Related video: Manchester mayor Andy Burnham makes plea to PM on HS2
Rishi Sunak vowed to make “long-term” decisions for a “brighter future” as he arrived at the Tory Party conference.
Conservative MPs, their staff and party members are gathering in Manchester for the annual four-day gathering, likely to be the last before the next general election.
Writing on X/Twitter, Sunak said he’d learned during his time in office that the political system doesn’t always incentivise the “right” decisions.
“At Conservative Party Conference this week, we’ll show that can change,” he added. “And we’ll do it by taking long-term decisions for a brighter future.”
With his party trailing badly in the polls, Mr Sunak is expected to focus on policies that have the potential to narrow the gap with Labour.
But Sir John Curtice, writing exclusively for The Independent, says the Tories are on course for a landslide defeat at the next general election.
“The Conservatives appear to be heading unwaveringly on a course that leads towards heavy defeat in an election that is now at most little more than a year away,” he said.
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From Net Zero to HS2: The five biggest rows to watch out for at Tory conference
Whether it is trumpeting his credentials as being fiscally responsible or positioning himself as a prime minister prepared to make “long-term” decisions for a “brighter future”, Rishi Sunak has been at pains to differentiate himself from Liz Truss.
It looks increasingly likely, however, that he will end up sharing at least one thing in common with his predecessor – that his first Tory Party conference as leader may also be his last.
But Sunak can take some solace in the fact that, barring a complete disaster, this year’s gathering will go much more smoothly than the circus in 2022 that saw Truss abandon her headline tax pledge of cutting the top rate – a decision that hastened the end of her premiership.
Since then Sunak has steadied the ship, bringing competence and professionalism back to government following years of chaos. Politics has, broadly speaking, returned to normal following Sunak’s arrival in No 10.
Yet despite the relative calm, a number of party management issues continue to bubble away under the surface and danger will -be lurking around the various rooms at the Manchester Central Convention Complex, where Conservative MPs are sure to frosty reception. Here, Jon Stone takes a look at the potential rows likely to break out over the next few days.
Matt Mathers1 October 2023 07:57
John Curtice: Tories facing wipeout at next election
Rishi Sunak faces a potential “wake” at the Conservative conference in Manchester with his party heading “unwaveringly” for a landslide general election defeat, Britain’s top pollster has warned.
Writing for The Independent, Prof John Curtice said the PM’s initial popularity has “largely disappeared” as he struggles to win support from voters who backed the party at the 2019 general election. Voters who are now angry at the economy, the NHS and immigration, he added.
Adam Forrest and Kate Devlin report:
Matt Mathers1 October 2023 07:30
Sunak: I won’t take ‘easy’ choices as PM
Rishi Sunak has vowed not to take “easy” decisions as prime minister ahead of the Tory Party conference in Manchester.
Writing on X, Sunak said he’d learnt during his time in office that the political system doesn’t always incentivise the “right” decisions.
“At Conservative Party Conference this week, we’ll show that can change,” he added. “And we’ll do it by taking long-term decisions for a brighter future.”
Matt Mathers1 October 2023 07:27
Good morning and welcome to The Independent live politics coverage.
We’ll be bringing you all the latest from the Tory Party conference in Manchester, which gets underway in a few hours’ time.
Prime minister Rishi Sunak speaks to the BBC this morning after vowing to use conference to set out his long-term vision for the country.
Stay tuned for updates from Manchester and other political stories from Westminster and elsewhere.
Matt Mathers1 October 2023 07:19