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Tag: 2023 Conservative Party Conference

  • Andrew Davies – 2023 Speech at Conservative Party Conference

    Andrew Davies – 2023 Speech at Conservative Party Conference

    The speech made by Andrew Davies, the Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, in Manchester on 1 October 2023.

    Well it’s great to be here in Manchester, and to see you all once again. And I want to start by saying a big thank you.

    A big thank to our hardworking party members who put in the graft to deliver our message across Wales.

    A big thank you to our team of Welsh MPs, led by our brilliant Secretary of State David TC Davies.

    A big thank you to our Senedd members, who work tirelessly every day holding Mark Drakeford and Labour to account.

    And a big thank you to our Prime Minister.

    Taking the tough decisions is never easy.

    But that’s exactly what Rishi is doing:

    Taking long term decisions for a brighter future.

    As a Party, we all want to protect our environment and reduce emissions. But we must do it in a way that doesn’t hit working families in the pocket. Rishi’s common sense approach will achieve that.

    The contrast with Wales, the only part of the UK where Labour are in government, couldn’t be more stark.

    Rather than take a common sense approach, they’re motivated by an extreme ideology.

    In the past month, they’ve introduced blanket 20mph speed limits across Wales.

    Labour’s own figures show it’ll cost the Welsh economy up to £9billion.

    The cost of changing the road signs alone is up to £40million.

    And nearly half a million people have signed a petition calling for Labour’s blanket 20mph speed limits to be scrapped.

    But Mark Drakeford won’t listen.

    And the Labour minister who imposed blanket 20mph speed limits on Wales arrogantly dismissed the decent Welsh people who signed the petition as “anti-road safety”.

    What’s worse, blanket 20mph speed limits aren’t the only extreme policy Labour have imposed on Wales.

    They’ve also banned all major new road building projects. And that’s not all.

    Our Prime Minister has introduced tough measures to secure our borders through our Illegal Migration Act.

    But in Wales, Labour want to pay illegal immigrants £1,600 a month.

    And Labour’s other big priority in Wales? Spending £120million on 36 more politicians.

    This extreme ideology Labour has imposed on Wales isn’t just dangerous in itself.

    It also distracts from the things that matter.

    Let’s take our Welsh NHS, which has been run by Labour for the past 24 years.

    Waiting lists are far longer than in England.

    Ambulance response times are slower.

    And cancer outcomes are worse.

    And unlike in England, where Conservatives have protected the health budget, Mark Drakeford and Labour voted to cut our Welsh NHS.

    And just a fortnight ago, Welsh Conservatives once again voted to protect our Welsh NHS from cuts, while Labour and the nationalists voted against.

    Their priority isn’t our Welsh NHS – it’s spending £40million on blanket 20mph speed limits and £120million on 36 more politicians.

    They are out of touch.
And their extreme ideology is also hurting our Welsh economy. Their barmy road building ban has deterred investment.

    And their toxic tourism tax has hit a key Welsh industry.

    But there’s one other thing you mustn’t forget, and this matters to everyone across our United Kingdom.

    Keir Starmer has described Mark Drakeford’s Wales as his “blueprint for the whole UK”.

    That’s right.

    Starmer will deliver longer NHS waiting lists.

    He’ll deliver open borders.

    And he’ll wage a war on motorists.

    Drakeford has cosied up to the Welsh nationalists, who prop up his administration.

    And Starmer would do exactly the same with the SNP.

    That’s what’s at stake at the next General Election.

    And why as Conservatives, it’s our duty to win.

    So as we leave Manchester, we must all get out on the campaign trail and hammer this home.

    I’m as proud a Welshman as they come.

    It pains me to see what Labour have done to Wales.

    And I don’t want to see them do it across the UK.

    So together, let’s stop that happening.

    Let’s take the fight to Labour.

    Together, we’re taking long term decisions for a brighter future. And we’re delivering for our great country.

  • Chris Heaton-Harris – 2023 Speech at Conservative Party Conference

    Chris Heaton-Harris – 2023 Speech at Conservative Party Conference

    The speech made by Chris Heaton-Harris, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, in Manchester on 1 October 2023.

