The four Conservative leadership candidates have delivered their final speeches at the party’s conference in their race to be Rishi Sunak’s successor.
Starting her speech, Kemi Badenoch has promised to make “Sir Keir Starmer sweat, Angie uncomfortable, and make Rachel wriggle” if she becomes the new Tory leader.
The shadow secretary also attacked her own government for its record on net zero targets, claiming the previous administration had stop acting like the Conservatives.
Tory rival Robert Jenrick used his speech to target “mass migration” promising to set a new net zero target and leave the ECHR to “finish what Brexit started”.
James Cleverly issued an apology to members of the Tory party following the party’s brutal election defeat in July, urging the party to avoid complacency, warning against “wallowing in self-pity” after Labour’s landslide victory.
During his pitch, Tom Tugendhat called for Thatcher-style revolution for a “free economy” and blamed bureaucrats for failings in the NHS, warning the health service is “not the envy of the world”.
The Independent’s political team will be reporting live throughout the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.
Key Points
- Badenoch vows to make chancellor “wriggle” and Starmer “sweat”
- Starmer vows to put UK-EU relationship back on ‘stable, positive footing'
- Jenrick vows to leave ECHR ‘to finish Brexit'
- James Cleverly apologises for bruising election defeat
- Labour is ‘taking us back to the 1970s’, Tugendhat says
Conservative MP slams Jenrick’s ‘lazy, mendacious, simplistic’ speech
14:41
Salma Ouaguira
I am very sorry to have to say it, but that speech of Robert Jenrick's was lazy, mendacious, simplistic tripe.
— Jesse Norman (@Jesse_Norman) October 2, 2024
Your Tory Party conference questions answered by John Rentoul
14:30
Salma Ouaguira
This year’s Conservative Party conference in Birmingham provides a pivotal moment for reflection and debate.
It stands in stark contrast to the 2023 gathering, when Rishi Sunak’s government made a series of last-minute policy announcements, including offshoring prisoners, cutting civil servants, and controversially scrapping HS2.
As the conference unfolds, our chief political commentator John Rentoul has been answering your burning questions on the leadership contest, the fallout from the election defeat, and more.
Former cabinet minister endorses Kemi Badenoch
14:15
Salma Ouaguira
David Davis has backed Tory leader wannabe Kemi Badenoch following her speech at the Conservative Party conference.
The former cabinet minister and leadership contender said the party needs a leader who can “overpower the weak and ineffective Keir Starmer” and deliver a “real prospect of victory at the next election”.
Mr Davis added: “In terms of intellectual capacity, idealism, common sense and courage, I think Kemi offers our Party and our country the very best chance for the future, and I will be voting for her to lead us into the next election.”
ICYMI: Kemi Badenoch says Britain must not be ‘a sponge for migrants’
14:10
Salma Ouaguira
Kemi Badenoch has made it clear she wants to clamp down on migration to the UK, claiming that many use Britain as “a sponge”.
The former favourite for the Tory leadership contest has seen her challenge drop off in recent days, with ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick appearing to be in the driving seat during the Tory conference in Birmingham.
Our political editor David Maddox has the full story below:
In pictures: Tory leadership candidates end conference speeches
13:50
Salma Ouaguira
Badenoch refuses to take questions from the media
13:35
Millie Cooke
Kemi Badenoch refused to take questions from the media after her speech, Millie Cooke reports from the conference.
While the three other candidates all spoke to journalists after their conference addresses, Ms Badenoch instead sent out four of her supporting MPs to take questions from the press.
Asked repeatedly where the former business secretary was, and why she wasn’t speaking to the press, Badenoch-backer Chris Philp said she had already done “lots of interviews with journalists”.
The Tory leadership contender was mobbed by reporters as she left the conference centre but still refused to answer questions.
Starmer vows to put UK-EU relationship back on ‘stable, positive footing'
13:26
Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted to put the UK-EU relationship back on a “stable, positive footing” as he met European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels.
