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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Tory conference at-a-glance | Tory conference at-a-glance |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| CONFERENCE ROUND-UP | CONFERENCE ROUND-UP |
| David Cameron has promised to work with the government in href="/1/hi/uk_politics/7643524.stm">speeding through legislation to protect economic stability and protect bank account holders. Shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve has outlined plans to offer help for "have-a-go-heroes". Shadow schools secretary Michael Gove has said the Tories would offer relationship guidance to couples about to marry. And former party leader Iain Duncan Smith has spoken on the issue of social breakdown. | |
| CROSSING THE FLOOR | CROSSING THE FLOOR |
| Shadow justice secretary Nick Herbert has mischievously suggested his opposite number Jack Straw might consider a future in the Conservative Party. In a speech to the party conference he said: "Watch Jack Straw. Believe me, Gordon Brown is... One day Jack was an arch Blairite and the next day we woke up and he was running Gordon Brown's leadership campaign - I don't suppose it will be long before we wake up to discover that he's changed to the winning side and we look forward to him joining the Conservative benches." Polite laughter from the audience suggested they were not entirely convinced. | Shadow justice secretary Nick Herbert has mischievously suggested his opposite number Jack Straw might consider a future in the Conservative Party. In a speech to the party conference he said: "Watch Jack Straw. Believe me, Gordon Brown is... One day Jack was an arch Blairite and the next day we woke up and he was running Gordon Brown's leadership campaign - I don't suppose it will be long before we wake up to discover that he's changed to the winning side and we look forward to him joining the Conservative benches." Polite laughter from the audience suggested they were not entirely convinced. |
| BROKEN SOCIETY? | BROKEN SOCIETY? |
| Not all Tories seem to agree with the party's belief that society is "broken", Boris Johnson famously describing the claim as "piffle". But former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, asked by the leadership to look at policy options in the area, says social breakdown is as much of a threat to people's lives as growing economic hardship. He told the conference that the rise in "dysfunctional families" and the spread of a "culture of the streets" would cost the country billions if not addressed. Tackling these problems required politicians to act with their hearts as well as their heads, he said. | Not all Tories seem to agree with the party's belief that society is "broken", Boris Johnson famously describing the claim as "piffle". But former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, asked by the leadership to look at policy options in the area, says social breakdown is as much of a threat to people's lives as growing economic hardship. He told the conference that the rise in "dysfunctional families" and the spread of a "culture of the streets" would cost the country billions if not addressed. Tackling these problems required politicians to act with their hearts as well as their heads, he said. |
| SCOTTISH BROADSIDE | SCOTTISH BROADSIDE |
| David Cameron has warned those who think a victory for his party at the next election might accelerate the break-up of the Union to think again. He said Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond had "another thing coming" if he felt a Tory government would make it easier for the SNP to secure independence. The Tories currently have only one MP in Scotland but Mr Cameron said he would "work with anyone in Scotland" who wanted to preserve the Union. | David Cameron has warned those who think a victory for his party at the next election might accelerate the break-up of the Union to think again. He said Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond had "another thing coming" if he felt a Tory government would make it easier for the SNP to secure independence. The Tories currently have only one MP in Scotland but Mr Cameron said he would "work with anyone in Scotland" who wanted to preserve the Union. |
| STICKY FLOOR | |
| There was much bafflement at a fringe meeting after a questioner asked the panel - including pop and railway mogul Pete Waterman - if their businesses suffered from the problem of "sticky floors". It was explained that sticky floor is a term along the lines of "glass ceiling", and refers to the difficulty workers at the lowest level might have in moving up the ranks. The best answer came from Network Rail boss Iain Croucher who said that while there might be a sticky floor in some parts of his company some of his staff had sticky shoes... in other words they enjoyed what they did and did not want to move up. |