Such strictures stop anyone who is unemployed from honestly committing to, say, a two- year course of part-time study.Clara Donnelly, of the Unemployment Unit, puts it starkly: "The Government says that there has always been an insistence on readiness for work, but there is a huge change of emphasis. The questions printed on the new Jobseeker's Agreement ask claimants how many employers they will write to every week; how many they will phone; how many they will visit; how many times they will contact the Jobcentre; what newspapers and trade papers they will look in for jobs, and how often they will look.It asks them if they are willing to start work immediately, within 24 hours or within 48 hours; whether they are willing to work any days and any hours; and which days and which hours.Inappropriate answers will likely mean an end to payments. To receive benefit, unemployed people like Kelly must become Jobseekers: they must actively and continually look for work, sign a detailed agreement to do so, and then prove that they are doing it The proving is the problem. The reason is the new Jobseeker's Allowance, which replaces Unemployment Benefit (and also the lowest of the safety nets, Income Support). The change of name is important: the Government intends to signal a change of role. From tomorrow, there will be tighter restrictions on payments to people out of work, which will to a large extent rule out serious education as an option for them. As she takes another afternoon off college to chase up a missing giro cheque, things already seem difficult to manage It will get worse.

Kelly Johnson is unemployed and wants to study. Yet fundamental changes in the benefits system this week will make this virtually unworkable for the 21-year-old hairdressing student, and for at least 80,000 jobless people like her. He argues: "Not even in the Disneyland of right-wing Conservatism do they think it wise to rock the boat at this conference.". The exception is Jerry "Gabby" Hayes, talkative as his Hollywood B-movie mentor, who not only thinks that the Government can win the election, but also believes the hard-hats will keep quiet. This is their last opportunity to step down the catwalk before the poll that counts.Since it is virtually political suicide to do so, Tory MPs will not go public on their hunches.