Summary
Conservative leadership contender Robert Jenrick tells his party's conference he would resurrect the Rwanda policy and leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) if he becomes PM
The former minister says the last government "stuck two fingers up" to the public by introducing an immigration system that was more liberal than when the UK was in the EU
Jenrick also stands by his claim that British special forces are “killing rather than capturing terrorists”, despite facing a backlash over his comments
We'll also hear from another leadership hopeful – shadow home secretary James Cleverly
Cleverly described the previous Tory government's "Stop the boats" slogan as an error, as it turned a complex problem into a soundbite
The other two leadership hopefuls, Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat, had a similar chance to speak to the party faithful yesterday
'I will work with whoever is the US president'
Jenrick is now being asked some quickfire questions.
Yes to restoring winter fuel allowance for pensioners.
No to restoring hereditary peers in the House of Lords.
Yes to scrapping the ban on new grammar schools. This one is met with a lot of applause by the audience.
A soft no to scrapping the top rate of income tax, saying that it's not a priority.
Donald Trump or Kamala Harris? Jenrick leans towards Trump but says he has respect for Harris and would work productively and constructively with whoever is the next US president.
Jenrick says UK should 'harness opportunities' of Brexit
Jenrick is challenged on his support for Remain during the Brexit referendum.
Asked whether it was a mistake, he admits he was concerned about Britain being able to "harness the opportunities" of leaving the European Union.
But he says the government now has the chance to seize the benefits of Brexit, including curbing migration levels and creating a more liberal immigration model to the ones EU member states have in place.
He apologises to voters on behalf of the party for delays in delivering the results of the referendum. Brexit offers the UK the chance to be more innovative and nimble, he says.
Jenrick defends claim UK special forces are killing terrorists
David Cornock
Reporting from party conferenceConservative leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick has defended on his claim that UK special forces are killing ratherthan capturing terrorists because of human rights laws.
He maintained he was advancing a similar argument to that put forward by former Defence Secretary Sir Ben Wallace.
The former immigration minister told the Tory conference that securing the UK's borders meant leaving the European Convention on Human Rights.
"I don't want our human rights apparatus to be standing in the way of taking the right operational decisions for our national security and for protecting the lives of the brave men and women who serve in our special forces.
"A party like ours has to stand for ending illegal migration and the only way to do that is to get rid of this arsenal of laws that are used by illegal migrants to frustrate their removal from our country."
He said the court couldn't be ignored or reformed. "It is in essence, leave or remain. I'm for leave."
Last Tory government 'stuck two fingers up to public over migration policy'
David Cornock
Reporting from the party conferenceTory leadership contender Robert Jenrick has compared the last government's immigration policy to "sticking two fingers up to the public".
The former immigration minister complained that after leaving the EU, the UK had chosen to introduce an immigration system that was "even more liberal than the one we had".
Asked at the Conservative conference if he wanted to apologise for that policy, he said he hadn't taken the decision. But he added: "On behalf of the Conservative party, I think that was a disgraceful decision and one of the worst public policy failures in recent years."
Jenrick, who voted to remain in the EU, said he wouldn't have done so with hindsight but was concerned about whether the British state would be able to harness the opportunities Brexit presented.
'Tories need to deliver'
Jenrick says the Tories need to win back voters from Labour, Reform and the Lib Dems. The party lost the election because it failed to deliver on three big issues: immigration, the economy and the NHS. The party needs to be "obsessed" with these.
The NHS needs reform to get people healthier, he says, adding that the economy needs "real growth".
If the Tories also reduce immigration, voters will come "back home" to the party, he adds.
'Tories need to restore their economic credibility'
The discussion is now moving on to Jenrick's stance on taxes.
He says he is "sad" the Conservatives left the tax burden "the highest it's ever been" and insists the party needs to "embrace the energy of ministers of the 1980s".
Pushed on whether he'd be open to cutting top rates of tax, he says he would like to but can't make promises as the Tories need to focus on rebuilding credibility first.
Liz Truss's economic policies contributed to the party's election loss earlier this year, he says.
'Immigration should be capped to the tens of thousands'
Jenrick is asked why he couldn't cut down immigration when he was a government minister.
He says he fought "pretty darn hard" for changes that he pushed former prime ministers on.
Jenrick adds that the government cannot "successfully integrate" more than one million people a year into the UK. "Something has to give," he says.
He says net migration should drop to the tens of thousands, or fewer. This would be achieved with a cap set by Parliament.
Jenrick says UK should leave the ECHR
Jenrick continues to talk about immigration. He says his time at the Home Office showed him "the immense harm" illegal immigration causes.
When asked if he would resurrect the Rwanda scheme he says yes. He repeats his call to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to big round of applause from the audience.
Christopher Hope says polling shows two thirds of people don't want to leave the ECHR. Is that realistic?
Jenrick replies that the "arsenal of laws" used by illegal migrants to remain in the UK need to be repealed. The European Court of Human Rights can't be reformed.
"It is, in essence, leave or remain. I'm for leave."
'Want to find common ground' - Jenrick
Jenrick is asked whether he considers himself a left or right wing politician.
He says people consider him to be more on the right of the Conservative party - but says he wants to find the "common ground" across the party and the country.
Jenrick points out he has campaigned on several issues "millions" of people care about, including immigration, crime and defence.
He briefly touches on his resignation from the Sunak government over the Rwanda scheme, saying that he couldn't support the bill former PM Rishi Sunak supported.
