Vince Cable has addressed delegates at Lib Dem Conference: Live 1619 Danny Alexander is often accused of drinking the Coalition cool-aid to such an extent that he's gone native at the Treasury and is too buddy buddy with George Osborne. He's fighting back manfully in his Q+A with a little joke about Grant Shapps' identity crisis, telling a delegate called "Matthew Green" he thought it was "Michael Green" for a moment. Barely a laugh. 1617 Answering a question on Europe, Alexander claims that he's the second most pro-European Lib Dem in town. He says a referendum would be a "total distraction" from the problems facing the country. 1609 And in breaking news, Nick Clegg has nominated his favourite post office. Seriously: 1606 A lady called Hermione from Hartford asks Alexander if there is a way to publicise the differences the Lib Dems have with the Tories within the Coalition. Alexander says: "I don't think we need any help with that!" She hits back: "We do need to be able to show that a vote for a Lib Dem is not a vote for a Conservative." 1602 Alexander is asked how Lib Dems on the ground can woo back voters. "It takes time," he says, advising a lady from Zac Goldsmith's seat of Richmond to "sell the message" of what the party has achieved in Government. 1558 Perhaps Mrs Clegg didn't enjoy spending her 13th wedding anniversary with Lib Dem delegates in Brighton. AP is reporting that Hurricane Miriam has become a major Category 3 hurricane off the coast of Mexico. 1557 Alexander pledges to continue drive to ensure that no one will pay tax if their income is lower than min wage. "We have the opportunity to stake our claim as the only economically credible and progressive party in British politics," he says. 1556 Sky's Glen O'Glaza is feeling a bit lonely: 1553 Continuing his question and answer session with delegates, Alexander says that University College London data shows Lib Dems have secured 75% of their manifesto pledges, while Conservatives have won only 60%. 1551 Looks like Andrew Mitchell-baiting is all the rage down in Brighton. Now Danny Alexander's at it. Saying he understands how the difficult time the Lib Dems are going through means it's hard on the doorstep, he says many are having to get used to having people cross the road to avoid them: "A feeling now shared by Andrew Mitchell in Downing Street." Arf arf. 1548 Baroness Williams has told the BBC she wasn't keen on the Coalition at the beginning, but important for state of economy to back it now. Within that, she wants clearer Lib Dem stance on social issues, especially welfare cuts. On Nick Clegg: I don't always agree with him but I think the level of guts he shows ... has actually carried a lot of Liberal Democrats behind him. 1542 More from that Ed Davey Channel 4 News interview - a rather less than collegiate analysis of the current state of the Conservative Party: I think the issue we have with our Conservative colleagues is that they are not all united around what is sometimes called the detoxification strategy. Some of them want to remain toxic. 1534 Peter Bone isn't impressed by what he's heard about Vince Cable's Business Bank. He told ITV: "I haven't seen any of it, but it's almost certainly wrong." 1515 Ipsos Mori has put out a poll showing that Vince Cable is the preferred choice of leader among those who voted Liberal Democrat at the last election. Overall, twice as many said that they would be more likely to vote Lib Dem if he was in the top job (12% to 6%) 1512 Tim Farron isn't afraid of the elements, apparently. Or of appearing smug. He tweets: 1504 James Kirkup reports: Ed Davey has been at a fringe 'conversation' with Gary Gibbon of Channel Four. As well as some very personal observations about his childhood (he was orphaned), his child (disabled) and his role in the demise of Charles Kennedy (central, traumatic), he had a few observations about his Conservative colleagues: 'The issue we have with our Conservative colleagues is they are not all united around the detoxification strategy -- some of them want to remain toxic. There is a debate going on in the Tory party. It is not settled. "'David Cameron, he said, has "got some party management to do,' he added." 1444 Lord Ashdown has hit the fringe to claim that the tuition fees pledge was "opportunistic." But he still reckons Nick Clegg is the best leader the party has had for 100 years. 1429 Cable has denied that his speech was an all-out attack on his deputy, Michael Fallon, with his crack at those who find sacking workers an "aphrodisiac." He said: " (Mr Fallon) is a very sensible guy and we have a very good working relationship. He is not actually dealing with employment law and we have a very sensible, middle of the way solution. We are not proceeding with measures which involve hiring and firing but we are making it easier for small companies to deal with relationships that break down, to make tribunals more efficient so that they (businesses) don't get caught up in red tape. I was just having a mildly humorous pop at those at the extremes of the debate. With mild humour like that... 1422 Mr Cable sets out his vision for a Business Bank. James Kirkup reckons he was making a clear pitch to Labour with his speech. 