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Today's top ConservativeHome features ToryDiary: Is George Osborne preparing to break, then ditch, his debt rule rather than risk more cuts? Boris would eliminate Labour's lead in the opinion polls (but Team Cameron think growth will do that too) Imagine if "John Prescott drove a car into a wall, while drunk" appeared on a website... Columnist Jill Kirby: No fault dismissal is just a distraction - but if this week's employment review implements the rest of Beecroft, business could get a real boost Nick Pickles on Comment: There are over 100,000 CCTV cameras in secondary schools - something has to change Also on Comment - Lord Ashcroft: 300 guests attend the launch of Heroes of the Skies, my latest book that champions the gallantry of airmen Simon Marcus on Local Government: The battle for Hampstead Town The Deep End: How the unemployed could work for one other Today's ConservativeHome newslinks Cameron to apologise to families of 96 Hillsborough victims "David Cameron is today expected to issue an apology to the families of 96 Hillsborough victims for a string of failings by both the police and government. An independent report, published today, is expected to condemn the responses of the authorities to the disaster at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest." - Daily Mail George Osborne prepares to abandon chief fiscal target "The Treasury is preparing to abandon its chief fiscal target for this parliament in the autumn statement on 5 December if its retention would mean imposing further swingeing spending cuts before the next election. The fiscal mandate requires the government to ensure that public sector net debt as a proportion of national income is falling between 2014-15 and 2015-16... Current high borrowing figures and lower tax receipts have rapidly reduced ministers' chances of reaching the target" - Guardian "George Osborne on Tuesday named December 5 as the date for this year’s autumn statement, amid growing speculation that it could mark the moment when he abandons part of the coalition’s fiscal mandate." - FT (£) If Boris Johnson were leader, Labour's poll lead would disappear "Boris Johnson would wipe out a huge Labour lead if he took over as Tory Party boss, according to a bombshell poll... The Conservatives would enjoy 37 per cent support with the ultra-popular London Mayor as leader, found the YouGov survey. That puts them almost level with Ed Miliband’s Labour Party on 38 per cent of the vote." - The Sun "Even Tories who would support the London mayor as a future leader are sceptical that he will pose any threat to Mr Cameron before 2015. But he is arguably most damaging as a constant point of comparison." - FT (£) "Cameron-watchers have become used, in recent months, to seeing That Smile on the Prime Minister's face. It means Boris Johnson is nearby and has upstaged him once again." -Independent Hijacking Olympic glory for political gain is dangerous - Sir Simon Jenkins for the Guardian The fast growing cult of Boris Johnson ought not to be underestimated by his detractors and enemies - Grace Dent for the Independent > Today on ToryDiary: Boris would eliminate Labour's lead in the opinion polls (but Team Cameron think growth will do that too) Benedict Brogan: Dastardly plots and stalking Borises – blame yourself, Dave "Around him, there are those who admit that many of the problems stem from months of political drift. The party looks rudderless. Ministers, Mr Cameron chief among them, have let themselves be distracted by the demands of governing in an economic crisis. ... Governments must constantly explain themselves to voters who might otherwise start to wonder what it’s all about. The Prime Minister gives every impression of a man who wanted power but has forgotten why." - Benedict Brogan for the Daily Telegraph Cameron plans to deploy Army as strikebreaker "After the Army’s successful role in the Olympic Games... the Prime Minister wants the Forces to fill in routinely for striking workers. In a related move all members of the Armed Forces are now expected to be put on seven days’ notice to cover for any emergency, including a general strike. Troops could be called in to cover for prison officers, firefighters, immigration workers, fuel tanker drivers, and even train and Tube drivers, according to Whitehall sources." - Times ( £) Cable and Osborne on a collision course over small-business bank "A row between Vince Cable and George Osborne was brewing last night over whether a new Government-backed bank should lend money directly to cash-starved small businesses. [Cable] said yesterday that the scheme "may well" involve state lending. But when the Chancellor announced the "small-business bank" last week, the Treasury made clear it would not have a budget to channel money to firms and would merely make existing government schemes to help business more accessible." - Independent Cable’s state bank ‘is a non-starter’ -Times (£) "Luckily, the Business Secretary's proposals for a state lending bank look little more than a footling irrelevance" - Daily Telegrapheditorial Bank of England to advertise for Mervyn King's replacement as governor - Guardian > Yesterday on ToryDiary: Want to be the next Governor of the Bank of England? Here's the job description... Giving money to the poor does not help them take responsibility for lives, warns Iain Duncan Smith "The Work and Pensions Secretary will condemn initiatives begun under Labour that led to a major reduction in child poverty levels as “perverse” and based on “arbitrary” measures. Unless people’s lifestyles are transformed, they will almost inevitably slip back into poverty, he will say. Mr Duncan Smith is calling for the definition of poverty, which is based on a family’s income, to be torn up and replaced with one that takes into account their wider circumstances." - Daily Telegraph It will take a lot more effort than this to make the welfare reform pay - Christina Patterson for the