David Cameron visits the north west

Agency MD Dougal Paver once described former deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine as his ideal dinner date. Not so current Tory leader David Cameron.

"Far too urbane and good looking. The missus would be elbowing me out of the way and dominating the conversation," he explained.

Paver chatted with Cameron at a supper in Cheshire last night as he toured the region and was able to get a handle on key policy issues. The subject of the Policy Exchange's barmy report on cities was kept well off the agenda...