1409 Here's my news story on Mr Cable's speech. Further reaction and analysis to follow from colleagues in not-so-sunny Brighton. 1406 Labour seems to have abandoned Ed Balls strategy of sucking up to Mr Cable. His shadow Chuka Umunna has accused him of delivering "confusion and uncertainty for business." 1403 Here's Vince Cable making his pleb joke. 1351 Mr Cable's speech has gone down well with the CBI, anyway. Director-General John Cridland has issued a press release saying: Vince Cable concentrated on the key issue of the moment - growth. It is always tempting for politicians to play to their conference gallery, and I am pleased that Vince's speech went to the heart of the growth debate. A new-style boutique, Government-backed bank for growth firms can bring something new to the business lending toolkit The big gripe today from many growth businesses is a gap in the market for long-term investment finance. The new £1bn wholesale fund will enable banks to provide 'patient capital' to high growth businesses. 1338 Now Vince has popped up on Sky. He rejects the suggestion that he is closer to Labour than the Conservatives. Hollow coughs all round. 1336 The Beeb's Norman Smith adds: 1334 BBC Pol Ed Nick Robinson says that "word has gone round" from Lib Dem high command that ministers and MP should shut up about Mr Mitchell now. The fear is that gate-gate is overshadowing conference. Well, they're right; it is. 1333 In the comments below, lauchenlode says: "Sounds as if Cable's lining himself up for the unenviable task of leading the LibDems out of politics. Perhaps in retrospect he'll wish he'd left it to Mr Plebb and kept his reputation intact. Do you agree? Have your say in the comments. 1326 The Mail's Tim Shipman isn't having much fun on the conference fringe: 1324 Despite his pleb joke, Mr Cable came over all shy when asked on WatO to comment further on Andrew Mitchell's difficulties with the police. "I have absolutely nothing to add to what my colleagues have said," he said. Well, they seemed to think that Mr Mitchell had questions to answer... 1323 Cable has half-heartedly shrugged off his friend and ally Lord Osborne's suggestion that Mr Clegg might not remain as leader going in the general election, saying the two don't always agree. 1322 Osborne is apparently less keen on the mansion tax. "I still have some work to do," Cable says. 1321 Mr Cable tells WatO his mansion tax doesn't contradict Nick Clegg's call for higher taxes for high earners. For all of his lefty reputation, he seems far cooler than Mr Clegg on taxing those on £50,000-a-year, saying he's more interested in the super-wealthy who avoid paying anything like their fair share. 1320 Lordy Ashdown at the Populus / Times fringe has said Lib Dems shouldn't worry about polls mid-term. Because that worked really well for him. 1318 Now Vince is on the World at One, denying suggestions that George Osborne is opposed to his business bank: "I'm working very closely and actually harmoniously with the Chancellor on this." 1316 Good point from the FT's Kiran Stacey: 1315 A quick check of the text of Mr Cable's speech as emailed out by the Liberal Democrat press office earlier shows that the pleb / Eton joke was not in the official version. But the Ed Mili texting joke was. 1249 Thomas Pascoe on Cable's pronouncements on banking: Vince has re-affirmed the intention of the Coalition to forcibly separate investment and retail banks, as per the Vickers report. The move will lead to riskier investment banking strategies, not calmer ones. As investment banks will lose their cheap deposit bases, they will need to generate higher returns to pay for higher borrowing costs. This means more casino style banking, not less. Unfortunately, we will still be on the hook for the results. Banks have learnt that their insurance comes from being too systematically important to fail. Unless retail banks are excluded from contracting with investment banks entirely, the health of the City banks and the high street banks will continue to be entwined. 1246 Wowser - Cable says that he doesn't think the public will give any party a majority at the next election, and says the Lib Dems should be at the heart of any Coalition which comes to power as a result. He also said that the Lib Dems should opearte as a totally separate party from the Tories as they go into the next stage of the electoral cycle. 