The Prime Minister said: “I firmly believe that the British public want to return to pragmatic, sensible leadership when it comes to dealing with our closest neighbours, to make Brexit work and to deliver in their interests, to find ways to boost economic growth, strengthen our security and tackle shared challenges like irregular migration and climate change.”
He added that “in dangerous times we have a duty to work together to preserve stability and security,” referring to the crisis in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine.
Sir Keir said: “We are determined to put this relationship back on a stable, positive footing that I think we all want to see.”
Tom Tugendhat campaign video
13:20
Salma Ouaguira
Do you want a Conservative in opposition or a Conservative Prime Minister? pic.twitter.com/PuEPiwhNFT
— Tom Tugendhat (@TomTugendhat) October 2, 2024
Pictured: Tory leadership rivals sing national anthem
13:15
Salma Ouaguira
Keir Starmer in Brussels to meet Ursula von der Leyen
13:12
Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer has just arrived to Brussels to meet president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
In a joint statement ahead of their meeting, Ms von der Leyen said that she is “very glad” to meet the prime minister again after their bilateral at the UN last week.
Both leaders “strongly condemned” Iran’s retaliatory attack on Israel last night and said that the “spiral of violence is threatening the lives of innocent civilians”.
Adding to her statement, Sir Keir declared that the UK stands with Israel and its “right to defend itself”.
Labour slams ‘dangerous and reckless ideas’ from Tory candidates
13:08
Salma Ouaguira
The Labour Party has reacted to the speeches made by the Tory leadership candidates.
Commons leader Lucy Powell described the Conservative Party conference as “chaotic and divisive mess” and claimed the four rivals “played a part in the chaos and decline over the last 14 years”.
She added: “They have learnt nothing from their abysmal defeat at the general election.
“From attacking maternity pay or the minimum wage, to criticising our armed forces - these are dangerous and reckless ideas, from Tory leadership contenders who are out of touch with what matters to the British people.”
Watch live: Starmer speaks from Brussels in bid to reset Britain’s relationship with the EU
13:00
Salma Ouaguira
Conservative Party conference comes to an end
12:50
Salma Ouaguira
Kemi Badenoch has now concluded her speech.
All four candidates are on stage together taking applause from the Conservative members of the audience.
The Tory conference is now ending with a rendition of the national anthem.
‘Time to start renewal right now'
12:54
Salma Ouaguira
Ending her speech, Kemi Badenoch said: “After we have picked and unpicked the damage done by the Labour government, my vision for beyond 2030 is this - for Britain to be a country where people can find a shared identity, four nations but one United Kingdom.
“A country where being a British citizen means more than just having a British passport. A country where people can be committed to each other, irrespective of their religion or what they look like. A Britain that its friends with its neighbours but will always proudly protect its national interests.
“A Britain at ease with itself, a Britain that believes in itself. And that sort of Britain can only come about because of renewed Conservative principles. And the time to start that renewal is right now.”
Badenoch vows review of the state
12:48
Salma Ouaguira
Directly appealing to voting members, Kemi Badenoch said: “If I become leader we will immediately begin a once-in-a-generation undertaking, the sort of project not attempted since the days of Keith Joseph in the 1970s.
“A comprehensive plan to reprogramme the British state, to reboot the British economy, a new blueprint for the great machine of our country. One that goes far beyond our relationship with the EU or the ECHR. A new plan that considers every aspect of what the state does and why it does it.
“A plan built on the principles and priorities of our nation. A plan that looks at our international agreements, at the Human Rights Act, the Equality Act, at judicial review, at judicial activism, at the Bank of England, at the Treasury, at the devolution, at quangos, and at the health service.”
Badenoch vows to make Keir Starmer sweat as the new opposition
12:53
Salma Ouaguira
The Tory leadership candidate has promised to make the prime minister “sweat” if she becomes the new face of the opposition in parliament.
She vowed to “make Angie uncomfortable, to make Rachel wriggle, and make Starmer sweat”.
