Tory Party conference – live: Sunak set to finally confirm he will scrap HS2 rail link to Manchester

Rishi Sunak is expected to finally confirm he will scrap the HS2 rail link to Manchester as the prime minister gives his first party conference speech as Tory leader on Wednesday.

Weeks afterThe Independent revealed he wanted to axe the northern leg of the line, Mr Sunak is set to confirm it as part of a speech in which he will also attack the last 30 years of “broken politics”.

He will argue he is the political leader to take the tough decisions necessary for the good of the country, while also accusing Labour of wanting “power for the sake of power” and being “everything that is wrong with our politics”.

But it is HS2 which is bound to steal the headlines.

The row over the high-speed line has overshadowed much of the conference after Mr Sunak repeatedly refused to clarify its future. He is expected to announce the northern leg will be ditched - but commit to building HS2 to Euston, rather than allowing it to terminate in the west London area of Old Oak Common.

It comes after his ministers vowed to ship prisoners overseas and warned voters over a ‘migrant hurricane’.

Key Points

• Sunak poised to make ‘incredible gaffe’ by axing HS2

• Suella Braverman: ‘Racism smear won’t work against me’

• Nigel Farage reacts after Rishi Sunak leaves door open for his return to Tory party

• Gove boasts about ‘Conservative record’ as he claims ‘Brexit has been delivered'

• PM says people don’t care ‘how much money I have'

Tory business minister slams mayoral candidate Susan Hall

10:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The business minister Nus Ghani has attacked the Tory mayoral Susan Hall over her claim that British Jews should be frightened of Labour mayor Sadiq Khan.

She told a fringe event: “Have we not learnt anything from Zac Goldsmith’s similar attempt … that ended in abject failure?”

Goldsmith, the former Conservative London mayoral candidate, denied that he attempted to link Khan to antisemitism.

Rumours Tory mayor Andy Street is on resignation watch

10:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

There are rumours that the Conservative mayor for the West Midlands, Andy Street, is on resignation watch ahead of Rishi Sunak’s cuts to HS2.

On Tuesday Mr Street said axing HS2 to Manchester would be “an incredible political gaffe” which would let opponents accuse Mr Sunak of having decided to “shaft the North”.

Amid the rumours he could quit, a spokesperson for Mr Street said: “We intend to listen to the PM’s speech and respond accordingly.”

It was claimed yesterday that the Euston phase of HS2 had been reinstated after a behind-the-scenes threat by the mayor to quit if it was axed.

Andy Burnham says Suella Braverman is 'deliberately setting out to try and divide people'

10:19 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

HS2 Timeline: How much has been spent and what happened?

10:08 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Here is a timeline of key events:

HS2 Timeline: How much has been spent and what happened?

Watch: Toploader perform 'Dancing in the Moonlight' at Tory conference

10:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Shapps says ‘tens of billions’ will be saved by scrapping HS2 northern link

09:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Cabinet minister Grant Shapps suggested “tens of billions of pounds” will be saved by downgrading HS2.

Mr Shapps asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “What else will now be built because we will save these tens of billions of pounds? Those are tough choices, I know the Opposition won’t do that, we will.”

Rishi Sunak claims he will fix Britain’s ‘broken’ politics – after 13 years of Tory rule

09:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Rishi Sunak will attack the last 30 years of “broken” politics – much of it under successive Conservative governments – as he pledges to fundamentally reform the UK.

In his first party conference speech as Tory leader on Wednesday, he will hit out at politicians who “spent more time campaigning for change than actually delivering it”.

After 13 years of Tory rule, including Boris Johnson’s Partygate scandal, the chaos of Liz Truss’s mini-Budget that rocked the financial markets, and the crumbling concrete crisis in schools, he will argue he is the political leader to take the tough decisions necessary for the good of the country.

Rishi Sunak claims he will fix Britain’s ‘broken’ politics

Braverman speech ‘heckler’ speaks out

09:21 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Tory London Assembly chairman Andrew Boff said he feels sure Suella Braverman will not be chosen as the next Conservative leader because he believes in the “ultimate common sense of the party”.

Mr Boff, who has been a Conservative for about 50 years, said he has been overwhelmed with messages of support since being kicked out of the Home Secretary’s speech for heckling on Tuesday.

“I’ve had so many contacts over the past few hours from people who are concerned as I am that we are using this culture war battleground to no good effect at all and we’re actually hurting people,” he told LBC.