    Hello Conference!

    For the last 391 days I’ve had the best job in Government – being Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

    In that time I’ve travelled the length and breadth of Northern Ireland and it has truly been an honour to see and meet so many amazing people, social enterprises, businesses, and voluntary organisations.

    I’ve been to places like Harland and Wolff – world-leaders in ship building, where, thanks to a Ministry of Defence contract, ship building is returning to Belfast.

    Places like the Game of Thrones Studios – the TV series that has generated huge amounts of money for the Northern Ireland economy.

    Places like Hinch Distillery – the home of some of Northern Ireland’s finest whiskey and gin. As my SpAds will know, that was a really tough visit., I can tell you…

    Northern Ireland has so much to offer – not just to the 1.9 million people that live there, or the 5 million tourists who visit every year, but to us all as an integral part of the United Kingdom.

    This was demonstrated to me yesterday, down the road in Leigh where I had an excellent visit with our MP there, the brilliant James Grundy, to a company called O’Neills, a sportswear company with a factory in Northern Ireland, and a design centre in Leigh that employs 40 people.

    You will no doubt have seen their name emblazoned on rugby and football kits of teams across the United Kingdom, including the brilliant Leigh Rugby Union Football Club who I also met yesterday.

    O’Neills is just one example of how Northern Ireland contributes to our economy and the Union.

    And I’m proud it’s my job to represent Northern Ireland and I’m proud it’s the job of my great Ministerial team too and I have superb support from Steve Baker and Lord Caine and our amazing PPS Tom Hunt and our brilliant Whips, Rob Largan, Lord Courtown and Lord Mott.

    And it’s our job to bang the drum for that small, bustling, proud part of our country and that’s what we do day in and day out and I thank you all for it.

    Conference, I don’t need to remind you we are the Conservative AND Unionist Party. This party and this government will never shy away from our support for the Union.

    Northern Ireland is stronger for it, its future is strengthened by it and the United Kingdom is and will be greater for it.

    I didn’t mention Harland and Wolff earlier by accident – no, those 900 jobs are being created by the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence for ships that will protect the United Kingdom – a contract that is an obvious and direct benefit of our Union.

    And let’s not forget, it wasn’t too long ago that Sir Keir Starmer loyally served under a Labour Leader who wanted to break up our precious Union.

    Under Starmer Labour have flipped from saying they’d campaign for the Union in a border poll to bravely failing to pick a side.

    But we know all too well that Starmer’s positions on all sorts of policies change more than a weather vane.

    It is only our Party that will relentlessly advocate for the Union, because we know just how important Northern Ireland is to it.

    When I started in the role of Secretary of State many in Northern Ireland were unbelievably frustrated with the Northern Ireland Protocol.

    Agreed with the best of intentions, its flaws became quickly apparent.

    Too many businesses based in Great Britain, unsure of the regulatory environment they found themselves in, decided to pull back from servicing consumers in Northern Ireland.

    There were problems that affected everyday lives regarding the movement of pets, plants and parcels – and with even medicine supplies coming under threat.

    The Prime Minister recognised this too and sought to change it, focusing on the practical concerns that had been raised and always, always, keeping the protection of the Union as his priority.

    And so we agreed the Windsor Framework.

    After months of negotiations we reached a deal with the European Union that:

    – Removes trade barriers

    – Allows goods available on shelves in Great Britain to move freely into Northern Ireland

    – Ensures Northern Ireland benefits from the same VAT and alcohol taxes as the rest of the United Kingdom

    – Safeguards Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom internal market through agreements on medicine and state aid

    – Protects the economic rights of the people of Northern Ireland and provides a basis to move forward as one United country

    Now I know concerns remain in Northern Ireland about the Windsor Framework and we will continue to work to address them. There is scope to do so, based on the principle that the UK internal market must be promoted as well as protected.

    But let us also remind ourselves of the fundamental truth – the vast majority of Northern Ireland’s economic life is dependent on its connection with the rest of the United Kingdom and that reality will not change.

