Rishi Sunak and cabinet ministers set out their vision for the future in Manchester, at what was likely the last party conference before a general election. But outside of the main hall, corporate sponsorship ran wild. Business leaders – including representatives from gambling and social media companies – paid up to £3,300 to dine with ministers in charge of key policy decisions, with no record of what was discussed. Policy Exchange, a think tank that does not disclose its funders and has a track record of influencing government policy, hosted a range of events.