“And we shouldn’t be doing that as Conservatives. That’s not the Conservative Party I joined and I think we’re better than that.”

Mr Boff said he believed the Tories are still on track for a “victory next year” but urged the party to focus on “the important things” rather than “divisive” topics.

Asked whether he would remain a Conservative member if Ms Braverman becomes the next leader, he replied: “Luckily that’s not going to happen... because I believe in the ultimate common sense of the party. Also, I very much hope that Suella Braverman learns about the power of her words and moderates her tone.”

What time is Rishi Sunak’s conference speech today? And how can you watch it?

09:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Rishi Sunak is preparing to deliver his first Conservative Party conference speech as prime minister, where he is widely expected to abandon the northern leg of HS2.

As first reported by The Independent, Mr Sunak will tell conference delegates that the Birmingham to Manchester leg of the high-speed rail project will be ditched.

The prime minister is expected to take the stage at 11.15am in Manchester following speeches from Penny Mordaunt, the Leader of the House of Commons, Penny Mordaunt, and Johnny Mercer, the minister for veterans’ affairs.

As well as curtailing the HS2 project, Mr Sunak will use his speech to criticise 30 years of a “broken” system incentivising “the easy decision, not the right one”.

What time is Rishi Sunak’s conference speech today? And how can you watch it?

From smoking ban to A Levels, what major policies will Sunak announce today?

08:57 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The focus here in Manchester is on what’s happening with HS2, but we’re also expecting other major policy announcements in Rishi Sunak’s big speech to conference.

The prime minister is expected to announce a ban on smoking for future generations, as previously trailed last month.

The policy would see the legal age of buying cigarettes gradually increased every year, effectively banning their sale to people under a certain age.

Similar measures were approved in New Zealand last December meaning tobacco could never be sold to anyone born after 1 January 2009.

The Times also reports that he will move to reform A-levels by increasing the number of subjects pupils can take, and their teaching hours.

The government points to figures showing A-level students are taught for between 16 and 20 hours a week, compared with 26 hours in some other countries.

‘It’s a Westminster problem’- Aslef on train strikes

08:53 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The government is to blame for long-running rail strikes which have left travellers facing another day of disruption, according to Aslef’s general secretary Mick Whelan.

Speaking at the picket line outside Euston station in central London, he said: “We don’t have a problem in Scotland. We don’t have a problem in Wales.

“We don’t have a problem in freight or Eurostar or with all the other companies. It is a Westminster political problem caused by Westminster.”

08:41 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Speaking on BBC Breakfast the defence secretary expanded on his comments, adding: “HS2 trains will run to Manchester, so they’ll still come into Manchester Piccadilly, they’ll still run to Leeds, there will still be a much faster journey time than there has been in the past.

“And not just because some of the section will be actually conventional high speed, or new high speed rail, but also because even the older section can have further upgrades to, for example, its digital infrastructure which is the way the signalling works.”

And he said cash from cutting Manchester’s line would be reallocated to have “benefits across large parts of the North”, though he did not specify what these were.

HS2 trains were already expected to continue on existing line beyond Birmingham while future phases were to be completed – a feature of the project from the start.

Watch: Grant Shapps on HS2 being scrapped: 'That may be true'

08:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A Cabinet minister has officially confirmed that Rishi Sunak will make an announcement about HS2 during his speech to Tory conference today.

Speaking during a broadcast interview Grant Shapps said listeners could be “pretty confident” of an announcement on the rail line.

“I know it’s much anticipated and lots of people have have said that there’ll be something with HS2 in it. I think we can be pretty confident that will be heard,” he told Times Radio.

Ministers have previously said on the record that an announcement would be made “in due course”.

Alicia Kearns criticises Braverman’s speech

08:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Alicia Kearns MP took particular issue with the Home Secretary’s claim in an earlier speech in the US that people were pretending to be gay to be granted asylum in Britain.

“LGBT+ people were singled out by the home secretary,” she told Times Radio.

“When you look at the figures in 2021, only 1.5 per cent of all asylum applications referenced sexuality. How are we worried about the 1.5 per cent when the other vast, vast majority is actually what we should be looking at.

“And that for me is the kind of example where why are we singling out LGBT+ people when we should be focusing on the vast, vast majority?”