Looks ahead to 2030, the shadow secretary claimed it will be the “first full year we’ll have in government” - and claims the party can make the 2030s a “golden decade of renewal and growth”.
Badenoch: Stealthy poisoning of our society needs to stop
12:44
Salma Ouaguira
Kemi Badenoch has told the conference that the “stealthy poisoning of our society needs to stop”.
She said: “Unlike the Left, we know right from wrong but we allowed ourselves to be bowed by aggressive identity politics, by Treasury rules that were written by Gordon Brown and a legal system written by Tony Blair.
“You may think Blair and Brown were defeated in 2010 but the truth is the Left never left. It’s time to make a change. Ministers need to be able to make decisions that aren’t endlessly challenged in the courts. If the law says the government can’t deport a foreign child abuser, the law is an ass.”
Ms Badenoch claimed that it was time for “a change” on immigration, adding: “We are going to rewrite the rules of the game.”
On trans issues...
12:42
Salma Ouaguira
The Tory leadership hopeful has now shifted to trans issues and defended her track record.
When she was women and equalities minister she promised to redefine the legal definition of the term “sex” to mean biological sex and not “redefined meanings of the word”.
Reflecting on her time as minister, she added: “For too long, government stayed silent as women were sacked for saying that a man cannot be a woman.
“I fought for them while Labour called them bigots, and it wasn’t until the SNP put a sex offender in a women’s prison that they understood the fight I was leading. We won that battle.”
Badenoch calls for fight against socialism
12:40
Salma Ouaguira
Kemi Badenoch has said she has been fighting socialism and identity politics all her life.
She told the conference the country, like the 1970s, is facing a battle of ideas “against the left and its desire for ever greater social and economic control”.
The shadow secretary added: “It is socialism returned socialism in a suit. But you can give it a new label. You can sneak it in. You can promote class warfare under the banner of equality.
“You can take freedom and choice away from families by telling them that Ofsted inspection reports are unfair.
“If you call communism, environmentalism, you can close down businesses, block the roads and stop people going to work.”
‘Last government did not defend capitalism'
12:37
Salma Ouaguira
Attacking Rishi Sunak’s administration, Kemi Badenoch has said the last government did not defend capitalism.
She added: “Capitalism does not mean corporatism. It does not mean monopolies. It means free markets and competition.
“We didn’t always protect those principles.
“Like Labour, we raised taxes on business, corporation tax, capital gains tax, we tax dividends, and we regulated like labour.”
Kemi Badenoch is a net zero sceptic
12:34
Salma Ouaguira
The shadow business secretary, like Robert Jenrick, has said she is a net zero sceptic.
She told Tory members: “We set a target with no plan on how to meet it just so politicians could say we were the same country to do so.
“Now we have a net zero strategy addicted to state subsidy, making energy more expensive and hurting our economy.
“I am not a climate change sceptic, but I am a net zero sceptic. I did not become an MP just to deliver an agenda delivered by Ed Miliband... Plans must be delivered by principles, that is the Conservative way.”
ANALYSIS | Kemi Badenoch goes back to first principles
12:32
David Maddox
Badenoch has had a difficult week but there is no doubt that her speech is landing best in the conference hall, David Maddox writes from the conference.
“Facing truth” about a party speaking right and governing left is one which chimes with Tory members.
Most powerful though is her description of growing up in Nigeria where fear of crime and despotism was an everyday reality.
The Tories have always been willing to go where Labour will not - electing female UK leaders.
Some people think of Badenoch as a new Thatcher. She is making a good go at proving them right today.
Badenoch opens up about family background
12:30
Salma Ouaguira
Like her Tory rivals, Kemi Badenoch has opened up about her upbringin and being born in the Uk but growing up in Nigeria.
She said: “I was born here, but I grew up in a place where fear was everywhere.
“You cannot understand it unless you’ve lived it, triple checking that all the doors and windows are locked, waking up in the night at every sound, listening as you hear your neighbors scream as they are being burgled and beaten, and wondering if your home will be next.
