brother-inlaw’s employment troubles and his past as a union official gave a much-needed glimpse of the person behind the politician.

He might have stumbled over some of his words, but rookie nerves can be forgiven. It made Mr Corbyn’s offering the day before seem like a bit of a dud.

The booze was flowing that night back at the Apex, the main conference hotel, where delegates danced into the small hours.

And despite fears Labour’s internal Brexit devisions could be about to burst out into the open, things never quite came to a head. Feuding between groups of party members for and against membership of the European Union single market had marred the first day of conference.

But a key Brexit debate yesterday morning fizzled out. In the end, the vast majority of delegates backed the leadership’s “unity” statement, which omitted the single market demand.

No doubt the row will flare up again – and there are vocal sections of Scottish Labour who are unhappy with their party’s radical socialist makeover.

But considering its dodgy start, Mr Leonard’s first conference wasn’t the disaster some feared.