Brexit divisions and leadership plots threaten to overshadow the Tory conference

Analysis: Conservatives gathering in Birmingham will struggle to match the unity, energy and enthusiasm of Labour's annual convention, writes Sean O’Grady

Theresa May will be hoping for a less eventful keynote speech when she addresses delegates on Wednesday (Reuters)

Loyalty”, it used to be said, “is the Tories’ secret weapon”. A long time ago, maybe, but this year the party’s conference will be marked by open splits and divisions. There are two key battlegrounds, intimately connected: Brexit and the leadership.

Brexit will dominate everything, fairly obviously. The battle lines will be drawn first in the TV studios on Sunday. The prime minister will be on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show; ex-Brexit secretary David Davis will be interviewed for Sky by Sophy Ridge. News clips of them contradicting each other will set the template for the next few days.

Still, Theresa May goes into conference in about as strong a position as she can, in the circumstances. Her defiant post-Salzburg speech last week, demanding the EU “respect” Britain and reviving the slogan “no deal is better than a bad deal” rallied grassroots support for her and her Chequers plan.