“When you’ve experienced that kind of fear, you’re not worried about being attacked on Twitter.
“You appreciate how rare and precious it is to live in a country with security, democracy, equality under the law and above all else, freedom – free speech, free enterprise, free markets, conservative freedoms, conservative principles.”
Badenoch says ‘system is broken’ and ‘it’s time to tell the truth’
12:27
Salma Ouaguira
Kemi Badenoch has began her speech by telling Tories that “the system is broken” and “it’s time to tell the truth”.
She added: “The truth about our party, the truth about our politics, the truth about our future. For too long, politicians have been scared of the truth. For too long, politicians have hidden behind spin.
“For too long, politicians have been scared of the truth for too long.
“Politicians have hidden behind spin for too long. Politicians have told the public what they wanted to hear and then done their own thing.”
Jenrick: Labour government already out of answers
12:23
Salma Ouaguira
Ending his speech, Robert Jenrick said: “Britain rises when all our people rise, all of them. So let’s help them to rise again. 1974, 2024, a country facing huge challenges. A Labour government already out of answers, an opposition, a Conservative opposition facing a big choice.
“To go along with a failed consensus that is driving our country into the ground or to have the courage, to summon the courage to change course, to unite around the practical solutions that we face. And to change, really change. I want to lead that change. I want to be that change.
“So come with me, join me, work with me in this new Conservative Party. And together let’s take a stand for the country that we love.”
Jenrick attacks foreign aid
12:19
David Maddox
Robert Jenrick has just made a huge announcement, David Maddox writes from the conference.
Cutting foreign aid to find spending three per cent of GDP in defence would almost wipe out the aid budget.
The announcement went down well in the hall with Tory members but will see the party lurch to the right with a potential civil war with the centrists in the party.
Robert Jenrick brands net zero targets ‘crazy’
12:16
Salma Ouaguira
The right-wing Tory has branded net zero targets set by the current Labour government “crazy”.
He told the conference: “Factories have closed, families have suffered and this is all so because we have become so reliant on expensive forms of energy like offshore wind.
“We have to oppose the root of the problem, and that’s not the principle of net zero but the crazy interim binding targets put into law by Gordon Brown. It’s the mad targets, the carbon budgets, that don’t take any account of innovation that’s driving the mad policy.
“So I say that with our new Conservative Party we will stand for cutting emissions but we will never do it, never, on the backs of working people and by deindustrialising our great country.”
‘All four candidates have to justify their own actions’ in previous government, Cleverly says
12:15
Millie Cooke
Asked how he will do things differently to the last Conservative government, given he held such a prominent role, Mr Cleverly said pointed out that all four candidates had jobs in the previous administration, adding: “We all have to justify our own actions”.
James Cleverly held the most prominent roles in government of the four candidates, having served as both foreign secretary and home secretary.
Speaking to journalists after his speech, the Tory leadership candidate said support for his campaign is building.
When asked how confident he is that he will make it into the final two, Mr Cleverly said: “Throughout the party conference I’ve been getting commitments from additional MPs who hadn’t voted for me before, so my support is building.
“People have sensed I can communicate effectively, I can lead from the front and I can enthuse our party.”
ANALYSIS | Jenrick cements his place as the hard right candidate
12:14
David Maddox
Robert Jenrick’s puns may have been a bit cringe worthy but his right-wing message is going down very well in the hall, David Maddox writes from the conference.
Once he got on to abolishing the Human Rights Act and leaving the European Convention of Human Rights then the audience started to applaud.
His attack on Netflix Zero got even louder cheers
Another reminder that to win the party a candidate needs to be rightwing even if that is the one thing that stops them winning the country.
Jenrick takes aim at ‘sheer scale’ of mass migration
12:13
Salma Ouaguira
Robert Jenrick has doubled down on his anti-migration narrative claiming that the “scheer scale” of mass migration was undermining the country’s cohesion.