Suella Braverman’s controversial speech at Tory Party conference divides MPs

08:08 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A controversial speech given by home secretary Suella Braverman on Tuesday is dividing opinions at Tory conference in Manchester.

The home secretary has attracted comparisons to Enoch Powell after she claimed a “hurricane” of immigration would sweep across Britain.

One defender is Defence Secretary Grant Shapps. The Cabinet minister told Times Radio this morning: “She makes the absolutely correct point we’ve already seen a lot of movement... we could see a lot more, a hurricane, as she describes it, of people moving.”

Ms Braverman had claimed that “millions” of people would arrive in the UK, adding: “The wind of change that carried my own parents across the globe in the 20th century was a mere gust compared to the hurricane that is coming.”

She also criticised organisations for adopting LGBT-inclusive policies, branding them “woke” – a term of derision used by right-wingers online.

But other Conservatives criticised the Home Secretary. One was Andrew Boff, the leader of the Conservatives on the London Assembly. He was escorted out of the hall after speaking out of turn and saying there was “no such thing as gender ideology”.

And elsewhere Alicia Kearns, the Conservative MP who chairs the foreign affairs select committee, said Ms Braverman had “crossed the line”.

Greater Manchester mayor says HS2 scrapping is ‘not a workable plan'

07:57 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said the latest plan to cut the Manchester to Birmingham leg of HS2 is “not a workable plan” and there is “huge frustration and growing anger in Greater Manchester”.

He told BBC Breakfast: “It’s so frustrating. It just proves there’s still so many people in politics, many of them in the Tory party, that think they can treat the north of England differently to the way they treat other parts of the country it’s just so wrong.

“I’ve been in politics 30 years, I’ve never seen a party come to a conference and leave an axe hanging over the place they’re in for the whole week. And then actually drop it on that place.

“I just don’t think it’s fair to people in Greater Manchester to do this and the plan that they’re putting forward, that we’ve only seen briefed overnight because we haven’t even been told what it is, takes trains off HS2 at Birmingham and puts them on the existing tracks of the West Coast Mainline that just simply isn’t going to work.

“It’s not a workable plan and you know, you can understand why there is just huge frustration and indeed growing anger in Greater Manchester about this.”

Sunak set to use speech today to confirm HS2 scrapping- part two

07:52 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Labour’s shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh this morning pointed to the government’s own documents, which say: “Parliament has already approved plans for building HS2 Phases One and 2a, bringing a new high speed line from London to Crewe.

“Once completed, these sections of HS2 will reduce Manchester-London journey times to 91 minutes from typically 126 minutes today, based on the indicative trains service.

“However, the 200 metre HS2 trains that can operate in Phase 2a will not provide more capacity into Manchester compared with the current Pendolino fleet, and there is no capacity for additional trains into the city.

“Only when a new line and new platforms at Manchester Piccadilly are built can more services including both [Northern Powerhouse Rail] and 400m HS2 services be accommodated.

“Journey times between Birmingham and Manchester are currently poor compared with speeds to the capital. No improvement is possible without additional track capacity into Manchester, given the need to serve intermediate towns as well.”

Ms Haigh added: “The Conservatives literally rubbished this idea in their own rail plan.

And Greater Manchester warned it could actually make things worse by increasing delays on the West Coast Mainline.

“Only the Conservatives could draw up a plan that could actually make northern transport worse than before.”

Sunak set to use speech today to confirm HS2 scrapping- part one

07:51 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Rishi Sunak looks set to use his big Tory conference speech today to confirm what The Independent revealed last month – and scrap phase 2 of HS2, running into Manchester.

As reported yesterday, the London section from Old Oak Common to Euston appears to have had a stay of execution and will be built.

Whatever the merits of building to Euston, the prime minister is likely to face a backlash and accusations that he is again prioritising the capital at the expense of the north of England – despite a manifesto pledge to level-up.

Overnight, government sources went into spin mode and briefed some journalists that high-speed trains would still run from London to Manchester – but move onto existing lines past Birmingham.

But this had always been the temporary plan for services after the construction of phase 1, while phase 2 was being completed.

Suella Braverman’s rhetoric is ‘certainly no Enoch Powell situation’- Shapps

07:33 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Home secretary Suella Braverman’s rhetoric is “certainly no Enoch Powell situation”, her Cabinet colleague Grant Shapps said as he defended her claim that a “hurricane” of mass migration is coming.

