Thread by @RJSHutton

Will be live-tweeting key events and quotes from the Conservative Party conference, shortly.

#CPC2018

On Brexit, Dominic Raab has a clear message for the British public - and the European Union.

"All of this fact-based negativity doing the rounds is just the kind of thing which could scupper Brexit, if we are not careful" he says.

#CPC2018

"The government has no plans to stockpile medicine; and no plan for shortages of food" Raab assures. "We haven't made plans for anything at all, in fact" he adds, with a touch of pride.

#CPC2018

Raab takes a firm line with the EU, however: "if the EU27 want to leave our club, well, that is their decision. We don't want to see them cut off from civilization, but if they will insist".

#CPC2018

Backing him up was Jeremy Hunt - who noted the comparability of the EU to the Soviet Union. #CPC2018

"The Soviets killed, deported, exiled and imprisoned countless thousands of people in occupied Europe, and ruined the lives of several generations; whereas the EU has not.

It is therefore impossible to distinguish between the two entities" - Jeremy Hunt MP

#CPC2018

Hunt continues: "to make the EU as democratic as Britain, perhaps the twice-elected Donald Tusk could be replaced by a Royal family?" - a feeling widely shared by all twelve people in the room.

#CPC2018

Priti Patel suggests that Tories are "failing to adequately apply the ideals of free-market capitalism to governance". Like "giving public money from the aid budget, to a government overseas; in order to ever so gently encourage them to put a spot of business our way". #CPC2018

Esther McVey is proud of forging a new partnership with Barnardo’s "to give care-leavers work experience in their shops. True, they could have got this anyway through volunteering. But shut-up" she explains #CPC2018

McVey adds: "thousands of disabled people have been helped into work by our government. Some of them are still alive".

#CPC2018

The Defence Secretary, Gavin Williamson, is adamant "we must not be distracted from the serious task of telling countries to shut up and go away" #CPC2018

"I believe that humanity and the robot can co-exist in peace" explains Greg Clark (unclear who he is).

#CPC2018

On a related note, Phillip Hammond - who I'm reliably informed is chancellor of the Exchequer - today noted: "it's all well & good for this Tusk chap to say our government's plans for Brexit won’t work: but that’s what people said about the lightbulb, back in 1878!" #CPC2018

As many of the more youthful current supporters of the Conservative Party will no doubt recall; being present to witness it, at the time.

#CPC2018