    It’s time to get on with business.

    So today Conference I can tell you that the first stage of implementing the Windsor Framework agreement has commenced – removing barriers that existed for Great Britain based businesses to trade with Northern Ireland.

    This morning bright and early I visited Peel Port in Birkenhead to see the smooth flow of trade goods able to travel between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I am also actively exploring how we can support a new ferry route between Larne and Liverpool so we can seize the moment to increase trade within the UK further.

    And let me give you just one stat to demonstrate how the Windsor Framework is a major improvement on the Protocol, and how it will be noticed by people in Northern Ireland itself.

    Over 1,600 new businesses have signed up to our new internal market scheme meaning more traders than ever want to do business in Northern Ireland.

    And Conference, I want to say something else about the future of Northern Ireland. There has always been a lot of doom and gloom around this subject for too long. In reality, Northern Ireland’s economic prospects are unbelievably promising.

    A couple of weeks ago, I, alongside the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Kemi, hosted an Investment Summit in Northern Ireland.

    160 international businesses came along – some visiting Northern Ireland for the first time. They came because business truly recognises the opportunities that exist.

    Nothing could be more important to the strength of the Union than a thriving local economy, underpinned by political stability.

    It is this Government that takes as you know the long-term decisions in the national interest.

    If Labour were in charge, we would have a very different situation.

    Remember Keir Starmer he backed Remain. Then he said he accepted Brexit. But as Shadow Brexit Secretary, he worked to block Brexit 48 times.

    He and his newly appointed Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary called for a second referendum…

    In May, Starmer said Britain’s future is outside the European Union, but only two weeks ago he said he didn’t want to diverge from EU rules.

    That’s more flips flops than you’d see on a beach in Mallorca. And obviously you can buy some of those outside as well.

    Short-Termist Starmer only offers endless instability which would not just weaken the Brexit dividends we are seeing but also take a sledgehammer to our Union.

    Conference, for 605 days there has been no functioning devolved government in Northern Ireland.

    That means the people of Northern Ireland have been without a government – no new policies developed and no Ministers taking decisions on the issues that matter to voters.

    Since starting this job, I have been working to get politicians back to Stormont because I believe that the people of Northern Ireland are best served by the MLAs they elected to take positions for them.

    People in Northern Ireland need their locally-elected politicians to take action to make Northern Ireland’s finances more sustainable; and to improve the health service there, where 22% of the population are on a waiting list – and there is, I’m afraid, a very long list of other things that need to be sorted.

    So I say to my friends in the unionist community we will continue working to answer your remaining concerns.

    You know and we know progress has been made and we are working in a constructive spirit. And it is clear that the vast majority of people and their political leaders want to get this done.

    Conference, it is the 25th anniversary year of the signing of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.

    Since then Northern Ireland has come a tremendously long way.

    But for those 25 years victims, families, survivors, some of them, have been left without answers about what happened during the 30 years of The Troubles.

    This Conservative Government recently passed the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act.

    And whilst it delivers on a manifesto commitment we made to our Veterans – it’s also of genuine help to all those affected by the Troubles.

    It sets up a body that aims to provide answers and accountability to those who want it and is open to all victims of the Troubles.

    Conference, if I may, I’d very much like to thank Lord Caine sitting here at the front for steering this piece of legislation through – it’s massively changed over the course of the last year and it needed all of his immense skill and diplomacy throughout that time to get it over the line so thank you Jonathan.

    Keir Starmer wants to repeal this Act altogether but offers absolutely no alternative. Labour have flip-flopped on this issue going back to the days of Tony Blair and Peter Hain.

    Yet again it is a Conservative Government that’s made a hard but long-term decision to solve a problem that had been left unaddressed by Labour and would be undone by Starmer.

    Conference, Northern Ireland has come a long way and I know it can go even further.

    It’s thriving as a centre of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.

    Those 160 investors from across the globe who descended on Northern Ireland last month for our Investment Summit did so because they know that Northern Ireland has a very bright future.

