UK politics live: Tugendhat promises Thatcher-style Tory revolution before Badenoch and Jenrick speeches
Tugendhat, Cleverly, Badenoch and Jenrick deliver last pitch to become new Conservative party leader
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The four Conservative leadership candidates are delivering their final speeches at the party’s conference in their race to be Rishi Sunak’s successor.
During his speech Tom Tugendhat has called for Thatcher-style revolution for a “free economy” and more growth.
He has also blamed bureaucrats for failings in the NHS, warning the health service is “not the envy of the world”.
The next to speak is James Cleverly, followed by Robert Jenrick, and Kemi Badenoch, to address delegates in Birmingham.
As the four leadership candidates deliver their final pitches, relations between some of the rivals have been strained despite the “yellow card” rule to stop personal attacks.
Ms Badenoch sparked widespread criticism after joking that 50,000 civil servants were so bad at their jobs they should be jailed.
During a fringe event at the Conservative Party Conference, the Tory leadership contender accused staff of undermining their ministers and leaking official secrets.
Mr Tugendhat slammed Mr Jenrick for using footage of a soldier he served with him in Afghanistan and subsequently died, in a widely criticised campaign video.
The Independent’s political team will be reporting live throughout the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.
Watch: Tory leadership hopefuls Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat address party conference
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James Cleverly admits he ‘messed up’ when he joked about spiking his wife
James Cleverly said he “messed up” when he joked about spiking his wife’s drink with a date rape drug.
In December 2023, the Sunday Mirror reported that Mr Cleverly told female guests at a Number 10 event that “a little bit of Rohypnol in her drink every night” was “not really illegal if it’s only a little bit”.
At the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, the former home secretary said his comments – which he made hours after announcing plans to crack down on spiking – were “wrong” and “crass”.
Asked what his wife Susannah Cleverly’s response to the remark was, Mr Cleverly replied: “Oh you don’t want to hear what Mrs Cleverly said to me after.
“If you think that got me in trouble, repeating the words she said to me would get me in an awful lot of trouble, particularly on a live broadcast.
“Look, I messed up. I messed up. I was trying to make a point that I was the home secretary who was updating the law to make spiking illegal, to protect women. I was trying to make that point in front of a number of journalists.”
Half Tory members want party to merge with Reform, poll for Liz Truss’s thinktank reveals
Half Tory members want to merge with Reform, poll for Liz Truss’s think tank reveals
The claims by the rightwing think tank come as Jacob Rees-Mogg calls for the Tories to strike an electoral pact with Reform
Watch: Robert Jenrick admits his daughter's middle name is Thatcher
ICYMI: Jenrick says he would ‘absolutely’ reverse VAT on private schools
Robert Jenrick has said he “would absolutely” reverse Labour’s introduction of VAT on private schools if he were to become prime minister.
Speaking about his own experience of being sent to private school, the Tory leadership contender said we “should never bow to the politics of envy”.
Mr Jenrick said: “I grew up to two people from a working-class background. Money was quite tight in our household - my mum and dad had quit their jobs and set up a small business and it didn’t prosper initially.
“I went to a state primary school and my grandad died. And my grandmother, who was not a wealthy person herself, decided - instead of going on a cruise or doing anything else you might do with some money - to spend that money putting my sister and I through private school.
“To me, that is an innately conservative story and we should never bow to the politics of envy. We should respect people who make decisions like that.”
Exclusive: Rishi Sunak draws inspiration from Blair as he plans to stay involved in UK politics with his own team
Read the full report from our political editor David Maddox:
Sunak will not move to California as he plans Blair-style role in British politics
Exclusive: Friends of Rishi Sunak have revealed he will not be quitting politics to move to California but plans to stay involved with British politics
Watch: Tom Tugendhat giving out the Tugend-hat at Tory party conference
Government must put right injustice of colleges having no VAT relief – leaders
The Government should put right the “injustices” of colleges having to pay VAT to ensure further education students no longer have fewer resources, sector leaders have urged.
Plans to remove the VAT exemption for private schools shows it is “possible” to make changes to the rules, according to a letter to the Chancellor from the Association of Colleges (AoC).
It said colleges spend an estimated £210 million a year on VAT – 3% of income – that they cannot reclaim, which is “a tax” on further education (FE) students.
“The result is that college students have fewer resources spent on them than their peers in schools,” leaders have said.
The letter to Rachel Reeves, signed by around 172 college leaders, has called for the autumn budget to offer colleges the VAT reimbursement that state schools and academies benefit from.
It said: “The imminent extension of VAT to independent schools offers the perfect opportunity to put right the injustice of colleges having no VAT relief despite their strong social inclusion and public service roles.”
Tugendhat says Jenrick knows ‘nothing’ about sensitive military matters amid SAS comments
Tory leadership hopeful Tom Tugendhat has suggested his rival Robert Jenrick knows “nothing about” sensitive military matters.
Mr Tugendhat was asked about the Newark MP’s claims that British special forces had killed terrorists rather than capture them for fear human rights law would free detainees.
He told a Conservative conference fringe event: “It is an extremely serious allegation and without very specific examples it would be – I think – it would be irresponsible to do that.
“I have heard somebody say that we couldn’t have conducted an operation like that against Osama bin Laden, that is simply not true. It is just simply not true.”
Mr Tugendhat, a former security minister, added: “If you present a legitimate military threat to the United Kingdom, then we have under the laws of armed conflict today a legal ability and in fact a military capability to conduct operations to keep the British people safe.
“I am afraid that is simply a fact, and if you don’t know it please don’t comment on military matters you know nothing about.”
Starmer heads to Brussels seeking post-Brexit improvement in EU relations
Sir Keir Starmer heads to Brussels on Wednesday promising to “put the Brexit years behind us” as he seeks a closer relationship with the European Union.
The Prime Minister will push for a better trading relationship and greater co-operation on defence and security measures.
But he is under pressure to agree to Brussels’ calls for a deal on youth mobility to allow young EU citizens greater freedom to come to the UK to study and work and vice versa, something Sir Keir has so far resisted.
The Prime Minister will hold separate meetings with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, European Council chief Charles Michel and the European Parliament’s Roberta Metsola during his visit to Brussels.
Young director of Tory think tank explains why she backs Kemi Badenoch for leader
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