He promised to cap net migration to ten of thousands, adding: “If we do that we give our country the effective breathing space that we need.
“Will we be open to the best and the brightest? Yes, absolutely. Will we be open to the world and its wife and all its extended family? No, not anymore and under my Conservative Party, never, ever again.”
‘We need to leave the European Convention on Human Rights,’ vows Jenrick
12:10
Salma Ouaguira
Robert Jenrick has said leaving the European Convention on Human Rights would be the first steo to “secure our borders”.
The former immigration secretary has promised Tory members to leave the convention and “finish what we started with Brexit”.
He added: “Under my leadership the new Conservative Party will stand for a new Great Reform Act, one that leaves the ECHR, repeals Tony Blair’s Human Rights Act and writes a British Bill of Rights.”
Jenrick’s mission: ‘A new Conservative party'
12:07
Salma Ouaguira
Robert Jenrick has declared his mission if he becomes the new leader of the Tories; to build a new Conservative party.
He told the audience: “If we are going to change this party, if we are going to restore the trust and confidence of our people, we are going to have to build something new - a new Conservative Party.
“That is what I call for today – a new Conservative party, nothing less than that, built on the rock of our proudest traditions and noblest values, but a new Conservative party.”
Jenrick says Reeves is ‘as wooden as Pinocchio'
12:05
Salma Ouaguira
But the attack on Labour doesn’t end here. Robert Jenrick has also targeted the rest of Sir Keir Starmer’s cabinet.
The former minister said Rachel Reeves was “as wooden as Pinocchio”, adding: “Anyone who tells you the grownups are back in charge, look at Ed Miliband, a Wallace missing his Gromit.”
Jenrick accuses Labour of delivering ‘managed decline’
12:03
Salma Ouaguira
Attacking Sir Keir Starmer, Robert Jenrick has slammed the prime minister’s policies of the last months.
During his keynote speech, he said: “Who is Sir Keir Starmer in politics for?
“Well, the last three months have shown us who: convicted criminals walking free, illegal migrants given an amnesty, well-paid train drivers given yet more money, all the while the hard-working silent majority waiting for huge tax rises, the nation’s wealth creators fleeing en masse and millions of pensioners betrayed.
“Imagine, imagine friends, imagine how cowardly you have to be to rob poor pensioners just to placate your union paymasters.”
Jenrick wants to turn Tories into 'pressure group for hard-working majority'
11:59
Salma Ouaguira
Robert Jenrick has said he wants to transform the Conservative party into a “pressure group for hard-working majority”.
Describing the reason he is in politics, he added: “I am in politics for the millions of people in our country just like [his parents], devoted citizens, good neighbors, the people who get up early in the morning to put food on the table for their families, yes, the people who start small businesses around their kitchen tables, the people for whom there is no pressure group pressing their case, no lobby demanding their so called rights.
“So let me tell you, if I am your leader, the pressure group for Britain’s hard working majority will be us, the Conservative party.”
Jenrick needs a fact check
11:58
David Maddox
Robert Jenrick talks about the changes the Tories made in 1974 with a change of leadership bringing in Margaret Thatcher which delivered victory five years later, David Maddox writes from the conference.
Unfortunately for him Thatcher did not become leader until 1975...
Robert Jenrick speaks to Tory conference
11:57
Salma Ouaguira
Following a campaign video about Robert Jenrick, the Tory leadership contender starts his speech.
He told the conference “it’s great to be here, it’s great to be home”, reminding members that he grew up in Wolverhampton.
The former minister said: “Fifty years ago in 1974, my dad Bill and my mum Jennie came here to Birmingham.
“Dad got a job at the last great iron foundry of the Black Country in Cosley. It was a vast Victorian metalface that had made the pots and the pans of the empire. It was called Cannon Industries because it had made the cannon for Wellington’s Army. My dad loved that.
Attacking Labour, he added: “Mum and dad came here to the West Midlands to put down roots, to get on in life, but their dreams were put on hold. Britain was broken, industries were crippled, councils were bankrupt, hope had gone.