    A bright future that’s brighter as being part of the United Kingdom.

    With its troubled past behind it;

    with its Executive back up and running – the opportunities available to the people of Northern Ireland are endless

    and the Union of the United Kingdom will be strengthened for decades to come.

    And this Conservative and Unionist Party

    And this Conservative Government will do all it can to help Northern Ireland on its journey to a brighter, prosperous future as an integral part of our United Kingdom.

    Thank you Conference.

  • Greg Hands – 2023 Speech at Conservative Party Conference

    Greg Hands – 2023 Speech at Conservative Party Conference

    The speech made by Greg Hands, the Conservative Party Chairman, in Manchester on 1 October 2023.

    Ladies and gentlemen, after a unique introduction it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Conservative Party Conference 2023, here in the dynamic city of Manchester.

    When the Prime Minister asked me to take on this role – as your Party Chairman – I couldn’t have been more excited.

    Having been a member for 37 years and a representative at every level – Chairman of my university Conservatives, an elected student union officer, a ward chairman, a councillor, a Group Leader, an MP, a government Whip and a Cabinet Minister, I can truly say there is no greater privilege than to lead our great party into the next General Election, alongside our Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak.

    But we cannot do this alone and I am incredibly lucky to have a fantastic team of Conservatives who work tirelessly behind the scenes, and whom I’d like to thank personally for their dedication to our Party:

    Right here in the front row – Peter Booth, Chairman of the National Convention.

    Pete Smallwood, the Chairman of this years Conservative Party Conference, who you’ve just met.

    Stephen Massey, CCHQ’s Chief Executive Officer, who has helped to transform the Party’s finances since a year ago.

    Douglas Ross and Andrew RT Davies, you’ll hear from them shortly for their outstanding work in exposing the hypocrisy of what life is like under the SNP in Scotland, and Labour in Wales.

    And finally, my fantastic team of Deputy and Vice Chairmen;

    Nickie Aiken, Luke Hall, Lee Anderson, Jack Lopresti, Matthew Vickers, Craig Tracey, Saqib Bhatti, Mo Ali, and PPS Dr Ben Spencer.

    So, ladies and gentlemen – we are one big Conservative family – whether you have been a member for 50 years, like Edna from Brecon and Radnorshire.

    Or a member for a little over 12 months, like Leo from Bristol.

    As Chairman, I’ve had the great pleasure of campaigning in over 50 constituencies, and if I haven’t got to you yet, you can expect a visit very soon.

    And we have seen what happens when you do great campaigning.

    Look at Uxbridge: The week before, Labour was 25-1 on favourite – think about that, if you put £100 pounds on Labour winning, you’d only get £4 back – but we had strong policies, a superb turnout at all levels of the Party, and a first-class candidate in Steve Tuckwell…

    Please stand up. Steve Tuckwell MP! And he’s already getting stuck in at the House of Commons – a fantastic Parliamentary voice for the people of Uxbridge and South Ruislip. And proof that we can come from behind to win, as we have done so often before.

    I would ask that everyone takes the energy which went into winning in Uxbridge and gets out to support our fantastic current by-election candidates in Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire, Andy Cooper and Festus Akinbusoye.

    By-elections aside…

    We will, of course, have several elections next year.

    A full set of local elections in May, with our Conservative councillors and council candidates, battling to control town halls, and run them better than Labour or the Lib Dems.

    Police and Crime Commissioner elections, led by our fantastic group leader, Katy Bourne, where we’ll be taking our message to voters, across the country that you are safer with a Conservative PCC.

    We also have our fantastic Mayors and candidates across the country standing for election next year; in the West Midlands, we have Andy Street, the East Midlands Ben Bradley, Tees Valley Ben Houchen, North Yorkshire Keane Duncan.

    And in London, GLA and Mayoral elections, as Pete has already said, a chance to throw out a Labour Mayor who’s been an unmitigated disaster for our great capital city:

    Proof that when Labour run things, they run them badly.