The Defence Secretary told Times Radio: “She makes the absolutely correct point we’ve already seen a lot of movement... we could see a lot more, a hurricane, as she describes it, of people moving.”

Asked about comparisons which have been made to Enoch Powell’s infamous “rivers of blood” speech, he said: “So many people are from immigrant backgrounds in this country. I think I’m third generation myself... Suella’s first generation, her parents came over in the 60s.

“So this is certainly no Enoch Powell situation, is it, to make the very obvious point.”

Defence secretary supports PM’s decision to scrap HS2 northern link

07:24 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Grant Shapps said he supports the prime minister in his decision to scrap the northern link of HS2, blaming travel patterns changing post-Covid.

The defence secretary and former transport secretary said: “You can plough on, you can pretend the world is as it was. Or you can take the difficult longer term decisions to go, ‘Actually, if there was a change, what could we be using that money for?’”

Grant Shapps suggests more ‘worthwhile’ ways of spending money than on HS2 northern leg

07:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Defence secretary Grant Shapps suggested there may be more “worthwhile” ways of spending money than on completing the Manchester to Birmingham leg of HS2.

Speaking to GB News, he said there had been a “change in travel patterns” since the pandemic and suggested there could be “fantastic levelling opportunity” from diverting funding to other projects.

Asked whether ministers were turning their back on levelling up by scrapping part of the planned rail line, Mr Shapps said: “It absolutely is not turning our back at all.

“In fact, of course, we need to wait for the Prime Minister’s speech. If he were to scrap the second leg of HS2... and take that money, you can’t really judge it without finding out where that money is going to be spent because that could actually have a fantastic levelling up opportunity.

“Billions of pounds, tens of billions of pounds, so what could that be spent on?

“And perhaps there are things which are worthwhile doing more than building a high-speed rail line given Covid, given what’s happened, given the change in travel patterns.”

ICYMI: Trans women to be banned from female NHS wards, as Steve Barclay insists ‘Tories know what a woman is’

07:00 , Matt Mathers

Transgender women are to be banned from female NHS wards, as health secretary Steve Barclay insisted that the Tories “know what a woman is”.

The health secretary promised in his conference speech to restore “common sense” to the health service and recognise “the importance of biological sex in healthcare”.

Archie Mitchell reports:

Trans women to be banned from female NHS wards, says Steve Barclay

Sunak poised to make ‘incredible gaffe’ by axing HS2 in north but saving Euston link

06:00 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak has been warned he is about to make an “incredible political gaffe” by scrapping HS2’s northern leg while saving the link into London Euston.

The prime minister is expected to finally announce that the Birmingham to Manchester leg of the high-speed rail project will be ditched on Wednesday – weeks after The Independent revealed he wanted to axe it.

Adam Forrest and Jon Stone report:

Sunak poised to make ‘incredible gaffe’ by axing HS2 in north

ICYMI: The race to replace Rishi Sunak has begun. Who is in the running?

05:00 , Matt Mathers

With an election only a year away, the Tory popularity contest has started in earnest. Sean O’Grady takes a look at the contenders for the top job:

The race to replace Rishi Sunak has begun. Who is in the running?

With entrepreneurs fleeing in droves, the Tories risk no longer being the party of business

04:00 , Matt Mathers

Writing from the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, Andrew Grice says that business leaders may be leading the charge on abandoning the Tories and embracing Labour.

Read Andrew’s full piece below:

Are the Tories no longer the party of business? | Andrew Grice

‘Zero chance’ of UK-US trade deal under Joe Biden, says Kemi Badenoch

03:00 , Matt Mathers

Business secretary Kemi Badenoch said that there is “zero” chance of the UK securing a post-Brexit trade deal with the US while Joe Biden remains in the White House.

The cabinet minister risked a diplomatic row with Britain’s closest ally by saying the Democrat president was too “close” to the unions to strike a free trade agreement (FTA).

Adam Forrest reports:

‘Zero chance’ of UK-US trade deal under Biden, says Kemi Badenoch

Michael Gove claims infamous £350m a week for NHS promise ‘delivered’

02:00 , Matt Mathers

Cabinet minister Michael Gove has claimed that the infamous Brexit campaign promise about leaving the EU leading to £350 a week for the NHS had been “delivered”.

The levelling up secretary offered no evidence for his claim on a Brexit boost for the health service, as he recalled the notorious pledge on the side of the Vote Leave battle bus.

