Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Internal divisions dominate Tories' annual conference

Fractures over policy are increasingly apparent within its ranks, from the cabinet down

Internal divisions dominate Tories' annual conference

BRITAIN's ruling Tories are gathered for their annual conference, with splits surfacing and leadership hopefuls jockeying -- just as the party needs unity heading into a general election as underdogs.

The Tories, in power since 2010, kicked off four days of main stage speeches, fringe events and political networking on Sunday (1), following more than a year trailing the Labour opposition badly in the polls.


Despite signs the gap could be narrowing, many in and outside the party see the next election as already lost and the contest to succeed prime minister Rishi Sunak as party leader already under way.

Meanwhile, fractures over policy -- particularly taxation levels, but also how aggressively to pursue the net-zero agenda -- are increasingly apparent within its ranks, from the cabinet down.

This leaves Sunak, who took charge nearly a year ago after the implosion of Liz Truss's short-lived premiership, struggling to present a united front as he tries to reduce the polling deficit.

"These divides don't seem as deep or raw as the Brexit era, but the Tories have lost all message discipline," said David Jeffrey, a British politics lecturer at the University of Liverpool.

That poses challenges for Sunak in crafting a manifesto "that MPs will want to unite around", he added.

"It seems to me a lot of these divisions are not actually an attempt to influence policy but rather used to position the speaker for the post-election leadership contest.

"To that end, it is not what is being said that is interesting, but who is saying it."

Home secretary Suella Braverman's speech in the US last week, in which she claimed multiculturalism had failed and criticised the international asylum system, was widely viewed as an attempt to burnish her leadership credentials.

Business and trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, who alongside Braverman ran to replace ex-prime minister Boris Johnson after he resigned in June 2022, is also still thought to harbour ambitions for the top job.

Former home secretary Priti Patel refused to rule herself out of a future party leader bid Sunday, while several current ministers are considered likely to stand if the chance arises.

Meanwhile, Tory big-names not likely vying for the leadership are even less shy in voicing their opinions on policy -- even if they contradict the government's stance.

Speaking Monday (2) at a "Great British Growth Rally" on the fringes of the conference, Truss, who remains an MP, implored finance minister Jeremy Hunt to lower taxes and slash spending when he unveils a mini-budget in November.

"I'm calling upon the chancellor (of the exchequer) at the autumn statement to put corporation tax back down to 19 percent," she said.

"We need to acknowledge that government is too big, taxes are too high and we are spending too much."

Her speech follows senior minister Michael Gove backing pre-election tax cuts in a live television interview Sunday, and dozens of Tory MPs unveiling a pledge Friday not to vote for Hunt's mini-budget if it contains any rates increases.

Sunak, who lost to Truss in last year's party leadership contest but then replaced her unopposed less than two months later, insisted Sunday that lowering decades-high inflation was "the best tax cut" he could deliver.

In recent weeks he has also sought to move beyond the short-term policies that have defined his first year in power to outline a longer-term vision, alongside several more populist policies and pivots.

They include plans to "support drivers" and push back on supposed "anti-car measures" introduced by local authorities, as well as softening green policies aimed at achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The strategy shift has coincided with at least two recent polls showing Labour's lead shrinking from the more than 20-point margins seen earlier this year.

One former cabinet minister said that party insiders were increasingly optimistic about Sunak's chances in the election, which must be held by January 2025 at the latest.

He downplayed the current divisions, depicting arguments around tax and other policy areas as healthy internal debate.

(AFP)

More For You

Norman Tebbit
Following Thatcher’s third general election victory in 1987, Tebbit stepped back from frontline politics to care for his wife. (Photo: Getty Images)

What was the Tebbit Test and why was it controversial?

LORD NORMAN TEBBIT, the former cabinet minister who introduced the controversial “cricket test” to question the loyalty of migrants, has died at the age of 94. The test, later known as the “Tebbit Test,” suggested that immigrants who supported cricket teams from their countries of origin instead of England were not fully integrated into British society. His death was confirmed on Monday by his son, William, who asked for privacy for the family.

Tebbit first spoke about the test in 1990 as a Conservative MP. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, he said, “A large proportion of Britain's Asian population fail to pass the cricket test. Which side do they cheer for? It’s an interesting test. Are you still harking back to where you came from or where you are?”

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

Air India crash probe finds fuel to engines was cut off before impact

Highlights

 
     
  • Fuel to both engines of the Air India flight was cut off seconds before the crash
  •  
  • A pilot was heard questioning the other over the cut-off; both denied initiating it.
  •  
  • The Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people.
  •  
  • Investigators are focusing on fuel switch movement; full analysis may take months.

FUEL control switches to both engines of the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff were moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position seconds before the crash, according to a preliminary investigation report released early Saturday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have consistently reported Chinese research vessel presence. (Representational image: Getty Images)

Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

A Chinese research vessel was detected operating in the Bay of Bengal near Indian waters while attempting to conceal its presence by disabling its Automatic Identification System (AIS), according to a report by The Economic Times, citing French maritime intelligence firm Unseenlabs.

The French company conducted a 16-day satellite-based survey tracking ships through radio frequency emissions. It monitored 1,897 vessels, with 9.6 per cent showing no AIS activity, indicating attempts to avoid detection. The survey raised concerns amid increased Chinese activity in the region.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian-inspired garden earns
five awards at Hampton Court

(From left) Malcolm Anderson (RHS, head of sustainability) Clare Matterson (RHS director general), Lorraine Bishton (Subaru UK and Ireland, managing director) Andrew Ball (director, Big Fish Landscapes) Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews with the medals

Asian-inspired garden earns five awards at Hampton Court

BRITISH Asians are being encouraged to take up gardening by a couple who have won a record five medals at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.

“It’s a contemporary reimagining of a traditional walled garden, highlighting the British and Irish rainforests,” said Jewlsy Mathews, who was born in Britain of parents from Kerala, a southern Indian state known for its lush vegetation.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk weather

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England

iStock

England faces widespread heat alerts and hosepipe bans amid rising temperatures

Highlights:

  • Amber heat health alerts in place for large parts of England
  • Hosepipe bans announced in Yorkshire, Kent and Sussex
  • Temperatures could reach 33°C over the weekend
  • Health risks rise, especially for elderly and vulnerable groups

Heat warnings in effect as UK braces for another hot weekend

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England, with temperatures expected to climb to 33°C in some areas over the weekend. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) activated the warning at 12 pm on Friday, with it set to remain in place until 9 am on Monday.

The alerts cover the East Midlands, West Midlands, south-east, south-west, East of England, and London. Additional yellow alerts were issued for the north-east, north-west, and Yorkshire and the Humber, starting from midday Friday.

Keep ReadingShow less