Politics

Read about the latest UK political news, views and analysis.

Monday

Philip Hammond

Philip Hammond’s Conservative conference speech, full text

What a privilege to be introduced by the Conservative Mayor of a north-east city region. Ben Houchen, Ladies and Gentlemen, the living proof that our party is working for people in every part of Britain! And what a privilege to be here: In Manchester City, but 100 percent United! And we have all been with Manchester in spirit as it has stood united in the face of adversity this year. Conference, 40 years ago this week here in the North West a 16 year old speaker from Yorkshire warned his fellow Conservative delegates about Labour’s plans for an irreversible shift of power allegedly to the people but in reality to the State. He

John Longworth

If the Tories won’t champion business and enterprise, who will?

The well-known saying goes, ‘there is nothing to fear but fear itself’. This certainly should be the mantra of Brexit. Disruptive as it might be, Brexit should be the reset button for an enterprise economy, a bright new future of growth and entrepreneurialism, open and free markets – in effect a ‘New Model Economy’ – but few are making the case for this. Certainly, the government isn’t. When I became director general of the British Chambers of Commerce over six years ago, one of my first media interviews led me to say that I thought there was no political party in the UK that truly represented business. By that I

Steerpike Steerpike

Brexit minister tells Tories to behave

Is the prospect of Prime Minister Jeremy Corbyn galvanising Tory ministers into rallying around Theresa May? Steve Baker MP, a lead Brexiteer – and one of the key junior ministers in the Department for Exiting the EU – today told an audience that he is ‘enthusiastic’ about Theresa May’s approach to Brexit. Speaking at a European Conservatives and Reformists event, Baker explained that he was happy with the PM’s position and that there is now ‘no going back’. Theresa May’s Florence speech ‘doesn’t mean she’s backed away from the red lines she previously set out,’ he explained. But despite saying that his own department never feels nervous, he seemed slightly more concerned

Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Ruth Davidson: Tory party needs to man up

Where can Conservatives go if they’re looking to cheer themselves up at their rather nervous, doleful conference? A fringe with Ruth Davidson seems to be the answer. The Scottish Tory leader gave an interview to the Times in a totally packed room at the Midland Hotel this lunchtime, and it was clear that Tory members were there hoping to hear from a Conservative who is doing well and in good cheer. There’s something about Davidson’s blunt approach to politics that Tory members seem to like. She tells them they’re in a miserable state and need to pull themselves together, and gives the impression that she’s already got it together –

Michael Gove

Michael Gove’s Conservative conference speech, full text

It’s wonderful to be here in Manchester – speaking to you as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The fact that I’m on this stage this year is proof that this Government is committed to recycling. And, let me tell you, no-one is a bigger supporter of re-using once discarded material than me. So I’m naturally keen on politicians coming back to the frontline from a period of doing other things. But I do have a problem when those politicians return to the fray with a message that – in their absence – the public have got it wrong. When Tony Blair or Vince Cable tell us that the referendum decision

Katy Balls Katy Balls

Conservatives scratch their heads over how to appeal to the young

An insight into the problem the Conservatives face winning over younger voters can be found in this year’s party conference guide. In the listing advert for an event on young people and future jobs,  a speaker is denoted as a ‘young person’ by way of proof that the Tories have actually managed to locate one. Breaking: Tory conference fringe guide – they've found one pic.twitter.com/3bVsZc0zUI — John Rentoul (@JohnRentoul) September 29, 2017 Given that Labour leads by 35 points in the 18-24 bracket, it’s not a laughing matter for the Tories. Theresa May’s attempt to kick off conference with a bold pitch to these young voters has failed to take off.