Adam Forrest reports:

Brexit: Michael Gove claims infamous £350m a week for NHS promise ‘delivered’

Heard the one about Labour’s meat tax? The Conservatives really hope you have…

01:00 , Matt Mathers

Leading lights of the Tory Party have spent their conference saying things that are demonstrably untrue – over and over again. Might this approach actually work, asks Tom Peck.

Read Tom’s full piece here:

Heard the one about Labour’s meat tax? The Conservatives really hope you have…

Now prisoners could be sent abroad as jail overcrowding reaches breaking point

Wednesday 4 October 2023 00:01 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak’s government plans to send criminals abroad in a desperate bid to solve Britain’s prisons crisis as overcrowding reaches breaking point.

As figures uncovered by The Independent showed inmate numbers are reaching “dangerous” levels, justice secretary Alex Chalk said he would look to introduce laws to allow the UK to rent prison space abroad.

Archie Mitchell and Holly Bancroft report:

Now prisoners could be sent abroad as jail overcrowding reaches breaking point

ICYMI: Suella Braverman claims ‘hurricane’ of migrants on way as she vows to close asylum hotels

Tuesday 3 October 2023 23:00 , Matt Mathers

Home secretary Suella Braverman has warned that Britain faces a “hurricane” of migrants as she dialled up her anti-immigration rhetoric in a bid to appeal to the Tory faithful.

The cabinet minister made a fiery speech at the Conservative conference in Manchester, as she vowed to shut hotels used by asylum seekers and claimed Labour would “open the borders”.

Adam Forrest reports:

Suella Braverman claims ‘hurricane’ of migrants coming to UK

Braverman introduced as ‘darling of conference’ at fringe event

Tuesday 3 October 2023 21:15 , Matt Mathers

Suella Braverman has been introduced as the “darling of the conference” at a fringe event in Manchester.

“She is utterly thrilled at chants of ‘Braverman’ from some of the crowd” at the Blue Collar Conservatism reception, the Guardian’s Aubrey Allegretti reports.

Earlier the home secretary delivered a highly inflammatory speech at the conference, comparing migrants to a “hurricane”.

Manchester Airport Group says it would be ‘wrong’ for Sunak to ditch HS2

Tuesday 3 October 2023 20:52 , Matt Mathers

The north of England needs better connectivity to “drive its economy forward,” Manchester Airport Group (MAG) has said as it urged Rishi Sunak not to scrap the high speed northern leg of HS2.

Ken O’Toole, MAG CEO, said it would be “wrong” for the PM to ditch the plans after more than a “decade” of the government telling the country that “rebalancing the economy is one of its top priorities.

“It sold the country its vision for a new industrial revolution in the north, with high-value industries competing on the global stage and creating jobs and prosperity for everyone who lives and works there.

“We call on government to work with business and political leaders to ensure that vision is delivered.

“If that connected transport network is not delivered, then more than a decade of laying the foundations for the North’s future will have been wasted, and people and businesses of the region would understandably feel let down and misled.”

Burnham: ‘Disgrace’ that high speed northern leg of HS2 will be scrapped

Tuesday 3 October 2023 20:20 , Matt Mathers

Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has said it is a “disgrace” that the government will scrap the high speed northern leg of HS2.

Sky News reported this evening that the line would still go ahead between London Euston and Manchester but switch to “normal tracks” after Birmingham.

Responding to the news on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Burnham said: “So, in other words, HS2 won’t go to Manchester and people in the North will be treated as second-class citizens - again? What a disgrace.”

Tories in battle for ‘heart of party’ - former advisor

Tuesday 3 October 2023 19:52 , Matt Mathers

The Tories are embroiled in a battle for the “heart of the party”, a former government advisor has said.

James Starkie, a former Home Office advisor, was speaking after Suella Braverman’s speech at the Tory conference in Manchester.

“It’s a lot about where does the party go?” he said of the Conservative gathering, in an appearance on Sky News.

Watch more of his comments below:

ICYMI: Sunak poised to make ‘incredible gaffe’ by axing HS2 in north but saving London link

Tuesday 3 October 2023 19:35 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak has been warned he is about to make an “incredible political gaffe” by scrapping HS2’s northern leg but save the link into London Euston.