“Then as now a new Labour government, so fresh but already so stale. And what about us? What about the Conservatives in opposition?”
Emperor Cleverly?
11:53
David Maddox
James Cleverly got a much louder applause than Tugendhat after his speech.
But it was a shout from an audience member as he left that caught the ear.
“Crown the emperor!” shouted the man.
Nobody was sure if he meant Cleverly had no clothes (metaphorically at least).
No time to lose and I don’t lose, says Cleverly
11:52
Salma Ouaguira
James Cleverly has promised to “deliver for the British people” and “unite the party around Conservative values”.
He said: “I can hold Labour to account for their failures and take us back into Government in four short years. Because the people in this room standing for election in May can’t wait a day longer than is necessary for us to get our house in order. There is no time to lose and I don’t lose.”
Ending his speech, he added: “Let’s unite, let’s rebuild this party of ours council by council, seat by seat, ward by ward, street by street, one party with one purpose. To turn the page on this useless Labour Government, to get to government, to look to the future with one voice and say that it is morning once again in this great country of ours.
“That must be our mission. That must be our purpose. So join me on this journey, and together we will win and we will be in the business of the future. Thank you.”
Cleverly takes aim at Jenrick over migration
11:46
Salma Ouaguira
James Cleverly appeared to target fellow Tory candidate Robert Jenrick over immigration.
The former home secretary said: “I didn’t complain about immigration or walk away from the challenge, I got it down by 300,000 people a year. I deported foreign criminals and terrorists.”
Mr Jenrick has previously criticised Rishi Sunak over his approach on migration and the Rwanda deportation scheme. He eventually resigned as immigration minister.
He added: “I stripped citizenship from those who seek to do us harm and I supported our Jewish community here in the UK, tightening the policing response to the protests about Gaza and holding the police accountable for their actions and their inactions.”
‘Now is not the time for an apprentice’, Cleverly warns
11:49
Millie Cooke
“Now is not the time for an apprentice”, James Cleverly has warned in his pitch to become the next Conservative Party leader.
The former home secretary looked to his previously held roles in government in an attempt to persuade the party faithful that he is qualified for the job.
He said: “Leadership is about things like making the tough decisions when you get that ugly phone call in the middle of the night about keeping this country safe.
“And because I’ve been there, because I know in detail what the government should be doing right now, I know in detail how they’re failing.”
“Now is not the time for an apprentice”, Mr Cleverly added.
‘No more candidate selection stitch-ups'
11:43
Salma Ouaguira
James Cleverly has reminded Tory members about historic Conservative majorities at previous general elections.
He said: “Yes, you, we won the biggest majority since Margaret Thatcher. We got Boris elected and we got Brexit done. And that whirlwind apprenticeship showed me what I need to do to fix our party machine, upgrade it, making it a modern campaigning organisation.”
Mr Cleverly told the conference: “My pledge to you today on candidate selection - no more stitch-ups.”
Tory leadership candidate vows to axe stamp duty
11:40
Salma Ouaguira
James Cleverly has re-committed to axing stamp duty on home purchases if he becomes the new Tory leader.
He said the country needs to “get rid of bad taxes like stamp duty” and ensure work “always pays”.
The Tory hopeful added: “Let’s be the market of free markets and freedom, of business and enterprise, let’s get on their side but out of their way. These are my values, these are consistent values not opportunistic. A signpost, not a weather vane. It’s what I have always believed in and what I always will believe in.
“Because conference, talk is easy. Doing is hard. And we need a leader who can deliver from day one. Someone who has already done the tough apprenticeship that you need to be the leader of the Conservative Party and our next prime minister.”
Cleverly rules out deal with Reform UK dubbing party ‘pale imitation’ of Tories
11:38
Millie Cooke
James Cleverly received the largest applause of the morning so far after he vowed never to merge with Reform UK, dubbing it a “pale imitation of our great party”, Millie Cooke reports from the conference.
