The Labour Party is becoming stronger with people joining to defend the national interest, deputy leader Anglu Farrugia said this evening.

Addressing the plenary session of Labour's general conference, Dr Farrugia said he was a "traditional Labourite" but was proud to see the Labour family growing so fast.

Until a few years ago, he said, people were leaving the party because of problems. These were discussed and tackled and now people were joining to defend the national interest, he said.

He warned against scaremongering campaigns by the Natonalist Party which, he said, was resorting to personal attacks.

Such attacks were targeting Labour leader Joseph Muscat's wife and children as well as children of Labour candidates.

"Why is there all this hatred," he asked.

He said even he was personally attacked when he was abroad with his daughter. Dr Farrugia almost broke down when he explained how this episode hurt.

The conference was also addressed by a number of people said they had been approached by Dr Muscat and accepted to contest the general election on the Labour ticket.

These included musician Sigmund Mifsud, General Workers' Union lawyer Joanne Vella Cuschieri, MEP Edward Scicluna and family doctors Deo Debattista and Silvio Grixti.

Former Nationalist councillor Cyrus Engerer also addressed the conference.

Mr Engerer, who now sits on the Sliema council as an independent deputy mayor, said he shifted his allegiance "with conviction".

Labour president Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi and international secretary Alex Sciberras Trigona were confirmed after being uncontested and will therefore serve for another two years.

The general conference comes to an end on Sunday with Dr Muscat's speech.