The house of David - the Tory conference begins

The third and final of the big three party conferences, the Tories don't officially start until 2.30pm, with an address from party chair Francis Maude, followed by the big setpiece speech from the possible next president of the United States, Senator John McCain, and some opening words from David Cameron himself.

But the real starting gun is the arrival of the party leader at the Highcliff Hotel, which David and Samantha duly did just before noon. Battered by a gale force wind blowing in off the English Channel, Mr Cameron said the week would be about regaining the centre ground.

After a personal attack on Gordon Brown in the Sunday Telegraph (the chancellor is "weak and tragic"), the Tory leader will use the opening address to confront head-on the perception that the party has yet to formulate any concrete policies. He will do this by comparing the process of drawing up policies to building a house.