Good morning everyone, welcome to our live blog! What do you expect to see from the Conservatives this week? What would you like to hear from David Cameron and his fellow party members?
by reuters_co_uk at 10/5/2009 9:04:30 AM
Manchester is a bit chilly this morning. Tory posters include: "Social responsibility, not state control" and "bye bye bureaucracy"
Just been told I have to pay 30 quid for a chair.
London mayor Boris Johnson has taken to the stage... He's currently paying tribute to the Met for helping to lower crime on public transport
by reuters_co_uk at 10/5/2009 9:58:49 AM
Boris has a dig at Harriet Harman for allegedly driving off after hitting a parked car, making reference to the "Labour car crash"
by reuters_co_uk at 10/5/2009 10:01:05 AM
Boris Johnson also said that there should be a vote on the Lisbon Treaty, even if it has been ratified before the general election next year
by reuters_co_uk at 10/5/2009 10:30:43 AM
Is Cameron doing a deliberate dither over the Europe referendum question? Gordon Brown eat your heart out. #cpc09
Tories plan welfare system overhaul
r.reuters.comby reuters_co_uk at 10/5/2009 12:02:27 PM
Delegates are resisting any show of triumphalism despite the
Conservatives' commanding lead in the polls
by Adrian.Croft via email edited by reuters_co_uk at 10/5/2009 1:16:27 PM
Shadow Chancellow George Osborne says that under the first two years of a Conservative government, new businesses will pay no national insurance contributions on first 10 employees
by reuters_co_uk at 10/5/2009 2:13:20 PM
David Cameron is now speaking to delegates - will he be Prime Minister this time next year? Do you want him to be?
by reuters_co_uk at 10/5/2009 2:14:00 PM
That appearance by David Cameron was unscheduled. The crowd loved it, predictably
by reuters_co_uk at 10/5/2009 2:31:25 PM
Organisers have made life difficult for the press. There's no
large-screen TV in the media centre and they charge 200 pounds for a
small TV
by Adrian.Croft via email edited by reuters_co_uk at 10/5/2009 3:30:58 PM
Andrew Lansley pledges to cut the cost of health service "bureaucracy"
by a third -- 1.5 billion pounds -- over four years.
by Adrian.Croft via email edited by reuters_co_uk at 10/5/2009 5:07:05 PM
Throwing it down with rain in Manchester this morning -- had to wait 15 minutes for a taxi at the station #cpc09
The hall is only about a quarter full at the start -- must be the rain #cpc09
Transport spokeswoman Theresa Villiers says it's "time to put a stop to Labour's cash cow (speed) camera culture" #cpc09
She says a Conservative government would not fund new fixed speed cameras -- local authorities would have to pay for them themselves #cpc09
Today's highlight is George Osborne, due to speak in 45 minutes or so, who will say how the Conservatives would rein in the budget deficit
The state pension age could rise to 66 as early as 2016 under Osborne's plans - a decade earlier than currently planned #cpc09
Osborne: "Iron Chancellor has become plastic PM"
by reuters_co_uk at 10/6/2009 11:09:05 AM
Osborne: We will cut number of MPs by 10 percent
by reuters_co_uk at 10/6/2009 11:13:11 AM
Osborne: We will cut pay of ministers by 5 percent
by reuters_co_uk at 10/6/2009 11:15:16 AM
Osborne says the Tories will cut the cost of Whitehall by a third
by reuters_co_uk at 10/6/2009 11:15:59 AM
Osborne also says the Conservatives will be regarded as the party of the NHS - do you agree?
by reuters_co_uk at 10/6/2009 11:16:38 AM
Osborne on public sector pay: "For the chancellor of the exchequer to sneak out a public sector pay policy in the middle of the Conservative party conference when he didn't have the guts to announce it to the Labour part conference tells you that these Labour politicians are better at writing books about courage than displaying it."
by reuters_co_uk at 10/6/2009 11:19:09 AM
Osborne says public sector workers would face one-year pay freeze from 2011 under Conservatives
by reuters_co_uk at 10/6/2009 11:21:36 AM
Osborne - Allowances for soldiers in Afghanistan would be doubled
by reuters_co_uk at 10/6/2009 11:22:33 AM
We will support marriage in the benefits system - Osborne
by reuters_co_uk at 10/6/2009 11:24:56 AM
Osborne says Conservatives would not scrap 50 percent tax rate for highest earners in the short term
by reuters_co_uk at 10/6/2009 11:25:27 AM
Osborne promises a more generous state pension for all
by reuters_co_uk at 10/6/2009 11:27:08 AM
Osborne just confirmed the pension age would rise under Conservatives to 66 from 2016 for men, 2020 for women
by reuters_co_uk at 10/6/2009 11:28:42 AM
What do you think about the increase in age of retirement?
by reuters_co_uk at 10/6/2009 11:29:14 AM
Osborne on the 50 percent tax rate: "We should not accept Labour's new 50 percent tax rate on the highest earners as a permanent feature of the tax system. But we could not even think of abolishing the 50p rate on the rich while at the same time I am asking many of our public sector workers to accept a pay freeze to protect their jobs."
by reuters_co_uk at 10/6/2009 11:31:59 AM
That's it from Osborne - were you impressed by what he had to say?
by reuters_co_uk at 10/6/2009 11:33:04 AM
Osborne's speech laid out some of the things they would do to cut borrowing but leaves a lot to the imagination
There is a lot seat stealing going on in the press room -- where a chair costs 30 pounds a pop.
Ken Clarke's shoes attracted much attention. Soles of his battered Hush Puppies are wearing thin. An example for an age of austerity? #cpc09
They've wheeled out Conservative party chairman Eric Pickles in the press room to keep hacks happy on a relatively quiet day
Today's theme is "Mending our broken society": Grayling promising sharp tax rises on super-strength alcohol to combat binge drinking #cpc09
Michael Gove would replace the worst performing schools with academies "run by proven sponsors" #cpc09
Advertised speakers often fail to turn up at fringe events. No-shows include Palestinian prime minister, French and Polish ministers #cpc09
Tories are going to bring ex-army chief Dannatt into the fold
I thought the Conservatives have gleefully criticised Labour's GOATs? Will they suffer the same fate?
Fair few sleepers in the hall now...
William Hague says a Conservative government would have a distinctive British foreign policy as well as working through the EU #cpc09
Hague gets loudest applause, and cheers, for saying why the Conservatives want a referendum on the EU's Lisbon treaty #cpc09
Hague says he wants an EU that acts by agreement among nations rather than by placing its president or foreign minister above nations #cpc09
Hague is followed on stage by Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed, a former political prisoner who won an election last year #cpc09
Hundreds queuing up to get in for Cameron's speech with an hour still to go -- the line snakes well outside the door of the building #cpc09
David Cameron has spoken... What did you think of his speech?
by reuters_co_uk at 10/8/2009 2:43:26 PM
Here are some highlights of Cameron's speech
r.reuters.comby reuters_co_uk at 10/8/2009 2:43:40 PM
George Osborne has just said Cameron was trying to be honest and transparent -- did he pull it off?
by reuters_co_uk at 10/8/2009 2:45:15 PM
Theresa May, Shadow Work and Pensions: "Working together was very much a part of this speech... to build the communities and the country we want to see."
by reuters_co_uk at 10/8/2009 2:49:44 PM
Reactions to Cameron's speech
r.reuters.comby reuters_co_uk at 10/8/2009 3:03:49 PM
How did Cameron compare to Brown and Clegg? Take a look at all three speeches in word cloud form
r.reuters.comby reuters_co_uk at 10/8/2009 4:11:10 PM