Tory Conference shorts

Flying visit

At least I was up early enough to spot him this week. Brian Wilson, former Labour Minister, was in the foyer of the Tory Conference early this morning having been involved in a 7.30am fringe meeting on Flying Matters, the pro-airports pressure group. “I came in under cover of night and I’m leaving as soon as I can,” explained Mr Wilson. I hope he didn’t read the Guardian on the way to the airport - the Tories have just promised to scrap plans for Heathrow’s third runway.

Put down of the day

Oliver Letwin to the Independent’s Steve Richards who claimed to have read all the Conservative policy papers and thought their education plans would cost more money.

“I congratulate you. You are the only person in England who has been reading our policy documents,” said Mr Letwin graciously. “Unfortunately you have drawn the wrong conclusions”

Barging in

No chance of Brian Wilson crossing the path of David Trimble, the former First Minister of Northern Ireland, who is at the Tory conference with an eye to being a member of a David Cameron cabinet.

Mr Trimble,a boating enthusiast, was thrilled when he heard the Tory conference was being held in Birmingham. He piped his wife Daphne aboard the Trimble barge and spent three days travelling to the event on their very own canal boat. All he has to do now is turn the darned thing around and get it back to its moorings in time.