    But Londoners are starting to see through it, and we have a brilliant candidate, in Susan Hall, who will, on 2nd May, prove to Sadiq Khan, that, actually, Sadiq Khan’t.

    And we will – I don’t think I’m breaking any state secrets here – also have a general election, too.

    This is likely to be a general election, that the Conservatives enter as the underdogs.

    And I know in recent years, you will have had difficult conversations with voters: I certainly have.

    But I would say three things about those conversations:

    First, every single conversation I have had on the doorstep has been improved by the mention of Rishi Sunak and the job that he does as our Prime Minister

    Second, there is no enthusiasm for Keir Starmer, and even less trust in him

    Third, wherever Labour run something in the country, they run it badly

    Let me tell you first about our great Prime Minister.

    And the message coming across, loud and clear, from the doorstep, is that people can see we’re moving in the right direction,

    that the Conservatives are getting on with the job,

    and that Rishi Sunak, is the right man to steer this country through extremely challenging times.

    They understand, also, the tough choices, and trade-offs, that true leadership entails.

    They look at our Prime Minister, and see someone, who is prepared to make the tough, long-term, decisions to get the country, on the right path for our future. Someone who is not afraid to challenge the old style Westminster politics of short-termism that we have seen so much of in the past.

    That earns respect. It wins trust. And it will be, by continuing to win that trust and respect, that we will also win nationally, next year.

    Which takes me to my second point – that there is no liking for Sir Keir. And no trust.

    Who is the real Sir Keir Starmer?

    The friend and supporter of Jeremy Corbyn? The puppet of Tony Blair? Or the mouthpiece of Just Stop Oil?

    All we do know is that he has broken every single leadership pledge and flip-flopped almost sixty times in just three years. This is a man who will literally say anything that suits him at the time.

    I always thought that the best leaders wake up each morning, and ask themselves ‘What am I going to do today?’.

    Some leaders ask themselves ‘What am I going to say today?’

    Sir Keir wakes up and asks ‘What am I going to believe today?’

    Ladies and Gentlemen, can I let you into a secret – if anyone likes the association of Sir Keir with flip flops, I have these: available for just £16.99 here at the Conservative Party shop and also online at Conservatives.com, your own pair of Sir Keir Starmer flip flops and I’d warmly recommend them to you.

    But, not once, has there been any clear plan for Britain from Sir Keir. He is not honest with people about the challenges the country faces – he has no new ideas, criticises from the side-lines, calling for yet more money to be magicked up.

    Here’s another thing we know.

    That wherever Labour run something, they run it badly.

    I’ve already mentioned London. Look at Wales. We’re going to hear from Andrew RT Davies later this afternoon and David TC Davies, the Secretary of State for Wales. Patients almost twice as likely to be on the NHS waiting list as they are in England. But, according to Sir Keir, Labour in Wales is a “blueprint for what they would do in Westminster”.

    That’s not a blue print, Ladies and Gentlemen – it’s a red flag, and it’s running Wales to a standstill.

    Look at Labour-run Birmingham City Council. Its leader handpicked by Sir Keir and his union paymasters to sort out the finances. Praised by Sir Keir just a few months ago.

    So what did they do? They voted unanimously to bump up their own pay-packets, blow millions on consultants, all paid for by hiking council tax for hard-working local people by the maximum amount – this is Europe’s largest local authority.

    …before being hit by a £760 million legal bill for – and here’s the irony – equal pay claims. £760 million for one local authority.

    A Labour council that spent more time thinking up – you might remember this from the height of the pandemic – woke street names than looking after the finances. Birmingham City Council really did have a Diversity Grove, they had Inspire Avenue. And now they’re up Bankruptcy Avenue.

    And from what we do know of Labour’s plans for the UK, the entire country would go the same way.

    Labour’s plan for energy, lovingly crafted by Just Stop Oil, would leave us gasping for energy imports from unfriendly foreign powers.

    Their plan for immigration would see the numbers coming into this country decided not by us, but by Brussels.

    And their plan for the economy has already signed the UK up to £90 billion of uncosted funding commitments.

