"Negotiations are hard and difficult." Not Tory leadership candidates' efforts to woo delegates in Blackpool, but Jack Straw's assessment of EU ministers' attempts to save negotiations on Turkey's accession.
In Blackpool today the would-be Conservative leaders break cover and the battle starts in earnest. Sir Malcolm Rifkind addresses the main conference hall today and the other candidates are rallying support at fringe events. Our politics team will be covering the contest throughout the week on our Conference blog and the Guardian Unlimited Politics site. Every day Ed Vaizey MP, Michael Howard's former speechwriter and supporter of David Cameron, will be giving us his inside take.
Elsewhere on the site, Brian Whitaker writes today on a Human Rights Watch report into the targeting of civilians by Iraqi insurgents.
And Culture Vulture will be covering the Orange prize for the best female novelist of the last 10 years.
