Pizzas galore!

Many of the stewards – who number around 100 – were equally critical of their colleagues’ heavy-handed actions. But there were complaints that they had been given no training, except for an "indoctrination" session at the start of conference and a copy of the stewards’ handbook.

Gerry Collier, a steward from Manchester, said: "We got no training, just a four-hour indoctrination session from police and party officials telling us about the terrorist threat and to expect trouble.

"There was no attempt to tell us what to do if it kicks off. It was indoctrination, creating a them-and-us climate, the same kind of paranoia, dare I say it, that led to the police shooting that man in London."

Another steward, a veteran of the party conferences, added: "It was ridiculous. Everyone one knows Walter – he’s an old Trot and always has been. But he’s 82 years old. What harm can he do?"

Mr Wolfgang came to England in 1937 and has been a lifelong peace campaigner, a vice-chairman of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and organiser of the Aldermaston peace marches of the 1960s.

Before retaking his seat in the same balcony from which he was evicted only 24 hours earlier, he said: "When mistakes are made the important thing is that they are rectified," he said in a low but firm voice. "We made a mistake by invading Iraq by force - we should recognise that. We would make another mistake if we had another round of nuclear weapons.

"Nevertheless small mistakes also have to be rectified and the rectification of a small mistake is to have given us our credentials back."

Steve Forrest, a constituency party chairman evicted alongside him after protesting against the stewards’ actions, said the party’s apology had been "full and unequivocal" – and no conditions had been imposed.

The row upstaged the traditional end-of-conference rallying call given by John Reid, the Defence Secretary, in the absence of John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister.

Mr Reid prefaced his speech by calling out to Mr Wolfgang in the stands to offer his own apology, saying that the party was not afraid of debating tough issues, including the Iraq war.

He added: "I thank you also Walter because you’ve given me a great idea. I‘ve not had great success in getting my speeches into the papers over the past few years. You’ve guessed it - next year I’m going to sit up there and shout it, and it will be in every paper in the country."

On a tough day for the party leadership, constituency delegates inflicted their fourth defeat from the floor, voting overwhelmingly for public funding to renovate and build council housing despite a plea from David Miliband, the local government minister, that the move was unaffordable.

Earlier today, it was announced that conference had voted for a motion opposing the Government’s flagship plan to increase choice in NHS delivery by increasing role of the private sector.

The move, spearheaded by public service union Unison, led to a heated debate at the conference yesterday, with the result of a card vote announced today, prompting loud cheers from the floor of the auditorium.

Mr Blair and his colleagues had already suffered reverses over restoring secondary strike action and linking pensions to earnings in rebellions earlier this week. Unison's motion was backed by 71 per cent to 29 per cent and a rival motion supporting the Government’s healthcare policy was voted down by the same margin.

Times Recommends

• Should Knox’s trial even have reached the courtroom?
• All that glitters is not sold in Wright’s world
• Believe it or not, Big Brother is your friend