Shadow policing minister, David Ruffley , is miffed to discover that security at this year's Labour Party conference will cost the taxpayer 63 per cent more than two years ago.

"Figures I have unearthed show that the cost of policing the Labour conference in Manchester has risen from pounds 3.98 million in 2006 to pounds 6.5 million this year,'' he tells me.

"Meanwhile, the Home Office has allocated only pounds 4.5 million to police the Conservative conference in Birmingham. Why is there such a huge disparity?''