Long-time cabinet minister Michael Gove faces questions on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips - and says there should be tax cuts before the next general election.
Next up is the first address from one of the holders a great office of state. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps - who took up his role just over a month ago - is now addressing the Tory party faithful at the 2023 conference.
Mr Shapps opens his speech by referring to the Blitz in London, and says many don't know that Manchester had its Blitz; "Fortunately for our country, that sort of systematic destruction of this scale is a thing of memory";He says Putin cannot win, but"cannot find an exit either";Transport Secretary Mark HarperAsked if Rishi Sunak and his top team are united on the issue of HS2 - amid reports the government is set to announce it's scrapping the northern leg from Birmingham to Manchester - Mr Harper told, meanwhile, was asked about the issue dominating the first day of conference: tax cuts. Asked if tax cuts are needed and whether he agrees with Michael Gove, Mr Shapps replied:"You'll no doubt be hearing from everyone this conference.", when asked if we need tax cuts before the election, responded:"I need a pint, that's what I'm doing now."Scottish Tory leaders address conference - updates We're now hearing from the leader of the Scottish Conservatives Douglas Ross and Scotland Secretary Alister Jack in quick succession.He begins by stressing the Conservative Party is the"only party you can trust to stand up for Scotland's oil" - after news that the Rosebank oil and gas field will go ahead;To applause, he says:"For years we were told that she was unstoppable, that she could do no wrong. I can proudly say that her career lies in tatters, and we, conference, are still here"; "We fought her dangerous Gender Reform Bill," Mr Ross says, adding that this was backed by the Labour Party; "The best the SNP now have to offer is a poor Nicola Sturgeon tribute act," he says, referring to Humza Yousaf;"If we remove the SNP, if we can kick them out of power... Scotland can finally move on from the 'Neverendum'", he says.He starts by claiming the United Kingdom has"never been stronger" - and that is by design; Quickly, Mr Jack turns to a police investigation into the finances of the SNP, saying it has made the people of Scotland"rightly very angry"; He says the SNP and their"Green coalition masters" are"dragging" the country down, with talk of removing Scotland from the UK"pure fantasy"; On oil and gas, he says the government is"clear" it should start to use its"own resources" as we begin to move towards net zero; He then pays tribute to former defence secretary Ben Wallace, who he says"served this country to great distinction"; Mr Jack says he was"delighted" by news that seven towns in Scotland will receive a £20m cash injection; "We've also led the way creating Freeports", he says, adding he is"excited" about the impact this will have on the local economy in the Firth of Forth; Mr Jack then says the"era of devolve and forget" is well and truly over, saying:"It is not coming back under my watch"; "Quite simply, we achieve more together," he concludes.Away from the main stage at Conservative Party conference for the moment... The mayor of Tees Valley has told an event on the fringes of the gathering that he is"disappointed" former prime minister Liz Truss has decided to come to Manchester. Speaking at a fringe event hosted by think tank Onward, Ben Houchen said:"I thought Liz Truss would have more awareness than to, for example, come to Conservative Party conference. I don't think she should be here." Mr Houchen added she should have stayed away and let Rishi Sunak set out his agenda without distractions, as Mr Sunak did when she was in Downing Street.Next up to address the Tory faithful was the leader of the Welsh Conservatives Andrew RT Davies, followed by the Secretary of State for Wales David TC Davies.Mr Davies opens his speech by praising the success of the Wales rugby teams;He praises Rishi Sunak for his U-turn on net zero policies and for taking the"tough decisions"; He says the Welsh government, run by Labour, is motivated by an"extreme ideology" and blasts the changes to 20mph speed limits in many areas across the country; He swerves from roads to illegal migration to the NHS, and repeats for a second and third time that Labour is driven by"extreme ideology"; Mr Davies then says Sir Keir Starmer will"deliver longer NHS waiting lists, he'll deliver open borders, and he'll wage war on the motorist"; He implies that the union is at stake at the next general election, accusing Labour of"cosying up" to both the Welsh and Scottish nationalists;Following that whirlwind speech was the Secretary of State for Wales, David TC Davies:Mr Davies says Wales has"suffered" under a Labour government, and lists the"failures" that the country has had to"endure", such as the handling of the NHS and education, and is"waging war" on motorists;"Our Welsh Labour government won't be happy unless we're moving around Wales in a horse and cart," he claims; He says more roads need to be built to"ease congestion" and calls on Labour"to end its absurd 20mph blanket speed limit on Welsh roads which its own analysis has warned will hit the economy by more than £4bn";He then praises the Conservative government's record during the pandemic and for standing up for Ukraine; He says activists need to remind people on the doorstep that the government will improve the economy, lower inflation, and lower small