Labour conference has ended, and Jeremy Corbyn has managed to avoid too many mishaps, a final-day row over Trident aside. As a result, for the first time since Corbyn took the leadership of his party, the public and media spotlight will fall fully on David Cameron and the Conservatives as their conference begins. Running from Sunday to Wednesday, the Brighton-based event will see key speeches from government ministers and a prime chance for difficult and not-so-difficult backbenchers to get their moment in the sun. Here's what to watch out for:Banging on about Europe
With Britain's EU membership referendum approaching (probably) next year, the Tory party's most divisive issue was always sure to surface at conference. That's been ensured by an explosive intervention from Nigel Lawson, the former Chancellor, today, who has become President of the Tory Eurosceptic group Conservatives for Britain. His arrival is significant in part because of his rhetoric. When Conservatives for Britain launched, their founder, the MP Steve Baker, made
clear in a Telegraph article that he supported David Cameron's renegotiation attempt and would wait to see what the Prime Minister had secured before campaigning to leave.
In a Times piece today, Lawson pulls off the gloves and lays into Cameron, writing that "it is increasingly clear that the package of reforms the government will manage to secure... will be wafer thin." Expect more harsh words and pressure on the PM in the coming days.
A special guest
Having the radical Corbyn in charge may have upset swathes of moderate Labourites, but it does make things more exciting. As part of a range of protest events organised by the People's Assembly group outside Tory conference, Corbyn will address a rally organised by the postal workers union on the future of the postal service. Normally party leaders avoid each other's conferences—the sort of Westminster convention Corbyn refuses to abide by—so this could provide a rare chance to disrupt Cameron's message and coverage. On the other hand, now that Corbyn has broken the rules, Cameron may feel he's able to in future, and when it comes to dirty political fighting, my money would always be on the PM. Cameron, for his part, is likely to emphasise the importance of security and stability in troubled times—CCHQ's key line of attack against Labour.
Following the leader
David Cameron's revelation at the last election that he won't be serving a third term as Prime Minister has opened up the floor to a race to succeed him. Boris Johnson, once regularly named as a frontrunner, has put in a disappointing performance, failing to make much impact in his first months back in parliament. The election of Jeremy Corbyn is widely thought to favour George Osborne, who represents continuity and economic competence in stark contrast to the left-winger's all-change platform. Theresa May, too, is often touted as a potential candidate, and Nicky Morgan, the education secretary, has told the
Spectator she is considering standing. Watch out for a high profile fringe interview with Morgan on Sunday, Boris's speech on Tuesday and any suspiciously off-message briefings to the press for clues as to the ambitions of each.
The wider world
With Putin launching air strikes in Syria and the general election out of the way, foreign policy must surely return to the spotlight in British politics in the coming months. Conservative conference is likely to be no exception. Cameron is said to want a vote on extending UK air strikes against Islamic State (IS) into Syria, and it may be he'll use conference, high-profile platform that it is, to announce it. With Labour tearing itself apart over Trident, defence and security are also issues it's in Cameron's interest to highlight, so Sunday, themed around "Britain's place in the world" and featuring speeches from the Foreign and Defence secretaries, will be a day to watch closely.