Steerpike Steerpike

Watch: Philip Hammond’s geography gaffe

Philip Hammond’s jokes struggled to raise many laughs during his Tory conference speech. But it wasn’t only the Chancellor’s sense of humour at fault today. Hammond started his speech by telling the audience in Manchester: ’40 years ago this week, here in the north-east…’ Mr S. suggests that ‘Spreadsheet Phil’ might like to spend a little longer studying a map the next time he delivers a speech outside London…

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Minister: David Cameron could have only dreamed of getting as good an election result as May

This year’s Tory conference is a sedate affair compared to last year. With no Tory majority, the fringe events are filled with soul-searching on what went wrong for the Conservatives in the snap election. However, some members of government are managing to find the positives to the situation the party is in. Speaking at an SMF panel on how the Conservatives can win over young voters, Phillip Lee acknowledged the shortcomings of the campaign – but said there were still some positives. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice said that the vote share – 43pc – the Tories won is something David Cameron could only have dreamed of

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Patrick McLoughlin’s fall from grace

It’s been a tough few months for Patrick McLoughlin. After the disastrous snap election, the party chairman has found himself in the firing line – with much blame for the campaign’s failings pushed in his direction. In a recent ConHome survey of the cabinet, McLoughlin was ranked last. So, Mr S was pleased to see him getting back into the swing of things at Conservative party conference. After delivering his conference speech in the hall, McLoughlin went on to speak at the Women2Win reception. However, before he could get on stage to commend the work of the group which helps women become MPs, McLoughlin hit an obstacle. The stage was

Sunday

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Liam Fox reveals what he does all day

Liam Fox answered the question on everyone’s lips today. No, it wasn’t what he thought of Boris Johnson’s Brexit interventions (although he did say the Foreign Secretary was no different from him in expressing himself in ’his own colourful way’). Instead, he revealed what it is he does all day. Given that for as long as Britain remains in the EU, the UK cannot sign any free trade deals, it’s a legitimate question to ask of the international trade secretary. So what is it Fox actually does? At a fringe event at Tory conference, Fox said that he’s been keeping very busy, thank you very much, and that he spent

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Boris Johnson outlines plan for reunification… of Cyprus

Will Tory MPs unite behind Theresa May? That’s the big question at this year’s party conference – but for Boris Johnson, there is also another pressing issue: can Cyprus reunite? The Foreign Secretary arrived in Manchester – and immediately joined a welcome reception for the Conservative friends of Cyprus. He revealed to the audience the talks he has been privy to over the past year: We have not in the last 12 months achieved quite what I wanted to do. And there was a meeting in the Swiss resort called Crans Montana where we all tried to get together to resolve the Cyprus problem and we all went up to

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Moggmentum comes to Tory conference

After a lacklustre policy announcement on tuition fees followed by a disappointing turn on the Marr show, Theresa May’s Conservative conference has not got off to the best of starts. However, as MPs fume about their leader’s failings, members are at least managing to get excited about one Tory politician… Step forward Jacob Rees-Mogg. This afternoon Moggmentum hit Tory conference. Eager conference attendees started queuing for a Jacob Rees-Mogg fringe event on Brexit an hour before it began. With half an hour to go, the queue was so long it blocked the entrance to the conference centre. Security staff then had to bend it so that the fire exit was

Matthew Taylor

Sunday shows round-up: Is Boris Johnson unsackable?

Theresa May – We’ve listened on student fees The Prime Minister marked the start of the Conservative party conference (and her 61st birthday) with a customary appearance on the Andrew Marr Show. First on the agenda was the announcement of a change in the government’s policy on university tuition fees. May stated that she wanted to raise the threshold at which students start to pay back their loans, and that she intended to scrap a planned increase in level of fees to a maximum of £9,250 a year. Marr accused the Prime Minister of presiding over a screeching U-turn: AM: The policy that you stoutly defended for years, which ended

James Forsyth James Forsyth

Ruth Davidson reminds English Tories what they’re missing

Ruth Davidson reminded English Tories of what they were missing with her conference speech. It was confident, funny and optimistic. She told the Tories to stop panicking, pull themselves together and beat Jeremy Corbyn. She argued that the bursting of the SNP bubble showed that the Corbyn bubble could be burst. But she warned that this would only happen if the Tories pulled together and put the work in. On Brexit, Davidson told the Tories that it is time that we ‘made it clear –  that we’re not Leavers or Remainers anymore – we’re just Brits.’ This got huge applause, and is undoubtedly the right sentiment. But Davidson, as with