boat crossing.Government will 'continue to address' concerns about Windsor Framework, says Northern Ireland secretary Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris is next up at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester. He begins by describing his role as the"best job in government", paying tribute to the people"up and down the length" of Northern Ireland."This party and this government will never shy away from our support for the union," he says, adding the UK will be"greater" for it; He then takes aim at Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, saying his position on"all sorts of policies" changes"more than a weather vane"; Mr Heaton-Harris says he"knows concerns remain" in Northern Ireland about the Windsor Framework -"and we will continue to address them"; "It's time to get on with business", he says, announcing that the first stage of the Windsor Framework has"commenced";He turns back to Labour, stressing that Sir Keir had worked to block Brexit 48 times - and called for a second referendum;He says the Tories will help Northern Ireland have a"better and brighter future" as an"integral part" of"our United Kingdom".The chair of the Conservative Party, Greg Hands, was the first in a long line of ministers addressing the party's conference this week.Mr Hands opens by praising the PM, the team at the party's headquarters, and the devolved leaders; He cites the win in the Uxbridge by-election in July as evidence the party can still"come from behind and win" - and gets the new MP Steve Tuckwell to stand up to take applause while he praises him to the hilt; He calls on the party to support the candidates in the upcoming by-elections in Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire; Mr Hands turns to the series of local elections next year and praises the much-criticised candidate for mayor of London, Susan Hall; He acknowledges"difficult" conversations on the doorsteps, but says they have"improved" thanks to Rishi Sunak;He says there is"no liking" for and"no trust" in Sir Keir Starmer, citing his support for Jeremy Corbyn, the support from Tony Blair, and the U-turns on his leadership pledges; Mr Hands goes on to criticise the Labour leader, saying for the second time in his oration:"Whenever Labour run something, they run it badly"; The Tory chair moves to pay tribute to the late Sir David Amess, who was murdered during a constituency surgery in 2021; He announces the launch of the Sir David Amess Fund to support"dedicated local campaigning", available to all Tory MPs to apply for to"support local campaigns that transcend party politics"; Concluding his speech, he says the party"shouldn't be apologetic about what a government led by Rishi Sunak means" - which is"strong and decisive, long-term action on the things that matter most to people";Union boss addresses Tory conference event - but education secretary was a no-showIn a perhaps surprising turn at a Conservative conference, the general secretary of the NASUWT union has been appealing to the government to prioritise education and teachers in the upcoming election. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan had been listed as appearing at the fringe event in Manchester, but has not come through the door. However, it didn’t stop Dr Patrick Roach from addressing her with what his members want.he said:"I know that if Gillian Keegan has been here she would have been looking for me to thank her as she wants to be [praised]." And he did thank her for"having the courage to have some engagement, limited as it might have been" amid the ongoing dispute over pay and conditions. But he rated the Department for Education's performance as"inadequate", adding:"Whatever Gillian Keegan wants to do for education, whatever the prime minister wants to do for education… you can't do it without great and committed teachers." Roach called for giving teachers more autonomy over their hours, ensuring they can focus on the classroom, putting effort into making staff feel more valued to up retention rates and offering more support for young people who have been through tough times during COVID."And remember, teachers are voters too. Start listening to teachers and respect their views."Transport minister Richard Holden has backed Suella Braverman amid severe criticism and even calls for her to be sacked following her controversial speech on migration last week ."I want see, like the British people want to see, the UK government and UK policymakers making decisions about who comes to the UK, not criminal gangs," Mr Holden added. "I think she's outlining those really important pressures the country faces, but also highlighting some of the successes we've had."Minister says Sunak 'stabilised the Tory party' after Sky News revealed messages labelling PM a 'doorknob' Yesterday, Sky News revealed that grassroots Conservative supporters are saying they want to oust Rishi Sunak and"go to war" with the liberal wing of the party in leaked WhatsApp messages . One of those messages said the PM has the personality of a"doorknob" - but transport minister Richard Holden said he had not seen them. He insisted that Mr Sunak has been outlining his"long term vision" and making"difficult decisions", like pushing back the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035.He added that Mr Sunak has"real conviction", and he has"stabilised the party" and the economy in the wake of the Truss premiership., which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. 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