Tory conference passes have been hitting (fewer) doorsteps and attendees might have spotted that their lanyard is bare. No branding, just plain black…

This will be the first conference in years without a lanyard sponsor adorning every conference-goer. Last year’s sponsor PoliMonitor switched to the LibDems and the Tories have failed to organise a replacement. It’s the most expensive advert you can buy for conference – the Tories’ funding black hole is getting wider…

The party is also taking the unusual step to publicly advertise the main conference hotel inside the secure zones, which still has numerous rooms available mere days before it kicks off. A single bedroom at the Hyatt Regency will set a non-member back by £2,675. Support a CCHQ employee today…