The PM is expected to finally announce that the Birmingham to Manchester leg of the high-speed rail project will be ditched on Wednesday – weeks after The Independent revealed he wanted to axe it.

Adam Forrest and Jon Stone report:

Sunak poised to make ‘incredible gaffe’ by axing HS2 in north

Braverman: Let ‘silly’ Tory heckler back into conference

Tuesday 3 October 2023 19:16 , Matt Mathers

Suella Braverman has said the London Tory who heckled her speech was “silly” but should be “forgiven” and let back into conference.

Andrew Boff, the leader of the Conservatives on the London Assembly, accused Braverman of “trash” talking during a speech in which she spoke and trans rights.

“Around an hour after the incident she posted on social media: ”Andrew Boff’s heckles were silly but I think he should be forgiven and let back into conference”.

ICYMI: Nigel Farage reacts after Rishi Sunak leaves door open for his return to Tory party

Tuesday 3 October 2023 19:00 , Matt Mathers

Nigel Farage has rejected suggestions he could rejoin the Conservative Party.

Rishi Sunak left the door open to a possible return after describing the Tories as a “very broad church” when asked about Mr Farage’s membership prospects.

Mr Sunak added to GB News: “I welcome lots of people who want to subscribe to our ideals, to our values.”

Richard Wheeler reports:

Nigel Farage reacts after Rishi Sunak leaves door open for his return to Tory party

Trans women to be banned from female NHS wards, as Steve Barclay insists ‘Tories know what a woman is’

Tuesday 3 October 2023 18:40 , Matt Mathers

Transgender women are to be banned from female NHS wards, as health secretary Steve Barclay insisted that the Tories “know what a woman is”.

The health secretary promised in his conference speech to restore “common sense” to the health service and recognise “the importance of biological sex in healthcare”.

Archie Mitchell reports:

Trans women to be banned from female NHS wards, says Steve Barclay

Watch: Tory kicked out of conference says Braverman making party look 'homophobic'

Tuesday 3 October 2023 18:20 , Matt Mathers

Tory ejected from conference after slamming Braverman’s ‘trash’ comments on transgender rights

Tuesday 3 October 2023 17:58 , Matt Mathers

A senior London Tory has been ejected from Suella Braverman’s conference speech after speaking out of turn during a section about transgender rights, Jon Stone reports.

Andrew Boff, the leader of the Conservatives on the London Assembly, said there was "no such thing as gender ideology" while the Home Secretary criticised so-called "woke" policies she said were being introduced by institutions.

The Tory chief was immediately escorted out of the speech by security.

One BBC reporter who was stood next to the politician during the speech said: "In quite a soft tone he said ‘there’s no such thing as gender ideology’ as Braverman was listing things she thought ‘woke’ institutions were adopting. Security immediately swarmed him and escorted him out."

While being led out of the conference hall Mr Boff, who is also the overall chair of the London Assembly which holds Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to account, said:

"My name is Andrew Boff, I am a member of the London Assembly. I am a loyal Tory for 50 years.

"All this trash about gender ideology is making our Conservative Party look transphobic and homophobic."

Tory mayor throws down HS2 gauntlet to Sunak HS2 – ‘I have top firms with cash to bail it out’

Tuesday 3 October 2023 17:50 , Matt Mathers

As we reported earlier, West Midlands mayor Andy Street has been voicing his opposition to the government scrapping the northern leg of HS2.

The former John Lewis boss also said today that he has “top firms” who are willing to stump up cash to bail out the project.

Adam Forrest and Archie Mitchell have more details:

Tory mayor tells Sunak – ‘I have top firms with cash to bail HS2 out’

Watch: Surprising that Human Rights Act wasn't called 'Criminal Rights Act', says Suella Braverman

Tuesday 3 October 2023 17:30 , Matt Mathers

x

Andy Street: Scrapping HS2 would be an ‘incredible political gaffe’

Tuesday 3 October 2023 17:10 , Matt Mathers

Andy Street, the independent-minded Conservative mayor for the West Midlands, has warned that Rishi Sunak looks set to gift Labour a winning political attack line over HS2, Jon Stone reports.

Speaking about the future of the project at a Tory conference fringe event in Manchester he said: "I think they are about to make an incredible political gaffe.

"Every Labour MP in the North is lining up tomorrow to say ... the Tories have come to Manchester to shaft the North.

"Is that really what we want to offer to our opponents or is there not a better answer?"