Fraser Nelson Fraser Nelson

Burma, Kipling, Sinatra and Boris – the anatomy of a non-scandal

I’m an admirer of Brian Cox so I was struck by a tweet of his yesterday, where he seemed to have encountered a scientific formula for the Antichrist. ‘If you removed all that is good in Britain, leaving only blimpish sludge, and emptied the residue into one man.’ It turns out that he was referring to the Foreign Secretary. The story in question was one where the Guardian claimed that Boris Johnson had ‘recited part of a colonial-era Rudyard Kipling poem’ in a Buddhist temple. The story was written to mislead the reader into thinking that Boris had read a poem in public in Burma, causing upset to guests. In

The Spectator

Ruth Davidson’s Conservative party conference speech, full text

It’s great to be here in Manchester. Or as I call it, the Southern powerhouse. I want to talk to you about the general election. In fact, I want to talk to you about two of them. The first one – two years ago.  And for us in Scotland, the same old story. Knocking our pans in. Hitting countless doors, delivering thousands of leaflets, too many conversations to count, another pair of boots ruined.  And at the end of it all? We started with one MP. We ended with one MP.  We’d survived the SNP tsunami, but were no further forward than when we began.…we were still outgunned by those sodding pandas.  But, two years later,

Steerpike Steerpike

David Mundell’s Boris Johnson jibe

Conservative party conference kicks off today and already a few common themes are beginning to emerge: how to win back younger voters, May’s vulnerable position and Boris-bashing. After Ruth Davidson used an interview with the Times to suggest that the Foreign Secretary needed a reality check, her Scottish comrade David Mundell has today joined in on the fun in a fringe event. Speaking on a panel of Scottish Conservative MPs discussing how the party could better connect with young voters, Mundell was asked whether BoJo could be the answer. His reply? ‘I do recall that Boris Johnson once stood as rector of Edinburgh university. You can look at the results

Alex Massie Alex Massie

Why young Britain is repelled by the Tories

Of all the difficulties Theresa May faces, the importance of denying the truth may be the most acute. There are certain things a prime minister cannot say; certain fabrications that must be insisted upon because political expedience cannot withstand too much daylight. Mrs May, then, must pretend her position is secure and that, contrary to the expectations of her party and the country, that she will lead the Conservative party at the next general election, whenever that may be. If this makes her seem modestly ridiculous then so be it; the alternatives are even worse. Even so, some fictions would be better abandoned. Last week the prime minister was asked

Steerpike Steerpike

A cold front for the Tories in Manchester

It’s Theresa May’s birthday and the Prime Minister is set to spend it in Manchester where Conservative party conference kicks off today. Alas, rather than celebrate, May finds herself in a perilous position – as MPs on all sides on the party go on the offensive whether it’s over Brexit, tuition fees or Boris. To add to the Tories’ woes, they are been given a less than friendly reception in the land of the northern powerhouse. On top of a banner calling for Tories to be hung, anti-Tory protesters have today descended on the area surrounding the conference centre. Here are some of the delights on display: What a charming

Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Nicky Morgan interview: EU rebels can’t have anything to do with the Labour frontbench

Theresa May took just 15 seconds to sack Nicky Morgan as Education Secretary. Morgan’s revenge has taken a little longer. First, she criticised the Prime Minister’s expensive trousers, but once she’d apologised for that, the Loughborough MP then set herself up as something far more troublesome in the long-term than a fashion critic. Not only is she a prominent campaigner against a Hard Brexit, Morgan is also the chair of the Treasury Select Committee, one of the most powerful backbench operations around. When we meet in her Commons office, Morgan is busy planning how to make the government’s life uncomfortable through a series of select committee hearings and through a