She's not John Redwood

Among all the embarrassing things that could happen to you at a party conference, it probably ranks alongside turning up in the same outfit as a Lib Dem activist.

The Tories are playing my record collection (as I still call it) to party members here. The Style Council, Snow Patrol......I'm a bit worried they'll start playing The Smiths next. Either I've got older or the Conservative taste in music has got younger; probably a bit of both.

I've spent the last 24 hours trying to discover the political views of the woman likely to become Secretary of State for Wales if David Cameron wins the general election.

The Tory leader admits his party is still divided over devolution. We know its leader in Cardiff Bay, Nick Bourne, thinks the Welsh Assembly should have full law-making powers. After almost five years in the job, no-one knows Cheryl Gillan's views on the subject.

The Tories have promised to reveal their party policy before the general election but are waiting for the All-Wales Convention to report on the prospects for a referendum. (Most activists here are keener on a referendum on Europe but that's another story).

If a Conservative Government did agree to a referendum on Assembly powers, a risky strategy in itself, then Tory MPs would be given a free vote which could see senior politicians from the governing party campaigning against each other.

Cheryl Gillan's views on this remain a mystery, although she did let slip a secret or two during a visit to a stall promoting Welsh produce in the conference: "My husband's a faggots and peas man".

Ms Gillan would be the first woman Secretary of State Wales has seen. She'd be the sixth from an English constituency, an experience that has previously ended in tears for the Tories.

The Gillan response? "I'm not John Redwood".

Not at this stage, no

 it's Sunday, it must be Manchester. Greetings from what is now known as Manchester Central, the exhibition centre formerly known as G-Mex, home to the Conservatives for a week.

This lot could be in power in a few months, but don't hold your breath waiting for Welsh policy announcements. "Not at this stage, no" was Cheryl Gillan's response to a suggestion that the Tories might choose the conference to unveil Welsh manifesto ideas. She would, understandably, prefer to announce policies in Wales.

As she spoke to the Welsh media (well, three of us), David Cameron was giving an interview to BBC Scotland in which he promised to set up "a council of the nations" to improve relations between Westminster and devolved governments.

The idea appeared to catch the Welsh leadership on the hop, although its theme - better co-operation - is one we'll be hearing a lot about, in the absence of policies, at a Welsh fringe meeting tomorrow.

So lots more meetings between politicians, a veritable mall of talking shops. If your pulse is racing at the prospect, do let me know.

Fortune favours...?

The queues for David Cameron's speech already stretch around the Winter Gardens. It's David Cameron's big day - and probably the last major leader's speech here.

The Tories are giving up on Blackpool, long rejected by Labour. Its conference facilities are poor, its accommodation worse, its (visiting) drunks a traffic hazard. Blackpool has a great political history - Harold Macmillan resigned as Prime Minister during the Tory conference here in 1963.

Margaret Thatcher made her first conference speech as Prime Minister here. William Hague and David Cameron made the speeches that made their names here.

But enough nostalgia, what of the future? When will the election be? Gordon Brown won't tell us so I went to see Sarah Petulengro. Sarah has been telling futures on Blackpool's North Pier for more than 20 years.

She's predicting an earlier than expected election although having stared into her crystal ball she wasn't prepared to name the date. (November 1?)

She predicts surprises ahead - that will be a relief for Welsh voters suffering from election fatigue.


Sarah found time to look into her crystal ball on my behalf - apparently I too have big changes ahead - good ones - although I do have some obstacles to overcome first.


You can watch Sarah's political analysis (it was free - she turned down our offer to cross her palm with silver) on Wales Today this evening. More on the Petulengros here

Gardening leave

I spent the morning gardening in Blackpool. Before I'm called before the BBC trust police for deception, I should point out that I spent the morning watching others gardening.

The Welsh Tories unveiled their answer to Groundforce's Charlie Dimmock and Alan Titchmarsh.

Step forward Cheryl Gillan and Nick Bourne, wearing anoraks of Guantanimo Bay orange. The plucky duo helped out at a project to build a community garden in a deprived area of Blackpool - a social action project designed to show how the Conservatives have changed.

Their efforts so far do look impressive, especially since I understand that Cheryl Gillan has a gardener and Nick Bourne doesn't have a garden.

Iain Dale has delivered his verdict on the first conference appearance of this double act:

"There was a time when the opening speech of the conference by the Party Chairman was a must for all those attending. Today the hall is a quarter full. I'm sitting here listening to a discussion chaired by Caroline Spelman with the devolved Tory leaders. Someone really needs to sort the sound out. Truly terrible. Off to a fringe."

Having quoted from Iain's blog, I should probably plug his new Guide to Political Blogging in the UK, not least because I'm in it.

I'm a bit wary of lists and a bit perplexed by some of the top 30s, but if you voted for me - thanks. This blog's only been going since June and lacks a BBC platform so it was refreshing to discover that someone out there is reading it.

Poll to poll

David Cameron's call for a general election may or may not be ignored by Gordon Brown.

If he calls an election, Cameron will be able to say Brown's responding to his call. If he doesn't, he'll accuse him of running scared.

But how ready are the Tories for a general election?

Privately, some of the delegates, sorry representatives, I spoke to at a reception this evening are hugely unenthusiastic about the prospect of an early election.

(A reception, incidentally, where David Cameron was expected but unable to attend - I'm contemplating dusting off the "Leader snubs Welsh Tories" headline).

Opinion polls during the last fortnight have offered David Cameron little cause for hope.

The Tories have so far selected "14 or 15" candidates for the 40 parliamentary seats in Wales.

They may have chosen candidates in target seats but in Blackpool this does not look like a party on election alert.

Lembit �pik

Greetings from Blackpool, which is so far living down to expectations - and the Conservative conference has yet to begin.

More on them, a lot more, later. But here's the last word on the Lib Dems - whose Welsh leader seems to be suffering an identity crisis.