What to look out for at the Conservative Party conference

The Conservative Party’s annual conference begins this weekend in Birmingham.

Here are some of the things to watch out for:

– Brexit is dominating the conference season with just weeks to go before a deal needs to be reached with the EU, so be prepared for some furious public bust-ups between members of the hardline Brexiteer and pro-Remain wings of the party.

– Boris Johnson, who has a lot of support among the rank and file, has been ramping up his opposition to the Chequers proposal and is unlikely to quietly arrive through a back door – the former foreign secretary will give a speech at a ConservativeHome fringe event on Tuesday.

– Theresa May takes to the main stage for her keynote leader’s speech on Wednesday, easily the trickiest of her term in office so far, with a party at war all around her and key obstacles remaining between Britain and the EU over a Brexit deal.

– Number 10 officials will surely be on hand with emergency lozenges and superglue to avoid a repetition of Mrs May’s 2017 speech, which featured a coughing fit, a backdrop that fell apart behind her and a comedian handing her a mock P45.

– Backbenchers have already started openly talking about the PM stepping down after Brexit, so expect some grandstanding and eye-catching speeches from ministers and MPs with an eye on the top prize.