Who came out on top at Conservative Party Conference? While Kemi Badenoch did the most to undermine her own chances of becoming leader of the Conservative Party, James Cleverly came across as everybody’s favourite second choice, William Atkinson Party conferences are always odd. As Conservative membership has dwindled from 1m in 1990 to around 100,000 today – CCHQ won’t publish the figure, out of [...]
Let’s be honest… the Conservatives are deluded Opinion The Conservative Party is enjoying the sugar rush of a leadership campaign, but the grim reality of opposition will soon sink in, says Matthew Lesh The vibe at the Conservative Party conference this week in Birmingham was chipper. Well-lubricated members excitedly shuffled between drinks receptions headlined by the four leadership contenders. There were impromptu rallies, [...]
The ECHR is a vital guarantor of our freedom Opinion Far from endangering our freedoms, the ECHR makes the individual, not the state, the centre of the international order, says Sam Fowles An immutable law of modern politics is that the louder a politician bloviates about “freedom” the more authoritarian they will be in power. The last government waxed lyrical about “freedom of speech” then [...]
Tories must get out of their bubble and listen to business October 2, 2024 To those outside the bubble of true blue believers, Conservative party conference looked deranged. As violence exploded in the Middle East, delegates in Birmingham were battling over novelty merchandise and queuing for selfies with election losers. Fringe events debating the meaning of conservatism were packed while corporate sponsors and business lobbyists were conspicuous by their [...]
The main task of the next Tory leader is to repaint the party’s image October 2, 2024 The dominant narrative around a government’s record is more important than the facts, writes Paul Ormerod
Tories urged to ‘champion’ City when arguing for growth September 30, 2024 The City of London Corporation urges the Tory party to prioritise financial services to support economic growth
Why Conservatives are still asking: What would Margaret Thatcher do? September 27, 2024 Why are people at Conservative Party Conference 2024 still talking about Margaret Thatcher? Because she gave Tories something to believe in, says Alys Denby It’s Conservative Party conference and one subject that’s guaranteed to come up at any gathering of Tories is Margaret Thatcher. The palms of upholstered older party members moisten as they share [...]
MPs to vote on Rishi Sunak’s bill to create ‘smokefree generation’ April 16, 2024 MPs will vote on Rishi Sunak’s landmark bill to create a “smokefree generation” in the House of Commons later today.
Disposable vapes to be banned as government cracks down on e-cigarettes January 29, 2024 Disposable vapes are set to be banned in the UK amid a wider government crackdown on e-cigarettes.
What are the big political events coming up in 2024? December 30, 2023 From the US presidential race to the London mayoral contests, there’s a lot on the horizon to keep politicos busy in 2024.