Conference diary

Make or break

David Cameron today faces the most important speech of his career. He's trying to leave as little as possible to chance. Four trusted aides – Andy Coulson, Steve Hilton, Ed Llewellyn and Catherine Fall –are poring over every sentence.

Bad career move

Bizarre scenes when whips met at a conference tea room. During an animated exchange Crispin Blunt accidentally deposited a cup of coffee over the Chief Whip, Patrick McLoughlin, and Michael Fabricant.

Party of the day

This year's must-have ticket was to Lord Strathclyde's champagne-and-salmon-sandwiches midnight bash on the Imperial Hotel's third floor.

Good Day

In the same venue where Tory plotting scuppered his leadership, Iain Duncan Smith won a four-minute standing ovation for an emotional plea for Britain's "broken society" to be mended.

Bad Day

Tory women – an analysis of the party's selection lists has concluded that just one in six Tory MPs will be female if Mr Cameron wins the election.

Today's Agenda

9.45am: Environment debate

11.15am: Debate on the Tory policy review

2pm: Closing speech by David Cameron