8.45pm ToryDiary: Blog reactions to Gordon Brown's speech
Official Conservative reaction here: Reheated ideas and re-announcements
4.45pm ToryDiary: Brown's project is hugely ambitious. He is reversing Thatcherism. He is building a state-dependent Britain.
LIVE BLOG OF BROWN'S CONFERENCE SPEECH
12.30pm ToryDiary: Nick Robinson told that there will not be 25th October election
11.30am Interviews: Boris Johnson answers your questions...
On architecture: "There is a mood of built-in obsolescence, a working assumption that the next generation will want to tear it down, just as we are being forced to tear down so many post-war tower blocks."
On Livingstone's advertising: "Why LondON? Why not LONdon? Or LonDON, in honour of the many academics who make this city the knowledge capital of the world?"
On dirty fighting: "They have been trying all sorts of bollocks in the last few weeks, and as far as I can see it has been completely unsuccessful."
ToryDiary: The Sun's EU campaign may derail Brown's election plans
Seats and Candidates: Nearly all battleground seats have selected
TheWrongMan: Is Mr Brown really keeping you safe?
London Mayor: Johnson - wooing gay voters - comes close to endorsing polygamy
Columnist Stephan Shakespeare: Cameron must offer bankable reasons the uncool majority to vote Conservative (and quickly)
In the run up to conference some Conservative organisations will explain what they do on the Platform. Jonathan Bryant writes about Direct Democracy today.
OUR BLOG OF THE WEEK IS THE TIMES' LABOUR CONFERENCE BLOG (Written by the other Sam Coates)
Coulson and Hilton's conference challenge
"Devising a route into the heart of the party to inspire traditionalists and modernisers will be the true test of the duo's strategic talents. The 300,000 members of the party are a key asset. They cannot be treated as a database or as newspaper readers. They need to be involved, unified and motivated, as they were when Cameron first took over as leader." - Julian Henry in the Guardian
Emergency selection procedures
"David Cameron will trigger a revolt with his party activists by imposing "A-list" candidates on constituencies that have not already chosen should Gordon Brown call an election next month, The Daily Telegraph has learnt. Dozens of associations have yet to selected their candidates – including some in key marginal seats which the Conservatives have to win to deprive Labour of an overall majority, such as Rochester in Kent." - Telegraph
Should he or shouldn't he
"Speculation is now mounting to the extent that, even though Mr Brown himself has said nothing, a failure to go to the country might look like fear. The stocks are sold, the press is squared, the middle class is quite prepared. Backing out now would be the riskiest option of all." - Telegraph leader
"He should wait until after the Conservatives have met and then dissolve the House of Commons. He is entitled to argue that voters have seen enough of him and his opponent in crises to make an assessment of them. He should observe, accurately, that the global economy is in a turbulent state and that it would be wise to invest a prime minister with full authority in these conditions." - Tim Hames in the Times
"Today's speech, however, is the moment to move from generalities to specifics. If he does not intend to call an election - and the odds are surely still against one - then Mr Brown must instead put solid meat on the bones of government. He needs to move from the sort of language that has carried him along so far - largely optimistic banalities to which no one can object - to a challenging and authentic description of his priorities for government." - Guardian
Welsh competitiveness commission
"The Conservatives will canvass stakeholders in the economy to find “radical” solutions to improve competitiveness in Wales... They will take viewpoints from businesses of all sizes and from a wide range of sectors. The trade union movement will also be invited to participate. The commission will be co-chaired by academic Professor Dylan Jones-Evans and the party’s policy director David Melding AM, and will take evidence from business leaders." - Western Mail
More reflection on Lord Gilmour
"Rational, polite and scornful, Gilmour had no power, and for years was clean out of fashion. But viewed from the debris of the "nasty" party, he looks remarkably prescient." - Guardian obituary
"The death of Lord Gilmour, whose obituary we publish today, will evoke memories of the quarrels between "wets" – of whom Sir Ian, as he then was, was the epitome – and "dries" in the Thatcher government. What we should also recall about Lord Gilmour was what a very fine breed of politician he represented. He never allowed his deeply held views to compromise friendships with those who thought differently from him." - Telegraph obituary
Friday's ToryDiary: Lord Gilmour has died
The Jordan Lyon tragedy is a sad reflection of our society
"The argument that one is acting responsibly by refusing to do something for
which one has not been trained is not merely a new and sinister addition to
the armoury of a jobsworth but, worse, suggests the view that human beings
are no more useful than a computer that does not have the correct software
installed." - James Campbell in the Times' Thunderer column
Please use this thread to highlight other interesting news and commentary
