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Kemi Badenoch came into this contest as a clear favourite but is now fighting to stay in the contest, David Maddox writes from the conference.

Her crown on the right seems to have been snatched by Robert Jenrick. Meanwhile she is in danger of being knocked out of the final two by Tom Tugendhat or James Cleverly as the candidate of the left.

She has not been helped by gaffes on maternity pay or putting civil servants in prison.

But Badenoch is the one with the most star quality which she needs to show today to get her campaign back on track.

As one MP in a rival camp put it: “ Kemi needs to win 3 nil today and Jenrick can get away with a 2 all draw.”

Stuart Andrew is now targeting the Labour party, claiming the party issued a “cynical attack” on pensioners by cutting winter fuel payments.

The chief whip said: “It was the Conservatives that put Labour’s cruel decision to cut the winter fuel payment into the news and forced a vote in Parliament.

“And it is the Conservatives that have shown that the phoney claim of the black hole is just smoke and mirrors. And we will keep going. We as Conservative MPs owe that to you and we as Conservative MPs owe it to the country.”

The Conservative chief whip has admitted the party suffered a bruising defeat at the general election.

But, despite the hueg loss, Stuart Andrew said the Tories are not done.

He added: “We all know that the general election result is not what we wanted or what I believe the country deserved.

“Despite the very best efforts of so many of you here we lost so many brilliant MPs who I and I know you hope to see back on those green benches again. But that will take every effort over the next four years, an effort we all need to put in.

“And okay, yes, we’re bruised, yes, we’re deflated, and yes, we may only have 121 MPs. But conference, let me tell you, we are certainly not done. In fact, we are only just getting started.”

Chief whip Stuart Andrew, who is introducing the candidates, jokes about the 1990s series House of Cards, David Maddox writes from the conference.

In it the series the chief whip eliminated the rival candidates one by one.

Andrew takes Urquhart’s most famous line. “Some of you may think it is a coincidence I am here... but I couldn’t possibly comment,” he says to laughter.

The chief whip of the Conservative Party Stuart Andrew is speaking before the candidates take to the stage.

He told the conference: “Conference, today I will highlight the face we have ahead of us and what we are already doing in Parliament to hold this Labour government to account.

Mr Andrew added that the Tories stand fully behind Israel’s right to defend itself, adding: “At times like this we will work constructively and responsibly with the government as that is the right thing to do in the national interest.”

Richard Fuller, the Tory chariman, is on the main stage introducing the morning session.

He has started his speech by thanking party members who have helped with the conference.