Hello and welcome to Not Another One.

So we're recording, it's a sort of international cross-atlantic operation today, dear listeners, because we've got myself in London,

we've got Ian Martin from live from D.C. and we've got Tim Montgomery in Manchester at the

Tory Party conference, which is very exciting. So we're sort of multifocal today.

Steve is on a bit of a break.

But Tim,

we're so excited to hear from you because I have to say I gather from some of the slightly malicious wide-angle photography that's been put out there,

that there's not that many people at the Manchester Tory party conference and that

poor old Mel Stride, for example, who delivered his shadow chancellor's speech, didn't have a

huge audience. What's the atmosphere like? Because it's obviously a very odd conference for them.

Well, actually, I tell you what, I'm enjoying myself a lot.

Everyone's been incredibly nice to me, which is making me feel incredibly guilty about defecting to reform.

But I've just come from a lunch with old friends, and I think we're recording sort of, well, I know we're recording Monday afternoon for those who are listening in.

And one of my friends was telling me they're staying at the top sort of Manchester Hotel and they're paying 60 quid a night, including breakfast for the central of Manchester.

So if you kind of want an indication of the level of participation in this conference,

the fact that someone can get that kind of bargain probably tells you all you need to know.

So what you're telling is there is no surge pricing in Manchester this week.

Exactly, yeah.

But, honestly, I think there are a lot of, I think membership is down a bit on,

attendance by members is down on last year, which you would expect because last year was a leadership

election party conference. So, you know, people were more interested. There was more at stake at

the party conference last year. Well, good point, good point. Yeah.

...