Independent Police recruitment changes planned, May says "Ministers are drawing up plans for some senior police officers in England and Wales to be directly recruited from outside the service, Theresa May says. The home secretary told a conference of senior police officers the move would bring "greater diversity" to forces." - BBC Government committed to UN overseas aid target, says Justine Greening "Justine Greening, the new international development secretary, has reassured Britain's main aid charities that she remains committed to meeting a UN target on overseas aid spending. As George Osborne told MPs that the government would abide by its commitment to spend 0.7% of gross national income on aid by 2013, Greening told Save the Children and other charities that this is the "right thing to do"." -Guardian Why aid is a dream job for Justine Greening - Alice Thomson for the Times (£) New policing minister Damian Green calls for private sector to take a greater role in police work despite G4S shambles "Mr Green sought to give fresh impetus to the privatisation drive in a speech to candidates in elections in November to become police and crime commissioners (PCCs). “I hope you will all consider the value of private sector partnering to achieve both cost savings and better services for the public,” he told them." - Independent Peter Luff MP: Housing push ‘a recipe for rows with the neighbours’ "Peter Luff, the former Defence Minister who lost his post in last week’s reshuffle, said that the ill-fated housing booms in Ireland and Spain were proof that a construction frenzy was not the way to secure growth. He said a Downing Street plan for a free-for-all on house extensions would only succeed in seeing the Government blamed for thousands of fall-outs between neighbours." - Times (£) > Yesterday on ToryDiary: Stormed at with shot and shell, Nick Boles rides into planning's Valley of Death Questions over climate change minister's links to his adviser "Greg Barker, the climate change minister, worked with the energy consultant Miriam Maes when in opposition and she was hired as a departmental consultant soon after the coalition came to power. But newly released documents show Maes made repeated efforts to encourage Barker to meet representatives from Air Products, a multinational energy-from-waste supplier and one of her clients." -Guardian Harsh words for Smith as new lobby minister - Independent Daniel Hannan MEP: Black Wednesday - Britain was free, but we Tories were done for "September 16 1992 was the day that almost destroyed my party. It had been hovering in the high thirties in the polls until then; it dropped 10 points virtually overnight and – other than a tiny blip during the fuel protests in 2000 – stayed there for the next 15 years. Almost all the negatives projected on to the Tories afterwards had their roots in the ERM: “They’ll do anything to stay in power”, “They don’t care about ordinary people”, “They never say sorry”, “You can’t believe a word they say”." - Daniel Hannan MEP for the Daily Telegraph If Romney risks nothing he will win nothing - Daniel Finkelstein for theTimes (£) Clegg in hot water after gay marriage ‘bigots’ gaffe  "Nick Clegg has landed himself in hot water after being forced to withdraw comments that branded opponents of gay marriage “bigots.” ... Pre-released comments sent to journalists said: “Continued trouble in the economy gives the bigots a stick to beat us with, as they demand we ‘postpone’ the equalities agenda in order to deal with ‘the things people really care about’...” But 85 minutes later, the message was recalled... with the word “bigots” replaced by the milder “some peopl e” instead." - Times (£) "In an unguarded moment of frankness, Nick Clegg reveals his true feelings about opponents of gay marriage." - Daily Maileditorial > Yesterday on ToryDiary: Spot the difference, Nick Clegg edition Britain's non-EU exports surge to an all-time high as firms sell £13.2billion of goods to nations beyond Europe in a month - Daily Mail The Eurozone is becoming less important for UK exporters - Allister Heath for City AM Failed, failed, failed: Blair said his priorities were education, education, education. But Labour billions did nothing to raise standards, says report - Daily Mail At least 140 schools face closure over GCSE fiasco - Independent Ed Balls booed by trade unionists for not supporting a public sector wage rise - Sun > Yesterday on LeftWatch: Is Ed Miliband really backing away from the unions? Tessa Jowell steps down from shadow cabinet "Dame Tessa Jowell, the only political figure involved in the Olympics and Paralympics from the day they were awarded to London until the closing ceremony this weekend, has resigned from the shadow cabinet. ... She said: "...After 10 years with the Olympics and Paralympics, it is job done."" - Guardian Salma Yaqoob quits as Respect party leader -Guardian CCTV cameras being used in school changing rooms and toilets - Guardian > From today - Nick Pickles on Comment: There are over 100,000 CCTV cameras in secondary schools - something has to change Accused ‘may have to choose jail if they can’t afford new legal aid fees’ - Scotsman And finally 1... David Cameron ridiculed in Chinese newspaper - ITV News And finally 2... Yes, Prime Minister – there is a new show in town for Cameron to worry about - Independent Yesterday's highlights on ConservativeHome ToryDiary:  Spot the difference, Nick Clegg edition Want to be the next Governor of the Bank of England? Here's the job description... Chris White MP on Comment: The time has come for Britain to lead the way in developing a modern industrial policy MPsETC: Which MPs have been made Parliamentary Private Secretaries? LeftWatch: Is Ed Miliband really backing away from the unions? ThinkTankCentral: The Government ought to rouse our sleeping casinos WATCH:  The Daily Politics' compilation of memorable party conference moments Barack Obama pays tribute to those who lost their lives in the 9/11 terrorist attacks