And one northern transport source told The Independent: "They clearly haven’t thought about the politics of giving London a stay of execution but cutting Manchester. I can think of a half a dozen Tory MPs who might as well quit now."

Watch: Tory heckler attempts to interrupt Suella Braverman speech

Tuesday 3 October 2023 16:55 , Matt Mathers

A Conservative member of the London Assembly was escorted out of the Tory party conference after he appeared to heckle Suella Braverman‘s speech on Tuesday, 3 October, Holly Patrick reports.

Andrew Boff was led away by police after declaring "there’s no such thing as gender ideology" while the home secretary was speaking about "those who fail to conform" are "chased out of their jobs for saying that a man can’t be a woman" when "the left gets the upper hand."

Ms Braverman continued with her speech after Mr Boff was led away.

Watch the clip by following the link below:

Watch: Tory heckler attempts to interrupt Suella Braverman speech

Chalk: Britain will send prisoners overseas

Tuesday 3 October 2023 16:40 , Matt Mathers

Prisoners could be sent overseas to avoid Britain’s prisons reaching capacity, the justice secretary has announced. Archie Mitchell reports:

Alex Chalk said he would pass new laws to allow the UK to rent prison space abroad.

The announcement, in his speech to Tory conference, came just days after figures uncovered by The Independent showed overcrowding in prisons is nearing breaking point.

Mr Chalk said the changes will help the government “lock up the most dangerous offenders for longer where that is necessary to protect the public”.

“This government is doing more than any since the Victorian era to expand prison capacity,” he said.

The plans follow similar measures introduced in European countries including Norway and Belgium.

Norway rented prison cells from the Netherlands under a “Norgerhaven” agreement which saw 650 prisoners sent to the country between 2015 and 2018.

And Belgium sent as many as 650 prisoners to the Netherlands between 2010 and 2016 under a similar scheme.

Read the full report here:

Now prisoners could be sent abroad as jail overcrowding reaches breaking point

Tories ‘stand with the many’ against ‘privileged woke minority’- Home sec

Tuesday 3 October 2023 16:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Suella Braverman said her party stands with the “many” against the “privileged woke minority”.

She said: “The British people will get to decide if they want to curb woke with Rishi Sunak or let it run riot with Kier take-the-knee Starmer.”

She said the Conservative Party is a “kind of trade union” saying: “We are the trade union of the British people.”

Ending her speech she said: “We stand with the many, the law-abiding, hard-working common-sense majority, against the few, the privileged woke minority with their luxury beliefs who wield influence out of proportion to their numbers.

“Our message to the people is clear: we are raising our game, we are fighting for a Britain that puts you first, we are on your side. Thank you.”

Heckler escorted out of Suella Braverman's speech at Tory party conference

Tuesday 3 October 2023 16:09 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The man escorted out of Suella Braverman’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference is London Assembly member Andrew Boff.

Speaking to reporters as he was led from the conference centre, he hit out at “trash” the Home Secetary was saying about “gender ideology”.

“It is making our Conservative Party look transphobic and homophobic.

“Our party has a proud record of standing up for LGBT+ rights and she is destroying it.”

He said he had been a member of the party for over 50 years and was a “proud member”.

Man escorted out of Braverman’s speech at Tory Party conference

Tuesday 3 October 2023 15:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A man has been escorted out of Suella Braverman’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference.

Braverman surprised Human Rights Act is not called ‘Criminal Rights Act'

Tuesday 3 October 2023 15:47 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Suella Braverman said she was surprised the Human Rights Act was not called the “Criminal Rights Act”.

Addressing the main stage at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester said: “(The public) know another thing, that the future could bring millions more migrants to these shores, uncontrolled and unmanageable unless the Government they elect next year acts decisively to stop that happening.”

Talking about “illegal immigration”, she said: “Our country has become enmeshed in a dense net of international rules that were designed for another era. And it is Labour that turbocharged their impact by passing the misnamed Human Rights Act.

“I’m surprised they didn’t call it the ‘Criminal Rights Act’.”

Braverman says ‘Islamist extremism’ the main threat to the British public

Tuesday 3 October 2023 15:41 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Suella Braverman said the government has made sure Prevent focuses on what she named the “main security threat” to the British public: “Islamist extremism”.

