This year’s Tory Conference sees the return of members’ debates, an old tradition from years passed. This time a party “heavyweight” like a shadow minister will listen to short speeches followed by comments from the floor on a particular topic, before responding to them. Members selected the topics in the weeks before conference kicked off…
It’s a bit of a stilted affair and the very first debate on migration has achieved the expected results. Less than 20 minutes in a delegate has given a short speech from the floor asking when the party will “rehabilitate Enoch Powell” who gave a “highly Conservative speech” for which he was “smeared and kicked out of the party” to a smattering of applause. Predictably Shadow Immigration Minister Paul Holmes ignored that one when he responded to members’ views. This sort of old row is to be expected when giving a voice to the membership…
Obituaries have been coming in for Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, killed by Israel three days ago in Beirut. Some can’t resist lavishing the praise…
The FT’s obituary describes the terrorist leader as a “strategic thinker” with a “commanding presence …a man feared and admired in equal measure.” Those who met him said he was “courteous, perceptive and funny” – “a powerful orator… fixated on resistance to Israel.” Glowing…
The FT finishes off by noting sympathetically that Nasrallah said he would “absolutely not” have launched the attack that triggered the 2006 conflict with Israel “if I had known . . . that the operation would lead to such a war.” We don’t get to find out if he really learned his lesson…
Not much mention of Nasrallah’s recent calls to kill all gays, let alone Hezbollah’s countless global terrorist atrocities.
The Observer’s obituary is similarly full of praise, describing Nasrallah as a “consensual national figure” who was “adored by supporters,” and who displayed “a dignified response” when his son was killed. It adds that in 2022 Hezbollah “agreed a maritime and gas field demarcation agreement with Israel,” but Nasrallah was killed for “showing solidarity with Hamas after 7th October.“ Some people just can’t help themselves…
New quarterly National Accounts figures from the Office for National Statistics won’t make happy reading for Reeves and Starmer. Signs that the economy’s recovery is grinding to a halt keep popping up…
GDP growth in the second quarter of 2024 has now been revised down to 0.5% from 0.6%, against economists’ expectations. Economic output flatlined for the third time in four months as consumer confidence dives ahead of Reeves’ tax-raising October Budget. Meanwhile GDP growth for the whole of 2023 is revised up from 0.1% to 0.3%. This revision is another spanner in the works for Starmer’s stated mission of getting growth to 2.5%. At least it isn’t falling as fast as his popularity…
Rishi Sunak is set to leave Tory conference after making it through…just one day. After making one speech today, thanking the members for their efforts during the election and defending the Tory record, he’s set to go back to the capital to “prepare for the budget” next month. Then he’ll swiftly clear the stage for the four leadership candidates, encouraging members to unite behind whomever is chosen…
Meanwhile, Jenrick and Tugendhat are calling for the leadership race to be fast-tracked, eager to end the agony of this drawn-out saga and install a new leader in time for the budget. When your current leader can barely endure the first day of conference, who can blame them…
Former leader of the SNP in Westminster Ian Blackford told Times Radio why he believes Nicola Sturgeon’s claim that she spent no time in the kitchen and therefore didn’t see any of her husband’s purchases:
“She doesn’t have a passion for cooking.”