“No mergers, no deals”, he said, promising to beat Nigel Farage’s party at the next election if the Conservatives become the best version of themselves.
Mr Cleverly said: “Never forget – Reform didn’t deliver Brexit. We did. Reform didn’t cut immigration, I did. And mark my words, we will beat reform by being the best version of ourselves.”
Cleverly jokes Lib Dems ‘too wet' to hold them to account
11:37
Salma Ouaguira
Shifting his attack towards the Liberal Democrats, James Cleverly has said the party was “too wet” to hold them to account.
He then joked: “In the case of Ed Davey, soaking wet.”
‘Labour are drunk on power’
11:35
Salma Ouaguira
Now attacking the Labour Party, James Cleverly said that the Labour Party is “drunk on power” an accused Sir Keir Starmer of “lying to the British people”.
The former home secretary added: “Compare that with what we saw at the Labour Party conference just last week. A party drunk on power who lied to the British people. Glasses for passes, favours for friends, swamped in scandal.
“And even worse inflation-busting pay rises to their union paymasters taken straight out of the pockets of British pensioners. Our plans for defence, reversed, a mass release of prisoners, and no plan for our borders.
“And what did Keir Starmer say just last week? He wants the state to have more control over your lives, a nanny state, closing pubs early, banning smoking outdoors and even trying to control the price of Oasis tickets.”
Cleverly calls for Reagan-like and normal leadership
11:34
Salma Ouaguira
The Tory contender told the party conference: “Even in the depths of the Cold War he made Americans want to vote for a conservative, not reluctantly, but with enthusiasm. And then what did he do? He cut taxes, he cut regulation, he boosted military spending and he won a landslide.
“So let’s be more like Reagan, let’s be enthusiasm, relatable, positive, optimistic. Let’s be more normal. Let’s sell the benefits of conservatism with a smile.”
ANALYSIS | Conservatism with a smile
11:33
David Maddox
Cleverly is doing the opposite to Tugendhat he started with a muted response but is getting a stronger response as he goes along.
The former home secretary’s political hero was Ronald Reagan and it is the former president’s conservatism with a smile he wants.
But most powerful was the tale of his time trying to stay in business before entering politics.
“When I walk about optimism, I talk about doing something about it.”
Cleverly thanks NHS for treating his wife
11:31
Salma Ouaguira
James Cleverly has thanked the NHS for treating his wife Susie’s recent cancer diagnosis, saying: “it rocked our lives - I could hardly speak, our boys were distraught”.
He added: “But because of the amazing professionals, the doctors, the nurses of the NHS, her life was saved. So to all those in the NHS, I say thank you. And it’s because of them she sits with us in this auditorium today. And her courage, determination, resolve and optimism, her belief in the future, our belief in the future, is why we are here today.
“And I suspect ladies and gentlemen it is also why you are here. Because tomorrow can be better, and together we can make it better.”
ANALYSIS | Cleverly in apologetic mood
11:26
David Maddox
Audience is not really warming to James Cleverly going through the pain of the recent defeat, David Maddox reports from the conference.
There is no applause for him saying sorry on behalf of the parliamentary party.
There was silence when he asked why the Conservative Party exists
It is a serious speech though, drawing on his background and life story and his wife’s recent cancer.
Cleverly wants to get back to winning. The question though will be if the party wants to follow him. It does not feel he has persuaded them yet.
'This country has given so much, including my family’
11:24
Salma Ouaguira
James Cleverly has opened up about growing up in the UK as a mixed race kid.
He told the conference: “My mum came here from Sierra Leone in the 1960s and my father grew up on a council estate in Downham in south east London. He qualified as a surveyor and started a small business.
“She studied nursing and became a midwife in the NHS and I’m gutted that she didn’t live to see me elected and become an MP, or represent our country as foreign secretary when I visited Sierra Leone.
“Some people love to talk our country down. But this country has given so much to so many people, including my family.”