    Because putting money on the credit card didn’t work out so well for them so well last time…

    You can probably work out where this is going!

    ‘Dear Chief Secretary. No money left’

    That reminder is why we must work to stop Labour getting back in. We cannot let them do the UK what they have done in Wales, what they have done to London and what they have done to Birmingham.

    There is a sure-fire way to stop them in their tracks. It’s through effective campaigning, ladies and gentlemen, and winning next year at all levels.

    Let me tell you something about someone who knew a thing or two about campaigning…

    … a much-loved member of our Conservative family who represented his constituents with the utmost dedication.

    Sir David Amess, Member of Parliament first for Basildon and then for Southend West.

    Many of us will remember his campaigns on issues including the honouring of Raoul Wallenberg for his amazing humanitarian works in WW2, support for those suffering from endometriosis, and of course the awarding of city status to his beloved Southend-on-Sea.

    And I know many of us remember well – I’ll never forget the day – the deeply shocking circumstances of his murder in the course of duty.

    Today, in his memory, I am proud to launch the Sir David Amess Fund, to support more dedicated local campaigning.

    The Sir David Amess Fund will be available to all Members of Parliament to apply for.

    The fund will be focused on supporting local campaigns which transcend party politics, such as campaigning to secure city status for your town.

    There will be two successful applicants each year, with funding made available to support them campaign on and better promote their local worthy cause.

    And I’m delighted to confirm that Anna Firth MP, Sir David’s successor in Southend West who’s watching this now on the train up to Manchester, will work with me to pick those successful applicants.

    So today I make one other announcement: to help get local campaigns up and running.

    As Chairman, I know the value of being well organised locally and the importance of CCHQ having a strong network of Campaign Managers has in helping make that happen.

    That is why since the start of the year we have more than doubled the number of Campaign Managers that CCHQ employs.

    And for the first time ever, we have also started to hire Digital Campaign Managers aswell.

    They are helping to build our social media presence, collecting more emails and filming engaging local content.

    We saw just how important our Digital Campaign Managers were in Uxbridge where we campaigned relentlessly on social media and email against the ULEZ.

    And Conference: I want to ensure you know; we will be expanding the number of Campaign Managers we have in advance of the General Election to support you on the ground.

    Whilst we will be growing the number in the period up to the next General Election, I have also challenged my colleagues in CCHQ to find sensible and creative solutions for the long-term, to ensure the feast and famine of Campaign Managers we’ve seen in recent years ends.

    I want to ensure that we are looking forward and growing a sustainable, well trained, and experienced campaigning organisation.

    Conference, I will leave you with one final thought.

    As we go out and campaign…

    As we make our arguments…

    We shouldn’t be apologetic about what a Conservative government led by Rishi Sunak means. It means strong and decisive long-term action on the things that matter most to people, action that the country needs to put us on the best footing for the future.

    When I look back at the achievements of this country under the Conservatives, I take great pride. I have been a Minister in this government almost continually for 12 years.

    Pride that, back in 2010, we made the tough choices to get the country’s finances back under control. That has made us more able to withstand the headwinds that have come our way since.

    Pride that we kept our great Union together in 2014 – and thank you, Nicola, for your help cementing that this year as well.

    Pride that when the British people asked us to deliver on the result of the EU Referendum, we kept true to our word and got it done.

    Pride that we used those new freedoms to deliver a world-leading vaccination programme and help beat Coronavirus, and provide the financial support that British families and businesses needed.

    And pride that, just a year and a half ago, it was the UK that stood tall, and galvanised the rest of the world in support of Ukraine.

    So, Ladies and Gentlemen, conference, the United Kingdom is a great country.

    It faces profound and complex challenges like the whole of the Western world world.

    But our best days in Britain are still to come.

    This country is best served by strong decisive leadership that is focused on delivering a brighter future for everyone.

    The leadership of our Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and this great Conservative Party,

    And by working together, as a great Conservative family, we can ensure victory in 2024, economic renewal, and a stronger, happier United Kingdom.

    Thank you very much.