Quote of the day
“I don’t know what the intention was around that – it might just be get attention … This side of a general election, I might politely suggest it is about delivery, and the government will be judged on delivery.
– Priti Patel on home secretary Suella Braverman’s speech in the US this week
Row of the day
A debate over tax cuts dominated the first day of Conservative conference. Following briefings that ministers were considering axing inheritance tax, senior Tories piled in to pontificate about which ones should be prioritised.
Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary, said before the next election there should be tax cuts that would help “working people”, which would typically include income tax, national insurance – or alternatively increasing the personal allowance.
Rishi Sunak has signalled his support for tax cuts, but so far refused to put any timetable on announcing them and resisted suggesting which he favours.
His predecessor, Liz Truss, is pushing for corporation tax to be cut from 25% to 19%. There was also some fallout over the move by more than 30 Tory MPs who pledged to vote against any measures that would increase the overall tax burden.
Meanwhile, the New Conservatives – a caucus of MPs elected in 2019 – are expected to push for more family-friendly tax policy, such as allowing couples to share their tax allowances.
The jostling piled uncomfortable pressure on chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who has spent the days leading up to conference warning it will be “virtually impossible” to deliver tax cuts until the UK economy improves.
Tweet of the day
Everyone is completely fine, but - @ukonward have had a literal car crash start to conference pic.twitter.com/0z4Pkzk3Bo
— Adam Hawksbee (@ahawksbee) October 1, 2023
Monday’s highlights
The main stage will feature speeches from senior cabinet ministers, including Hunt. He is likely to save big fiscal announcements for the autumn statement in November, but will have to rouse Tory members by signalling his commitment to pre-election giveaways designed to boost the party’s electoral hopes.
Also addressing the party faithful is transport secretary Mark Harper. He has remained tight-lipped about HS2’s future but is coming under greater pressure to end the government’s “indecision” given some senior Tories fear it has become a distraction.
On the fringes of the conference, Truss and other disaffected former cabinet ministers Jacob Rees-Mogg and Priti Patel are holding a “growth rally” designed to hold Sunak’s feet to the fire. And foreign secretary James Cleverly will also be grilled on whether the UK has got its approach to China wrong at a Spectator event.
Two manifesto launches are also planned – by the Northern Research Group and New Conservatives.
