“Rishi Sunak announced plans to ban the sale of cigarettes, scrapped A-levels and cancelled the second phase of HS2…as he unveiled a “radical” agenda aimed at winning the next election. Giving his first conference speech as Conservative Party leader, Mr Sunak invoked Margaret Thatcher as he tried to rebrand himself as a force for change…Mr Sunak railed against a “30-year political status quo” and declared “politics doesn’t work the way it should” in an implicit criticism of the last four Conservative prime ministers. In what he described as “three huge decisions to change the direction of our country”, the Prime Minister announced a ban on cigarette sales that would be gradually implemented…and unveiled plans to replace A-levels and T-levels with a new qualification.” – The Daily Telegraph
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“Rishi Sunak unleashed a Tory civil war on Wednesday by announcing the scrapping of the northern leg of HS2 as the former prime minister David Cameron said the decision showed the country was heading in the wrong direction. After days of frenzied speculation over the future of the flagship levelling-up project, Sunak confirmed he was axing the Birmingham to Manchester line and would use the £36bn of savings to fund a number of other transport schemes, described as “Network North”. Cameron led a torrent of criticism of the announcement, which it emerged was made without consulting the cabinet, parliament, local councils or Network Rail, saying it passed up a once-in-a-generation opportunity.” – The Guardian
Comment:
“Rishi Sunak made much of his promise to reallocate HS2 funding to “hundreds” of smaller rail and road schemes. I’m sure he is right to fund all of them and I truly hope they can overcome the legal and political obstacles HS2 couldn’t, but these projects ought to have been funded either way. They represent little change in the Tories’ overall approach to the economy, which is to stick with austerity and let every other ambition be thwarted by nimbyism. Given the state of gilt markets, it’s easy to understand the batten-down-the-hatches mentality. My own view is that markets would tolerate more spending for the right investments and that such spending is essential to deal with critical national security vulnerabilities and overcome Britain’s low-productivity trap.” – The Times
“Giorgia Meloni has turned to the UK’s prime minister Rishi Sunak to take her battle against migration beyond the EU…In what some are dubbing the Spanish framework, the prime ministers have forced migration on to the agenda at a historic meeting of about 50 European leaders in Granada on Thursday. Having seen off Germany in her battle to get a Rome-friendly pact on migration agreed among EU member states on Wednesday, Meloni and Sunak have created another opportunity to wage war on their favourite topic on a wider international stage. The leaders gathering for the European Political Community (EPC) summit had already been shepherded into groups themed on enlargement, defence, artificial intelligence, energy security and the climate emergency.” – The Guardian
“The Culture Secretary vowed to stand up to those who “seek to erase” history as she unveiled new guidance to protect historic statues. New “retain and explain” guidance published on Thursday will require memorials and other assets be kept in place with an accompanying explanation of their historical context. The directions are part of advice for those charged with maintaining controversial heritage objects who face calls for their removal. The new guidance will apply to custodians of all public memorials and monuments, including charitable organisations like the National Trust. Writing in The Telegraph, Lucy Frazer said that the removal of disputed memorials was “infantilising people” who can judge such items for themselves.” – The Daily Telegraph
“Penny Mordaunt issued a rallying cry to “stand up and fight” as she delivered a rousing speech to the Tory conference. The Commons Leader channelled former PM Margaret Thatcher as she warned Labour would take Britain back to the 1980s when the country was under the grip of trade unions. But echoing one of Mrs Thatcher’s most famous phrases, she told the Manchester gathering: “Conference, we are not for returning.” Addressing the party faithful, the senior Conservative MP said: “What I have to say to you today is not for the faint-hearted. We face the fight of our lives and our country needs us again, to stand up and fight.”… Ms Mordaunt also ripped into Labour and Sir Keir Starmer, while mocking Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and the SNP’s Humza Yousaf.” – Daily Express
“Tory strategists have rejected calls for a spring 2024 general election, The Telegraph can reveal, despite mounting speculation one was being planned behind the scenes. They have tried to explain why calling an early election, even if it was in their political advantages should polls narrow, would be too hard and risk a backlash. Tory insiders are wary of repeating the mistakes of Theresa May’s snap 2017 election, when she struggled to justify the early vote and lost the party’s House of Commons majority. It means that autumn 2024, a year from now, is the expected date for the general election, most likely in either October or November…There has been a flurry of claims from Westminster insiders that Mr Sunak and his team were preparing to call a vote next spring…” – The Daily Telegraph
“Dame Priti Patel has suggested the “woke” Civil Service should be more like the United States system, with political appointments. The Conservative MP for Witham, who served as Home Secretary from 2019 to 2022, said: “I think we will have to move to a system where you have the hearings and you can make political appointments,” because: “We need to be supported.” Speaking on this week’s episode of The Telegraph’s Planet Normal podcast, the former minister was asked whether she would favour the Civil Service moving to a more American system in which the incoming administration brings in its own officials. She responded by saying that there is a “woke culture” within Whitehall. Her comments come after she was accused of bullying…by a top civil servant.” – The Daily Telegraph
“Brexit has “actually created opportunities” for Britain, the governor of the Bank of England said, while conceding that the short-term impact had been negative. Andrew Bailey separately warned of the danger of “further large shocks that we don’t know about”, as financial markets wobbled over fears that interest rates are staying higher for longer. In a wide-ranging interview with Prospect magazine, the governor also admitted that the Bank was “absolutely useless” at communicating with pictures and simple phrases and found using short sentences “hard”. Bailey said on Wednesday that while leaving the European Union was hitting productivity and growth in the short term, it did have more positive potential, while the worst predictions for Brexit had proved exaggerated.” – The Times
“Polls have opened in Rutherglen and Hamilton West in a byelection that Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, says could have a “seismic” impact for his party across the UK. Scotland’s first-ever recall byelection will also be Humza Yousaf’s first significant electoral test since he became SNP leader, and first minister, in the spring. At the beginning of the week, Yousaf downplayed his party’s prospects, saying the contest – triggered after voters ousted Covid rule-breaker Margaret Ferrier – had always been “challenging” and “difficult” for his party… Speaking to reporters in Cambuslang on Wednesday, Sarwar was in buoyant mood, comparing the current contest to the historic victory of SNP trailblazer Winnie Ewing in Hamilton in 1967.” – The Guardian