1244 Now here's the pleb joke I promised: "I don't know what Boris and Dave got up to at Eton. Perhaps a pillow fight got out of hand in the dormitory. I know that class jokes are bad for the unity of the Coalition. But as a mere pleb I couldn't resist it. 1243 Vince Cable has now begun the political bit - saying he knows that being in Coalition has been difficult for the party. For Nick Clegg, Cable's annual speech must feel like like Gordon Brown's used to for Tony Blair. An alternative leader's address. 1239 Michael Deacon says of the speech so far: Cable going down well in his leadership audition, I mean conference speech, especially with jokes about his unpopularity with Tories and his dismissal of 'headbangers' like Adrian Beecroft who find firing people an 'aphrodisiac'. Speaking confidently and firmly, though as ever there is an occasional Thunderbirds wobble to his head and arms. 1237 Mr Cable addresses calls for higher rates of tax along the lines of those being planned by French President Francois Holland, saying he prefers a "chatauu tax." 1235 Big dig at Michael Fallon there - Cable criticises those who treat sacking people as an "aphrodisiac." This two weeks after he and Fallon got into a ding dong over whether the Governments proposals to change the rules around employment tribunals would make it easier for bosses to axe workers. 1233 Now on to the serious stuff. Mr Cable says of his business bank: "I am working with the Chancellor to develop a new institution that will combine a billion pounds of new government capital with a larger private sector contribution. This will apply leverage through guarantees to support up to £10 billion pounds of finance to small and mid-sized business - a significant portion of all the lending currently available. 1230 Our Telegraph online polls have got a mention!. Cable says his lurches into tribalism meant he was named by Telegraph readers in our survey last summer as the Cabinet minister they most wanted to leave the government. Unfortunately, there was bad news for him in a more recent poll, when he was run into third place by both George Osborne and Theresa May: "Sadly, I have lost my badge of honour - not to one but to two Conservative colleagues. The fightback starts here. 1227 Ho ho - a little joke from Vince about his reported texting with Labour leader Ed Miliband. I have good commuication from politicians across the spectrum. Holding up his phone, he went on: "Please Ed not now, this is not the time." 1225 Vince Cable has begun speaking - five minutes late, he begins with praise for Nick Clegg for his "courage" in making the Coalition work. 1224 The sensible wing has prevailed and a lefty attempt to pass a motion to reject Osborne's Plan A is overwhelmingly rejected. 1221 Iain Martin has accused Mr Clegg of joining "the assault on aspirational Britain." 1218 Mr Clegg also did a good job of chuckling merrily when asked about Boris Johnson's support for him in today's Telegraph column. "Well, that's something," he said. 1216 Nick Clegg has just been on Sky - he was asked to say whether Andrew Mitchell should remain in office, and rather markedly did not give his full backing. Instead, he tossed the hot potato over to David Cameron: "Clealry Andrew Mitchell said something wrong which he shouldn't have said to the police officer. He's apologised. 1214 Tony Grew tweets about the impact on Tropical Storm Nadine on Lib Dem Conference. There's a theme developing here. In the US, both the Republican and Democrat conventions were hurricane-lashed. Maybe God having his view on politicians... 1211 Finally some chewy substance at Lib Dem Conference. Delegates are debating whether it is right to support George Osborne's famous Plan A. Tim Farron has given his full support: "I'm in politics to work to avoid human misery. Scrapping the fiscal mandate would create avoidable human misery. 1158 Jamie Lyons brings us news from inside the gents at Lib Dem conference. Gulp. 1144 James Kirkup has wrenched himself away from Lib Dem conference to blog on Andrew Mitchell - he says Downing St and the Chief Whip have mishandled the whole affair, and the latter's apology this morning has done little to improve matters. 1138 Lib Dem Don Foster has been kinder to Mr Mitchell. He told ITV's Alex Forrest it was time to "draw a line" under the incident. But Sir Menzies Campbell thought he still had some explaining to do. 1134 The Independent's Nigel Morris reports on Lib Dem "frustration" over Mitchell's gate-gate dominating the news agenda: 1132 Norman Smith tweets on some more unhelpful comments for Andrew Mitchell from Lib Dem MPs: Jeremy Browne, the home office minister, has said told the BBC: "I can understand as well why people fell that we need to get to the bottom of it, and explaining to the media what was not said is not the same as explaining to the media what was said, so there is a sort of sense of all the loose ends not being tied up."