Conservative Party conference: Who had good week/bad week?
Sky's Senior Political Correspondent Jon Craig looks at who had a good week and who had a bad week at the Conservative conference.
Wednesday 5 October 2016 15:12, UK
After last week's Good Week/Bad Week from Labour's conference was dominated by male politicians, this week's headlines from the Tories - led by a woman, after all - were evenly divided between the sexes
And the triumphs, successes, blunders and gaffes in Birmingham were shared between the men and the women too.
:: GOOD WEEK
1) Theresa May
The honeymoon goes on. And her grip on her party has never been - and probably never will be - more secure. Those rebel MPs who made David Cameron's life a misery are now fully signed up to "Mayism".
In a remarkable reversal, it's pro-EU MPs who are now the rebels. She cleverly dealt with Brexit on Sunday so she could set out her vision in her triumphant "Come with me" end-of-conference speech.
2) Philip May
Asked on Sunday if her husband would be on the platform after her speech, Theresa May said: "You'll have to wait and see."
Well, he was and looked as if he was enjoying himself. Ever-present at his wife's side in Birmingham, it's claimed he's her closest political adviser.
He's a former president of the Oxford Union and Tory association chairman. Asked about comparisons with Denis Thatcher this week, he said: "I don't have sharpeners and I don't play golf!"
3) Amber Rudd
The new Home Secretary proved she is a serious political player and also someone with a showbizzy, racy past. Her tough-talking speech on immigration may have been controversial, but it was meaty and packed with post-Brexit policy. (She was a leading Remainer, after all.)
And we also now know that before becoming an MP she wrote erotic poetry and worked on the hit film Four Weddings and a Funeral.
4) Ruth Davidson
The Christian, gay, kick-boxing army reservist who leads the Scottish Conservatives is a Tory rising star.
As warm-up act for the PM - previously performed by Jeffrey Archer, Gyles Brandreth and Jim Davidson - she said Scottish Tories were "out and proud" and "not hiding any more". And on the new PM, she said: "She's done more for women than your pink bus, Harriet."
5) Lord Ashcroft
He's back! The multi-millionaire known as "Blofeld", the cat-stroking Bond villain, when he was party treasurer and deputy chairman, has not only recovered from a serious liver and kidney failure illness that left him fighting for life but is also back as a key player and pollster and donating to the party again.
He has joined the Leader's Club, an exclusive club of donors who write a cheque for £50,000. Small change for him!
6) Andrew RT Davies
The burly leader of the Tory group in the Welsh Assembly is a farmer from the Vale of Glamorgan who describes himself as "19½ stone of pure Welsh beef.
Giving the first speech on Monday morning, he declared: "Mark my words, we will make breakfast... Brexit, a success" As the audience roared with laughter, he said: "That's one word that wasn't meant to come out like that."
:: BAD WEEK
1) David Cameron
A year ago the former PM was a hero at the Tory conference. This year he was a non-person.
Yes, there was a tribute video at the start on Sunday and generous words from Theresa May in her conference finale, but that was about it.
He was also trashed by Ken Clarke in his memoirs: "Next week's headlines are given more priority than serious policy development and the long-term consequences." Ouch!
2) George Osborne
The former Chancellor, sacked by Theresa May in her first act as Prime Minister, is in a cold, lonely exile these days.
His successor, Philip Hammond dumped Osborne's economic targets and deficit strategy and said his austerity measures have had their day.
3) Jokes
As well as snubbing his predecessor, Philip Hammond was the worst offender for bad jokes.
On Labour's Ed Balls: "Ed was not their first choice for Strictly? They were going to ask Corbyn - but then they discovered he's got two left feet."
And then: "I saw Ed on Saturday too - and, not to sound too much like Craig Revel Horwood, I think his Charleston is probably better than his economic analysis!" Stick to the day job, Philip!
4) Andrea Leadsom
The speech by the new Environment Secretary, whose bid for the Tory crown was even shorter than Diane James' leadership of UKIP, was a stark reminder that she almost became Prime Minister.
In it, she came out with this startling claim: "We're selling coffee to Brazil, sparkling wine to France and naan bread to India."
Really? Close scrutiny revealed there was scant evidence to support any of these claims.
5) Nicky Morgan
In a few short months, the former Education Secretary has slumped from the Cabinet to what the Spectator's Steerpike column described as "the new Peter Bone of the Conservative Party".
Anti-grammar schools and anti-Brexit, she nervously remarked at a fringe meeting that two Government whips had been sent to spy on her. Peter Bone, meanwhile, is now a loyalist. "I'm mainstream now" - he boasted with pride.
6) Hyatt Hotel
Theresa May wants to deliver for working class people. But not many working class people could afford the bar prices in the conference hotel, the Hyatt Regency.
A gin and tonic in the Gentleman and Scholar bar cost £11.45, a pint of Birra Moretti lager was £6.95, a 250ml glass of Rose £9.25 and even a cup of lukewarm coffee £4.25.
But then there weren't many working class people attending the Tory conference!