When discussing the speed limit changes, Phil Hammond couldn’t help a dig at Huhne:

“I can tell you, in confidence, that I have had an approach from one of my Cabinet colleagues inquiring whether the change could be retrospective – but I am afraid I have had to disappoint him.”

Particularly relevant given the Tories believe Huhne leaked the announcement on Friday…

Normally “women problems” at Tory conference involve the more amorous members of Dave’s cabinet and too much champagne, but his own issues are clearly getting to him. After his  apology in the Sunday Times for being sexist, the PM was overheard thanking their political editor at last night’s media shindig for “getting his message out to women”.

Guido hears the smarm offensive has gone even further though, with female MPs press-ganged into a rota to escort the Prime Minister between the Midland Hotel and the conference hall, or at any other time he might be seen on camera. Form an orderly queue ladies…

A conference speech is always a team effort, Osborne’s speech had input from Rupert Harrison, Poppy Mitchell-Rose and Ramesh Chhabra. Read it in full here and judge for yourself.  The end result was so polished it read like a Times leader. Perhaps with good reason…

A close textual analysis of Osborne’s speech gives Guido the distinct impression that the hand of The Times’ Danny Finkelstein can be detected. A usually reliable source says Fink was unofficially on the team helping finalise the speech back in Osborne’s hotel room. Ironically a couple of years ago it was Fink who spotted that Gordon Brown was recycling lines crafted by Stan Greenberg for American political audiences to Labour conference.  Guido is still trying to figure out what the Treasury-backed small business bond plan is all about.

Hot off the podium:

“…the support they get from the taxpayer has got way out of hand. Just in the Civil Service alone this so-called facility time is costing no less than £30 million a year. Can you believe that there are around 150 civil servants who are actually full time trade union officials, all on the public payroll? We can’t go on like this. That’s why I’m announcing today that we’re consulting on limiting the time civil servants can spend on trade union work, and on ending the employment of full time union officials at the taxpayer’s expense.”

Guido will be buying the champagne later…

Guido hears that the idea to raise the motorway speed limit was set to be the flagship moment of Transport Secretary Phillip Hammond’s conference speech later today. So there was some anger and confusion when it leaked late on Friday afternoon. Hammond was rushed to Millbank to push the policy…

All big conference announcements would have been cleared with the two coalition parties, so fingers are being pointed across party lines for a leaky culprit. Ironically the most vocal critic of the idea has been Chris Huhne. A growing number of Tories suspect it was he who spoiled the big announcement. Making friends as ever…

A newbie MP talking to a young blonde lady. The MP says “it was nice to meet you, but I’ve got to go and show my face at the British Venture Capital Association reception”. The young lady immediately says “wow, that sounds like a very right-wing group.”  The MP looks bemused, replying “I wouldn’t say that. It’s business, it’s not left-wing or right-wing. So what do you do?” The lady suddenly looks embarrassed: “I work for the BBC.” “Oh? Doing what exactly?” “I’m public affairs – it’s my job to persuade all of you lot that we’re not a bunch of raving left wingers.”  “You’re not doing a very good job so far…” came the reply.

It’s down to Pickles and Maude to announce the end of trade union funded public sector officials – or as Guido christened them – Pilgrims. As revealed yesterday, after months of campaigning on the issue, Pickles will this afternoon say:

But in the game of Town Hall Top Trumps, there’s a non-job which beats even the Civic Sex Snooper.

Taxpayer-funded, full-time, trade union officials.

They cost the public sector – that’s taxpayers to me and you – £250 million a year. This is money taken away from frontline services. Guess what… You won’t find Labour criticising them. Silence from Ed Miliband. His Labour councillors voted to close libraries, but keep bankrolling union officials on the rates. And surprise, surprise. Not even a dicky bird from Labour’s local government spokesperson, Jack Dromey, No wonder. Because he knows the unions are still bankrolling Labour. In my book, that’s not All Right Jack. If unions want to raise money for Labour – do it in your own time, not on the rates. We’re going to call time on this last closed shop.

Maude will flesh out the nitty gritty. Interesting to note Caroline Flint has become irrelevent and it’s her deputy, Mr Harman, who is taking the flack.

Having so often set the news agenda, Guido could get used to setting the policy agenda too…

Overheard in Manchester bar at Tory conference…

“The Liberals used to shoot your dog, now they steal your cat.”