Tory Conference Diary: Envoy is a hit as Jewish attendees spoilt for choice

Israeli ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely proved to be quite a hit with senior figures in the Conservative Party during her visit to party conference.

• So much so that Stephen Crabb MP, the Conservative Friends of Israel parliamentary chair and former minister, jokingly suggested if she wanted to give it a go she could even challenge Boris Johnson for the top job.
• Meanwhile Hotovely wasted no time at a fringe event at Tory conference is waving away an offer of being introduced to MPs at the Manchester by a communal figure, who shall remain nameless.
• The ambassador pointed out that if she needed help with introductions she could always ask the Prime Minister or those around him for help.

• Jewish attendees at the Manchester conference were left in a bit of a quandary on Tuesday afternoon, when no less than three fringe events covering antisemitism and online hate were scheduled for the same 3.30pm start time.
• One Conservative figure was overheard apologising saying: “The seen to think they can get all the non-English sessions over in an hour.”
• It was lucky that the Board of Deputies turned out in force again for Tory Conference, as they had done last week in Brighton for Labour’s event.
• With three fringe events on at the same time on Tuesday, the Board’s Daniel Sugarman did one, President Marie van der Zyl another – while the fantastically down-to-earth and approachable new chief exec Michael Wegier went off to observe another.
• And look who posed up for a picture as Jewish News ventured back to their hotel room on Tuesday night:

• Earlier, Bury South MP Christian Wakeford, the Board’s comms director Phil Rosenberg and myself (see Board’s tweet) had been photographed at the CFI reception.
• Crabb told the crowd at CFI, Hotovely had been treated like “a rock star” by the Tory faithful at conference and added:”If you were a member of the British parliament Boris Johnson would be worried about you.”