James Cleverly: I’m sorry we let you down
11:22
Salma Ouaguira
James Cleverly is the next to address the Conservative conference.
He has started his speech apologising to Tory members for the party’s failings
The former minister said: “What’s the purpose of our party? What’s our job? Why are we here? We are currently in opposition but we don’t exist to be in opposition. We’re in politics to serve the British people and make their lives better.
“It’s not our right but it is our mission, our duty and our intent. So we need to get back on track. But before we can do that, there’s something we need to say. Sorry.
“Sorry on behalf of the Conservative Parliamentary Party who let you down. We have to be better, much better, and under my leadership we will be”
Tugendhat has had enough...so has the audience
11:16
David Maddox
The applause for Tugendhat has been gradually getting more muted and polite as he went through his speech, David Maddox writes from the conference.
So there were chuckles when near the end he said” I know you’ve had enough and so have I.”
Fortunately, he wound up quickly afterwards with a pleasingly loud applause and cheer.
‘I’m here to lead, not to manage’
11:14
Salma Ouaguira
Tory leadership hopeful has told party members that he is a leader not a manager.
Tom Tugendhat said: “I get it, you’ve had enough. And so have I. But in this leadership election you have a choice. And it’s a choice about change.
“My opponents claim that they’ve got more management experience around the Cabinet table. Sure, that’s true. But I’m not here to manage, I’m here to lead.
“The only way to build trust back is to show real change. And that’s the new conservative revolution that I promise. That’s the change only I can deliver. That’s the change only I will bring.”
Ending his speech, he said: “Our mission is the prosperity and happiness of the British people - and we start today.”
Tugendhat: Socialism delivers decline
11:13
Salma Ouaguira
Tom Tugendhat has used his final speech to attack Labour and socialism as a whole.
In his final speech, he said: “We are building on the strong foundations of the past and I’m standing because I believe in Britain.
“I have fought for Britain and I have had enough of those who want to manage decline. That’s what socialism delivers.
“It’s not who I am, it’s not who you are and nothing is more fatal to a mission than losing faith in the future. Nothing is more fatal to success than setting our ambition so low that we don’t even try. And nothing is more fatal to a nation than giving up on our belief in it.
“That’s why we must win. Not in 10 years, not in 15, but in five. We can’t afford Labour, the country can’t afford socialism, we can’t afford to wait. And I will not wait. It’s time to seize the moment and turn this around.”
Pictured: Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick arrives
11:12
Salma Ouaguira
Tugendhat to set 100,000 migration cap
11:09
Salma Ouaguira
Now, moving on migration, Tom Tugendhat has suggested that he will set a 1000,00 migration cap if he becomes the new face of the opposition.
He said: “We must solve as well as stop, which is why I’ll set a legal cap on migration of 100,000, not a target, not an ambition, but a cap.
“This is about visas, not about foreign courts. Let me tell you something my opponents probably won’t.
“This isn’t simple. We issued the visas because businesses need the staff for our care homes and our hospitals, to look after our families.”
Tom Tugendhat blames bureaucrats for NHS failings warning it is 'not the envy of the world'
11:16
Millie Cooke
Tom Tugendhat has blamed bureaucrats for failings in the NHS, warning the health service is “not the envy of the world”.
Saying Britain needs to be honest about the state of the NHS, he told the Tory party conference that health services in Australia and Europe have “better cancer outcomes and access to doctors”.
“For our families to stay fit... we need the best healthcare”, the former security minister said.
He added: “Let’s be honest, our health service is not the envy of the world. Our doctors and our nurses are fantastic but the bureaucrats in charge slowed down their ability to deliver.
“We need to strip away excess regulations and barriers and put the patient at the centre of care.”
Tugendhat calls for Thatcher-style revolution
11:07
Salma Ouaguira
During his final conference speech, Tom Tugendhat said: “Real growth, not the illusion of growth that has been boosted by migration, has barely shifted in the past 30 years. Now that’s left us poorer and more vulnerable. We need to free the economy.
“We need a
