Liz Truss and her ministers arrived as anticipated in a combative, flinty tone, ready to stick with their mini-maxi budget.
In her no-surrender speech on the 45p top tax rate, the prime minister paid homage to Thatcher by blaming international forces for domestic interest rate increases that are driving up mortgage and business costs for millions of people.
Conservative party chairman Jake Berry went further, suggesting markets can overreact.
The only contrition so far has been an acknowledgment that the communications around the growth plan weren’t up to scratch.
So far so expected.
But a number of unexpected things have already happened today.
First is the public scale of the opposition the PM is already experiencing.
Michael Gove, the talismanic Tory love-hate figure, crowned himself the leader of the internal opposition on TV this morning, suggesting he’d vote against the 45p top rate when it comes to parliament, probably in March.
Mel Stride, chair of the Treasury Select Committee, wants to bring forward the Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts.
Others are planning to speak publicly.
Secondly is the huge disquiet from dozens of Tories not in Birmingham who are contemplating how to stop – in their view – Ms Truss wrecking the reputation for financial probity of the Conservative Party.
One Tory MP even suggested they would contemplate voting to force a general election soon, arguing it could be in the national interest, even if that meant expulsion from the party and being ostracised by everyone who they have worked with in the last decade.
Thirdly, confusingly, Liz Truss has knocked down her relationship with her Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng.
She appeared to blame him for the 45p tax row, saying it was his decision, as she admitted it wasn’t put to the cabinet.
This prompted even Truss loyalist Nadine Dorries to raise an eyebrow, saying “there is a balance, and throwing your chancellor under a bus on the first day of the conference really isn’t it. Fingers crossed things to improve and settle down from now.”
Last week, Sky News outlined how Ms Truss needed convincing by Mr Kwarteng to acknowledge the Bank of England’s concerns.
This creates a toxic impression the two are not getting along. This isn’t a straightforward start to Ms Truss’s first conference.