Lord Jones says social inclusion and wealth creation must go together, and business "is the route to that". But, he stresses, all politicians must send a message that "there is nothing wrong with making and keeping a profit" - which invites applause around the hall.

tweets:, external So how early in @George_Osborne speech will he poke fun at @Ed_Miliband for not mentioning the deficit?

Party chairman Grant Shapps and Baroness Brady, football boss and Apprentice TV show star, enjoying Lord Jones's speech.

Lord Jones praises his home city as he whips up the crowd ahead of George Osborne's speech.

Lord Jones, who is a crossbench peer and was never a Labour member, says : "Business is my constituency."

Former Labour minister Lord Jones of Birmingham - better known as Digby Jones - is addressing the conference.

Delegates rise to their feet and applause as their leader, David Cameron, enters the hall and takes his seat to hear George Osborne's speech.

tweets:, external Standby for @George_Osborne to announce a significant cut in welfare spending. Tories hope they - not @UKIP - will get headlines today

It's almost time for George Osborne's speech. There's a brief interlude in the hall as delegates await the chancellor's arrival.

The second standing ovation of the day - for guest speaker 19-year-old Bejay Mulenga. He tells conference how he went from near-expulsion from school to founder and director of Supa Tuck; a youth-run, school-based enterprise scheme where young people in education run their own tuck shop, which he says was worth £200,000 by the time he was 18. But that wasn't the best bit, Mr Mulenga tells the hall - it was the opportunity to teach business skills to 5,000 young people. He praises government initiatives, such as start-up loans and financial and mentoring support, for helping him to achieve his success.

Culture Secretary Sajid Javid tells the BBC's Daily Politics the government is looking to do more to help working people and that he's "very proud" that many people have been taken out of income tax.

Jim Holden in Birmingham: I am 68 and I am wondering what the latest proposal on the pensions means to me, I can only see this causing further divide between those that have and those that have not.

Patrick McLoughlin wraps up his speech by pledging that a Conservative government would work with business to rebuild Britain and reward hard work "for a better qualify of life". He receives the first standing ovation of the day.

tweets:, external Transport Sec praises @iainastewart for his campaign on east/west rail and @ben4ipswich & @ChloeSmithMP for their greater anglia campaign

Patrick McLoughlin criticises union leaders for calling strikes with "low turnouts and old mandates" as "unfair and unjustifiable" - and says there should be a "proper threshold" before a strike is possible: "That's standing up for hard-working people," he argues.

Building Britain means being ambitious for every part of the country, Patrick McLoughlin says, and tells conference it is "our mission" to open horizons, create opportunities and change lives. Another attack on Labour - he says the party didn't invest and the country "plummeted" from 7th to 33rd in the global infrastructure rankings. The party "hasn't learned", he claims.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin notes that Japanese electronics firm Hitachi decided this year to move its global headquarters to Britain - which he reveals was" one of the best phone calls I have received in this job".

Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson tells the BBC's Daily Politics her party is hopeful of taking seats from the Liberal democrats at the next general election.

Adam Deacon, Bridgend, South Wales: Excellent news for those who are saving for retirement and those already in retirement using income drawdown. It has always been a big concern of our clients that when they pass away their family will pay a 55% tax on their hard earned savings.

tweets:, external Truss says: 'when it comes to British food, we have never had it so good'. Spare a thought for those forced to use food banks, Liz #CPC14