‘Racism smear won’t work against me,’ Braverman says

Tuesday 3 October 2023 15:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The “racist smear” will not work against herself nor the prime minister, Suella Braverman declared at the conference.

“The choice between Conservatives and Labour is the choice between strong borders and no borders,” the home secretary added.

Government to start ‘closing down asylum hotels’- Home secretary

Tuesday 3 October 2023 15:32 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A round of appluase erupted as the home secretary told the conference the party will “soon start closing down asylum hotels”.

She added: “We will do whatever is in our will to stop the boats and deter bogus asylum seekers.”

Tuesday 3 October 2023 15:29 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ms Braverman said politicians in previous years did not handle immigration efficiently.

She said: “We were too slow to recognise the scale of the problem, too unwilling to accept that our legal framework needed updating.”

Tuesday 3 October 2023 15:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

“This country has been generous in taking in refugees,” Suella Braverman told the conference.

But said the British people have been clear in “poll after poll” that immigration is “too high”.

Tuesday 3 October 2023 15:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Suella Braverman ironically says the Tory party are “raising our game” in Manchester despite the controversial scrapping of the HS2 link to the north.

Braverman takes stage

Tuesday 3 October 2023 15:21 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Home secretary Suella Braverman has now taken the stage before the conference.

Stay tuned for live updates.

Rees-Mogg says Tories could ‘cope’ with Farage in the party

Tuesday 3 October 2023 15:13 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said that he would welcome Nigel Farage into the Conservative Party.

The senior Tory MP joked: “I know he is a bit left wing but I think we could with cope with him.”

Appearing at an event on net zero, hosted by The Spectator magazine, he added that Mr Farage’s “contribution to British public life” should earn him a seat in the House of Lords.

Tuesday 3 October 2023 15:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Watch live: Suella Braverman speaks at Tory party conference

Tuesday 3 October 2023 14:57 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Our political correspondent spotted a stack of beer mats with quotes from the current and former prime ministers expressing their commitment to HS2 snuck into the Tory Party conference.

Nigel Farage reacts after Rishi Sunak leaves door open for his return to Tory party

Tuesday 3 October 2023 14:36 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Nigel Farage has rejected suggestions he could rejoin the Conservative Party.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak left the door open to a possible return after describing the Tories as a “very broad church” when asked about Mr Farage’s membership prospects.

Mr Sunak added to GB News: “I welcome lots of people who want to subscribe to our ideals, to our values.”

But former Ukip leader Mr Farage replied “no, no, no” to the suggestion while Conservative Party chairman Greg Hands also said he would not welcome it.

Nigel Farage reacts after Rishi Sunak leaves door open for his return to Tory party

Andy Street said he spoke to Sunak about HS2 ‘difficulty'

Tuesday 3 October 2023 14:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Andy Street, the Tory mayor of the West Midlands, said he had spoken with Rishi Sunak about the “difficulty” surrounding HS2.

Mr Street told BBC R4’s World At One programme that a number of private sector companies including Siemens, Arup and EY are willing to help the Government deliver the project.

“The prime minister and I spoke last week about the difficulty, and I understand his difficulty and I said I would help him find a solution,” he said.

“Hence why we’ve worked very hard in the last few days to bring forward organisations that have done this elsewhere.”

Mr Street would not be drawn on whether he would resign if the Birmingham to Manchester leg of the railway is scrapped.

But he added that if it was cancelled he would “put it to (Mr Sunak) that he is actually turning his back on one of the best opportunities for levelling up and critically we are turning our back on all of those investors who have invested in the Midlands and the North on the promise of this railway coming”.

Watch: Suella Braverman says 'trans women have no place in women's wards'

Tuesday 3 October 2023 14:12 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Watch: Travel expert Simon Calder explains uncertainties of HS2 completion

Tuesday 3 October 2023 14:04 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

“I can make a very confident prediction about HS2 in years to come: it will be a study in how not to do a major transport infrastructure project,” our travel correspondent, Simon Calder, says.

“I’ve been covering the high speed line that is supposed to be connecting here at London Euston with Birmingham, with Manchester, with Sheffield with Leeds and much better links to the Northwest and Northeast of England as well as southern Scotland and North Wales.

“But as of now, we don’t even know if it will reach as far as Euston station despite the billions of pounds that have been spent on work just about 50 metres behind me preparing for Euston station to be the hub of HS2.

“It’s currently on pause because nobody quite knows what they want the station to look like.”