There has been low-level speculation for ages that George Osborne may not necessarily end up as chancellor of the exchequer, an idea rubbished by senior Tory officials.
It is in the spirit of mischief-making that someone has passed me the fringe agenda for the Tory conference in October.
Some of the most senior Tories will speak alone: William Hague, Ken Clarke, Alan Duncan. Others are in pairs; “Villiers and Shapps”, “Grieve and Grayling”, “Clark and Herbert”, “Willetts and Miller”.
A Tuesday session on the economy features an appearance by “Hammond and Osborne“. Shouldn’t that be the other way around?
Jim Pickard
Kiran Stacey