Conservative Conference ends - only a few gaffes...

10.07.48am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 5th Oct 2006

It is probably due to lack of policy debates that the gaffes stood out more at Conservative Party Conference than normal, or it may have just been George Osbourne being very offensive and of course Boris Johnson that got all the media attention because of what they said.

George Osbourne alluded that the Chancellor Gordon Brown suffers from Autism. He claims to have been moving the conversation forward, I suspect he was trying to overly clever and ended up being very offensive.

Oliver Letwin also implied that there should be no limits to private involvement in the NHS. Just as Dave Cameron this week has been saying its the most important public service, and praising the NHS.

Boris Johnson has an amazing ability to put his foot in it, I have a soft spot for Boris but am convinced the bumbling idiot thing is a complete act and thinks it gives him charm. He firstly defended pies in a diatribe against Jamie Oliver and healthy eating. He followed this criticising safety seats for children in cars by saying they were "utterly demented" and added "When I was growing up we all bounced around like peas in a rattle - did it do us any harm?" - Well Boris... He then went on the talk about the Scots, saying Gordon Brown would find it hard to convince people in England he should be prime minister, he also said that Scots shouldn't have free (University) Education or Personal Health Care (they have both thanks to the Scottish Liberal Democrats). Then Boris topped it all off by saying that giving power to local communities could result in Sharia Law and said "the issue of people's failure to feel British, especially large chunks of the Muslim population." Not bad for one week offending Muslims, Scots, Jamie Oliver, people who believe in healthy eating at schools and the safety of children in cars and of course all Liberals.

I saw bits of the Conservative Conference on television and whilst I can't say for certain the following two statements were made I am fairly sure they did. In George Osbourne's speech I am convinced I heard him rule out the UK joining the Euro and in one of the environment sessions I am sure I heard someone say "What car would Jesus drive".

Beyond the Conference there seemed to be lots of cracks, especially between the delegates and the leadership over the question of tax cuts.