SHADOW Chancellor George Osborne will make one of the biggest speeches of his career next week.

Tatton's MP will take a central role at the Conservative Party conference knowing his job will be on the line when his colleagues elect a new leader.

On Monday he said his main speech would sum up economic policies in 15 minutes.

"I'm not one of the people running for the leadership so the focus will not be on me, which I am happy about," he said.

Mr Osborne's rapid rise through the party was confirmed in May when he was made Shadow Chancellor by Tory leader Michael Howard. On Tuesday next week 34-year-old will follow an economic debate at the conference in Blackpool with his own thoughts.

Speaking before Gordon Brown's address to the Labour Party conference, Mr Osborne said he would be listening to the Chancellor.

"I will see what he says, but it is important for me not to attack Labour the whole of the time and to provide a real alternative," he said.

Attention will be centred on the contenders hoping to replace Mr Howard when he officially launches the leadership contest at the end of the conference. He agreed to step down after the Tories suffered a third defeat to Labour at the General Election.

Ken Clarke and David Davis are the frontrunners, but Mr Osborne has backed his friend David Cameron for the top job.

Mr Cameron was due to launch his campaign tomorrow (Thursday) in London with Mr Osborne among his supporters.

On Monday Tatton's MP was busy writing his speech - and telephoning fellow MPs to encourage them to vote for Mr Cameron.

He predicted all three main parties would have different leaders when voters next went to the polls.

"All the parties are in a state of flux at the moment, which is natural after a big General Election," he said.