Boris Johnson to launch attack on former Tory PMs in promise to tackle big issues
Boris Johnson will close his party’s conference in a rousing finale in which he will accuse his Tory predecessors of “drift and dither” and lacking the guts to tackle big problems.
Bringing the conference to a barnstorming climax with his speech to the adoring Tory faithful on Wednesday, he will a promise a “long overdue” change of direction, with higher wages for all, and pledge to end the UK’s north-south divide.
And although his speech will be a belated victory rally nearly two years after his 2019 general election triumph, his attack on former Tory premiers Sir John Major, David Cameron and Theresa May will be seen as provocative.
Mr Johnson will hit out at former Conservative PMs in his speech
The prime minister will declare: “After decades of drift and dither this reforming government, this can do government that got Brexit done, is getting the vaccine rollout done and is going to get social care done.
“We are dealing with the biggest underlying issues of our economy and society.
“The problems that no government has had the guts to tackle before.
“Because we are embarking now on the change of direction that has been long overdue in the UK economy.
“We are not going back to the same old broken model with low wages, low growth, low skills and low productivity, all of it enabled and assisted by uncontrolled immigration.”
Mr Johnson will deliver his speech in a secret hall inside Manchester’s conference centre that has been kept under wraps all week, leading to claims he is planning a Donald Trump-style rally.
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Other speech highlights will include:
• A call to office staff to abandon working from home and return to the office
• A promise that all UK electricity generation will be fossil fuel-free by 2035.
In an attack on Sir Keir Starmer and former Labour premiers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, Mr Johnson will claim Brexit and controlled migration will drive up wages while Labour would let in workers from abroad, undercutting British workers.
He will say: “And the answer is not to reach for the same old lever of uncontrolled migration to keep wages low.
“The answer is to control immigration, to allow people of talent to come to this country but not to use immigration as an excuse for failure to invest in people, in skills and in the equipment or machinery they need to do their jobs.
“And that is the direction in which this country is going – towards a high-wage, high-skill, high-productivity economy that the people of this country need and deserve, in which everyone can take pride in their work and the quality of their work.”
Carrie Johnson spoke at the annual LGBT+ pride reception at conference
On levelling up and the north-south divide, Mr Johnson will say: “To deliver that change we will get on with our job of uniting and levelling up across the UK – the greatest project that any government can embark on.
“There is no reason why the inhabitants of one part of the country should be geographically fated to be poorer than others.
“Or why people should feel they have to move away from their loved ones, or communities to reach their potential.
“Levelling up works for the whole country – and is the right and responsible policy.
“Because it helps to take the pressure off parts of the overheating South East, while simultaneously offering hope and opportunity to those areas that have felt left behind.”
Mr Johnson trying out an e-bike at conference
He will claim: “There are all kinds of improvements you can make to people’s lives without diminishing anyone else, and they are the tools of levelling up.
“If you want the idea in a nutshell it is that you will find talent, genius, flair, imagination, enthusiasm – all of them evenly distributed around this country – but opportunity is not, and it is our mission as Conservatives to promote opportunity with every tool we have.”
Coinciding with Mr Johnson’s speech, Labour is launching a poster calling on the government to cancel its cut to Universal Credit, which is set to come into force as the PM addresses the Conservative Party Conference.
The poster will be unveiled on an ad van in central Manchester, which will then drive around the conference venue as the prime minister makes his speech.
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Who will be affected by Universal Credit cut?
Labour claims the cut to Universal Credit will take £1,040 a year from six million households, affecting one in 14 British workers.
Shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Reynolds MP said: “Any promise the prime minister makes to raise the living standards of people in this country rings hollow while this cut goes ahead.
“Under this government prices are up, bills are up and taxes are up, yet the prime minister has pressed ahead with the biggest cut to social security ever in the face of widespread opposition.”
The Queen is unwell with a chest infection and has withdrawn from her engagements this week, Buckingham Palace has announced.
A palace spokesperson said Camilla’s doctors “have advised a short period of rest” and added that “with great regret, Her Majesty has therefore had to withdraw from her engagements for this week”.
They added the Queen “very much hopes to be recovered in time to attend this weekend’s Remembrance events as normal”.
“She apologises to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result,” they said.
It is understood the Queen is currently resting at home and is under doctor’s supervision.
Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester, has stepped in on Camilla’s behalf to attend the annual opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey on Thursday.
The Queen has also withdrawn from a Buckingham Palace reception for Olympic and Paralympic athletes hosted by the King on the same evening.
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Camilla recently returned from an overseas tour of Australia and Samoa. No further details regarding her illness or treatment have been released.
A safety system was “blocked” during a fatal train crash in Powys, an initial investigation has found.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has published its initial findings into last month’s collision, in which one person died.
David Tudor Evans, 66, was described as a “lovely guy, full of life and enjoyment”.
A further 15 people were taken to hospital for treatment after the crash near Talerddig, police said.
The collision – at around 7.26pm on 21 October – involved the 6.31pm Transport for Wales service from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and the 7.09pm Transport for Wales service from Machynlleth to Shrewsbury.
The RAIB said the units were fitted with wheel slide protection systems – described as being similar to anti-lock braking systems in cars – and an automatic sanding system.
Sand is discharged automatically via hoses when a wheel slide is detected during braking – creating more friction at the wheel-rail interface.
A map showing the location of the crash near Llanbrynmair and Talerddig in Powys
The on-train data recorder shows the wheel slide started during braking and was also present after the driver made an emergency brake demand.
An inspection of the sanding system fitted to Aberystwyth-bound train 1J25 showed the leading vehicle’s sanding hoses were blocked.
The RAIB says they were apparently unable to discharge sand.
The ongoing investigation is also looking at the speed at which the trains were travelling when they collided.
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Initial enquiries suggest the westbound train was travelling at a speed of between 15mph and 24mph, while the eastbound train was travelling at a speed of 6mph.
The RAIB says its investigation will look at the sequence of events which led to the crash.
As part of the probe, the agency will look at factors including the actions of those involved, the level of wheel-rail adhesion, and the behaviour of both trains during and after the crash.
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In a joint statement, Transport for Wales and Network Rail said they have “fully cooperated” with the British Transport Police, the Office of Rail and Road and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.
“As investigations are currently still ongoing, we’ll continue to work together with investigators to understand what happened and await the full conclusion and recommendations of the investigation,” a spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said safety was the “main priority” for both companies and they had “carried out enhanced checks to the trains and the railway line”.
“At this early stage of the investigation, it’s fundamental that we await the findings of the full report and show sensitivity towards our customers, colleagues, the local community and the families of those affected by the incident,” they added.
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