Cameron: Britain will get more drones to fight extremists

However, his critics have pointed out that the ruling on prisoners is, ironically, illustrative of the wider problems with European Union membership which the Prime Minister seems keen to ignore.

uHe has not started planning for life after Downing Street and reaffirmed his commitment to serving a full second term until 2020.

Nevertheless, speculation abounds as to who will replace him.

Observers say that it will be between Osborne and London Mayor Boris Johnson, even if other names have been put forward like Home Secretary Theresa May and Business Minister Sajid Javid.

Mr Cameron accepted that he could never satisfy the party eurosceptics no matter what deal was secured.

A group of Tory passholders gathered to watch at a distance as the demonstration – expected to attract at least 80,000 people – headed towards the conference zone. Journalists will no doubt be monitoring what they are up to on the fringes as well.

A Conservative source also told the Times the party’s leadership was working on the assumption that as many as 100 MPs could fail to back David Cameron’s position on “Brexit”. “I’d be saying this if I were male or female – in the sense that being leader of the party is so all-consuming, putting such a pressure on family relationships”.

The prime minister, who arrived in Manchester on Saturday for the first autumn conference of a majority Conservative administration since 1996, faces a protest against the government’s austerity measures.

Various protests are planned during the conference period across Manchester.

Party leaders have traditionally stayed away from their rivals’ conferences, but Mr Corbyn will address a public meeting organised by the Communication Workers’ Union on Monday in Manchester.

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey told the rally the protest was “sending a very clear message to this Tory Government” that they faced a fightback.

Conservatives attending the conference have been advised by the party not to display their accreditation outside the secure area around the Manchester Central venue in case they come under attack. Tory officials denied he had been muzzled.

At list two arrests have been made, and a smartly-dressed Tory conference-goer was hit with an egg. The party will no doubt be hoping it does not scupper the positive headlines they will be hoping to generate at the conference.

His foreign minister, Philip Hammond, echoed late Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher’s 1990 “No, no, no”, rhetoric to handing over sovereignty.

It comes against the backdrop of the ongoing civil war in Syria, the threat of so-called Islamic State and the migrants crisis in Europe.

Mr Cameron has said that he will not push for a vote on whether to carry out air strikes in Syria unless he believes he has “consensus” in Parliament. Could we hear anything from the PM on this?

“Ironically, the concessions that Cameron wants are precisely the issues that the new Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn says are the sort of tie-breaker”, said Williams.