Unanimously grim
David Cameron takes centre stage here in Birmingham this afternoon to make the closing address to the Tory Party conference.
His main worry is that he'll be overshadowed by events elsewhere, as (the markets are already acting as if it's dead) and the (the markets are assuming it will succeed later this week on a second vote).
The financial crisis has dented Tory confidence somewhat, so Mr Cameron will want his party faithful to leave Birmingham convinced that they still have what it takes to form the next government.
But to do that, he will have to reach out beyond the conference hall to the wider voting audience and convince them that he really is a leader for the tough times ahead.
Just how tough the times are going to be became apparent to me at a dinner last night with some industrialists and financiers.
I went round the table asking each to give me their assessment of how their businesses would fare over the next couple of years and the message was unanimously grim: everyone spoke of layoffs, cuts in investment, an inability to borrow and shrinking markets.
They were preparing for a prolonged slowdown and there was a demand that politicians on the left and the right face up to the new austerity that awaits us and to be honest with voters about just how bad times are going to be. We will see whether Mr Cameron obliges today.
We have two special programmes from Birmingham. On our first programme at noon, I'll be interviewing the architect of the Conservative's policy review, (good to know the party high command has released him from the Central Office tranquillity room) and the shadow foreign secretary .
I'll also be joined by celebrity party supporter, actor William Roache, perhaps best known as Ken Barlow in Coronation Street.
In London, Anita will talk to and the businessman and former Dragon's Den judge Simon Woodroffe about what David Cameron needs to do in order to "seal the deal" with the British public.
After a swift credit crunch lunch, we'll be back on air at 2pm for Mr Cameron's speech. In the build-up, I'll be interviewing shadow chancellor , while Jo has two political stalwarts with her: former Conservative leader and former Labour deputy leader .
GQ editor Dylan Jones casts his eye over David Cameron's successes and failures during the past year, the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's political editor Nick Robinson will be on hand to analyse the big speech, and we'll also get reaction from the City.
That's the Daily Politics conference special on Ö÷²¥´óÐã2 today at noon for an hour and again at 2pm, with the Cameron speech live and uninterrupted.
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