Conference has barely begun and Tory MPs and right-leaning think tanks and pundits are already kicking off about Theresa May’s announcements on tuition fees and Help to Buy.

Kate Andrews of the Institute of Economic Affairs:

“The Prime Minister is right to address the plights of young people leading up to Conservative Party Conference, but pledging over £10billion worth of uncosted policies will only burden them more down the road, as they face an increasing national debt and – inevitably – higher taxes. While May plans to temporarily put a bit more cash back in the pockets of young graduates, the party must acknowledge that the current university funding system – and lack of competition within it – needs a complete overhaul if student debt is to be tackled. Propping up the Help to Buy scheme only distorts the housing market more, which is already in a perpetual state of crisis. If May is serious about getting young people on the housing ladder, the answer is clear: liberalise the housing market and build more homes.”

Sam Bowman of the Adam Smith Institute:

“Reviving Help to Buy is like throwing petrol onto a bonfire. The property market is totally dysfunctional because supply is so tightly constrained by planning rules, and adding more demand without improving the supply of houses is just going to raise house prices and make homes more unaffordable for people who don’t qualify for the Help to Buy subsidy… Reviving Help to Buy is an astonishingly ill-judged move that may prove economically and politically disastrous for the government.”

The view from ConHome and Unherd:

Deeply irresponsible if true

— Tim Montgomerie ن (@montie) September 30, 2017

MPs Guido has spoken to are wondering why May has chosen to engage on Corbyn’s territory with policies that are just Labour-lite. Colleagues are asking why there are no ambitious announcements on house-building and student debt rather than this damp squib. Not to mention the £12 billion of unfunded spending. A lot of work to do on policy over the next few days…

UPDATE: The government’s side of the story articulated well by James Cleverly:

If it were mathematically possible to have mass university participation + zero fees + maintenance grants it would have been done already 2

— James Cleverly (@JamesCleverly) October 1, 2017

Their claim that everyone can have everything they want and someone else will pay for it is deeply dishonest 4

— James Cleverly (@JamesCleverly) October 1, 2017

So, who could be Theresa May’s successor? Here’s PART TWO of @FrankLuntz‘ #bbcsp focus group of Conservative voters pic.twitter.com/e6fkMypoot

— Daily&SundayPolitics (@daily_politics) October 1, 2017

Fascinating Frank Luntz focus group on the Sunday Politics asking Tory voters their thoughts on potential leadership contenders. Terrible viewing for Hammond (“so boring, so dull, bland”), and bad too for the great Remain hope Amber Rudd (“not leadership material, she’s backroom staff”). Better for Boris (“underneath it he’s very, very intelligent”), though it was the Mogg and David Davis who were most popular. Nobody in the room wanted May to fight the next election…

With over half of ConservativeHome readers wanting Theresa May to go before the next election, on Friday YouGov helpfully released this poll:

Basically Boris wins if he gets in front of the membership according to YouGov. Amber Rudd is likely to be the unity candidate of the continuity-Cameroons and Tory Remainer resistance, with Ruth Davidson campaigning for her fellow Remainer. DD and Boris will split the pro-Leave majority of the parliamentary party so it is, as things stand, going to be a Tory leadership campaign where in the final membership round Rudd likely loses to one of them. Is DD more popular with MPs than Boris?

“I had a date with my wife and I didn’t want to be late” – @sajidjavid explains why he dodged journalist’s May leadership question #Paterson pic.twitter.com/zaINCL982U

— Sunday with Paterson (@RidgeOnSunday) October 1, 2017

Asked by Niall Paterson, Sajid Javid says he walked out of an interview with the Observer when they asked if he thought May should fight the next election because he was late for a date with his wife. “It’s as simple as that…”

Theresa May says her cabinet fully backs her approach to #Brexit, including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson https://t.co/xMyiJoGD67 #marr pic.twitter.com/bjB5hhpKwN

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) October 1, 2017

Theresa May declined to say that Boris is unsackable on Marr this morning. It would be just as relevant to ask if Philip Hammond is unsackable – the Chancellor has consistently been more at odds with government policy than Boris. Hammond wants a five year transition, May and Boris want two years. Hammond wants an EEA minus model, May and Boris don’t. Is it really Boris who is out of line with policy, or is it Hammond?

At the beginning of her Marr interview Theresa May criticised Labour’s plans for spending and borrowing. She then went on to announce £12 billion of new spending on tuition fees and Help to Buy without saying how she would pay for it. This is dangerous unfunded Labour-lite stuff, fighting on Corbyn’s turf…

After our story on the “Hang the Tories” banner and effigies hanging from a bridge in Manchester went viral, GMP Salford tell Guido it is being investigated as a public order crime.

Manchester mayor Andy Burnham: “This is just wrong. We will always protect the right to protest but never to threaten, abuse or incite violence. It should come down”.

Local MP Lucy Powell: “On behalf of our city and my constituency, we’re sorry about this. We disagree with, and are angry with your policies, but we wish you no harm”.

Good to know…