Why confusion will reign at the Conservative Party conference

The show must go on, says the old mantra, even if all around is collapsing into chaos – and that is true about this year’s Conservative Party conference.

MPs have won a momentous legal battle to get parliament up and running, and are determined to use the opportunity to turn the screw further on the beleaguered Boris Johnson over Brexit.

It means they are in no mood to let Conservative MPs escape for their scheduled gathering in Manchester next week, a platform to road-test voter-friendly policies for the looming general election, of course.

But James Cleverly, the Tory chair, has spoken, telling Twitter that “of course” the conference is on and adding: “Look forward to seeing you all in MCR.”

So, how will this circle be squared? How can Tory MPs be in two separate places, 200 miles apart, simultaneously?

The answer appears to be that ministers will have no option but to shuttle back and forth between London and Manchester, in a boon for Virgin Trains, while parliamentary ambushes are plotted, no doubt.

Indeed, it appears the Tory faithful who have spent their hard cash on the conference will have to make do with very few big-hitters for their money.

Even before the Supreme Court bombshell, the programme had been dramatically slashed back to, well, avoid so many boring speeches.

Only four cabinet members – Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, Priti Patel, the home secretary, Sajid Javid, the chancellor, and Mr Cleverly himself – will deliver standalone addresses, it seems.

The rest will have to make do with shorter remarks on panels alongside their colleagues, if they make it to Manchester at all.

But what about Mr Johnson himself, who is due to close the conference on Wednesday lunchtime – at the very time he must face the music at prime minister’s questions in the Commons?

I’m told there is currently no plan to shift the speech but, when I pointed out he would have no choice, the source just shrugged. As with Brexit, all is confusion.

But it is not just the Conservatives who will pay a price. The conference is a £30m money-spinner for hard-pressed Manchester, according to the city’s own analysis.

Almost all the city’s MPs are Labour. That will be preying on their minds if, as expected, they do block a recess next week, in a vote expected on Thursday.