Cameron starts Tory conference

Question of a Lisbon Treaty referendum has been causing a stir

Dog charities, a group promoting nuclear power, the industry body for video game-makers - just some of the 100 or so different groups that have set up stalls at the Tory party conference.

They want to talk to key decision-makers.

The people at one youth charity, Catch 22, say "it's about getting our name out there, to the people that matter".

What's clear is that many more of these organisations have come to Manchester than bothered to go to similar events with Labour or the Liberal Democrats.

It's because they think it's likely that the Tories will be running the country soon.

They think there's no way Labour can catch them in the opinion polls before an expected election in May or June next year.

It's why people are paying particularly close attention to what the Tories are saying.

Same as Labour?

They want to talk about unemployment and getting tough on benefits.

They say they'd give people on incapacity benefits medical tests, to check they really are unfit to work.

Anyone they think can get a job, even if it's not one they've done before, would be shifted over to Jobseekers Allowance instead.

Those people would get less money, face penalties for refusing work that's offered to them and be made to do new training.

David Cameron, the Tory leader, said: "Everybody knows that some of those people cannot work and must be helped but many people could work, and there are some who with some tailored help, would be able to work."

Much of what the Tories say on benefits is exactly the same as what Labour are already doing.

The big difference is, David Cameron wants to speed things up.

He'd go further and be quicker at pulling people off incapacity benefit and getting them looking for work.

He'd plough more money in and says he can get it back later from extra taxes paid by the new people in new jobs.

Europe

But there are some things the Tories aren't quite so keen to talk about, even though they could cause them big problems in the weeks and months to come.

It's all about the Lisbon Treaty, a controversial agreement that binds EU countries closer together. Critics say it takes power from the UK.

David Cameron's been saying that if he gets to power before the treaty's finalised, he'd hold a special vote on whether it should go ahead.

But now Ireland have said "yes" to the idea it's one less hurdle out of the way, so it looks like the treaty could be in place in the next few weeks.

The Tory leader was happy to say he'd call a vote ahead of the treaty but he's refusing to say whether he would reverse a decision that had already been made on Lisbon.

So, there is the risk of a future Conservative Britain spoiling the party for everyone else in the EU who voted "yes".

There are plenty of Conservatives who'd love that idea. But David Cameron knows it would make his life very difficult as a new prime minister.

There's often been a split in his party over Europe and it's now bubbling away under the surface again. It could cause him big problems.