He rejects suggestions he contributed to the Tory loss in July by resigning rather than staying in government to deliver a stricter immigration policy. His record at the Home Office speaks for itself, he says.
'Someone's got to step up'
Christopher Hope, political editor of GB News, asks Robert Jenrick why he wants to be Tory leader.
Jenrick says the party has "suffered its worst ever electoral defeat" since 1832. The party "can't continue with the stale status quo," he adds.
He has a "diagnosis" of what has gone wrong, he says. He wants to change the party.
"My very firm conviction is that someone's got to step up and lead this party, lead it back into government."
Conservative PartyJenrick takes to the stage
Up first on the main stage in Birmingham is Robert Jenrick.
He's about to try and convince a room full of people that he should be the next leader of the Conservative party.
Stick with us and we'll bring you all the main things he has to say.
'Stop the boats' slogan an error for Tories, Cleverly says
EPAAhead of getting the chance to address questions after Jenrick, fellow leadership candidate James Cleverly has been reflecting on what has gone wrong for the Conservative Party.
Speaking at a conference fringe event yesterday, he conceded the "stop the boats" slogan adopted by then-PM Rishi Sunak in 2023 was a strategic "error".
The slogan was part of the then-government’s efforts to cut down on the number of people trying to reach the UK by crossing the English Channel in small boats.
Cleverly, who served as home secretary between November 2023 and July 2024 as part of Sunak's government, repeatedly used the phrase during his tenure.
"It distilled a very, very complicated and challenging problem into a soundbite," he said yesterday.
"The implication - not the implication, I suppose the self-imposed yardstick - was even one boat was a failure, and that was an unachievable target."
Jenrick faces backlash over special forces killing claim
PA MediaTory leadership contender Robert Jenrick - who we'll hear from shortly - has doubled down on his claim that British special forces are “killing rather than capturing terrorists”.
He says this is because "our lawyers tell us that if they’re caught, the European court will set them free.”
The comments were broadcast in a video promoting his bid to be the party's leader, sparking backlash from leadership rivals James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat - both of whom have served in the army.
Cleverly called on Jenrick to justify his claims, while Tugendhat said they showed a “misunderstanding of military operations and the law of armed conflict”.
In an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, Jenrick was asked what evidence he had to back up his statement.
He said: "The point I was making was one that our former defence secretary Ben Wallace has made, which is that our human rights apparatus including the European Convention on Human Rights is encroaching on the battlefield.
"And it is impacting the decisions that our generals and military decision-makers are taking as to what kind of action is required in these difficult situations."
That's one way to highlight the need for younger voters
Brian Wheeler
Reporting from the conferenceMany people who voted Conservative this year won't do so at the next election, not because they disagree with the party policies but "because they will be dead", says Grant Shapps at the Conservatives Together event.
It’s an eye-catching way of drawing attention to the party's need to attract younger voters.
Launch of 'What Went Wrong' report by Shapps full to bursting
Brian Wheeler
Reporting from the conferenceFormer defence secretary (among many other things) Grant Shapps has drawn a large crowd for the launch of Conservatives Together - a new group aiming to sharpen up the party’s grassroots campaigning.
So big is the crowd that they can’t all fit into the rather compact venue.
Shapps - who lost his seat at the election - is launching a report on what went wrong for the Tories.
Former Boris Johnson aide Ross Kempsall - who was given a seat in the House of Lords at the tender age of 31 - tells the meeting there was cause for Tory hope because Labour’s massive Commons majority is “fragile”.
Who's still in the race and when will we know the winner?
Getty ImagesThe Conservatives are focused on turning the tide after an election drubbing in July. The process will begin with the selection of a new leader next month.
Six candidates initially threw their hats in the ring but only four now remain. They’re all vying to win over as much support as possible from delegates at the party conference in Birmingham.
Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat got first dibs in making their case during a panel yesterday. Robert Jenrick and James Cleverly will follow at 14:00 today.
After the conference, the four leadership hopefuls will face a vote on 9 and 10 October to determine the final two contenders.
Unless one of the two remaining candidates pulls out, party members will get a chance to vote to determine the winner from 15 October.
To be eligible to vote, party members must have been active for 90 days before the ballot closes on 31 October. They will also need to have been party members when nominations opened.
The new Conservative party leader will be officially announced on 2 November, at which point Rishi Sunak will hand over the reins.
What happened yesterday?
The second day of the Conservative party's annual conference in Birmingham was busy. The main event saw leadership hopefuls Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat answering questions from Tory members.
Here's what you need to know about yesterday's events.
- Tugendhat used his speech to argue for lower taxes, reforming the European Convention on Human Rights, growing the economy and abolishing VAT on private school fees
- Badenoch told attendees that she plans to cap immigration, get spending under control, reform the NHS and deregulate the housebuilding industry
- Former chancellor Jeremy Hunt accused Chancellor Rachel Reeves of making up the existence of a "£22 billion black hole" in the public finances
- He criticised Labour's reduction of the winter fuel payment for pensioners, and warned that "fed up" voters would not automatically come back to the Tories
- Liz Truss also spoke, telling audiences that things are "bad" in the country and for the Conservative party
- The former PM went on to claim she would have done better than Rishi Sunak at the general election, had she still been Tory leader
Jenrick and Cleverly to be quizzed on day three of Tory conference
Adam Durbin
Live editorPA MediaIt’s the penultimate day of the Conservative Party conference.
Today we will hear from two more candidates battling it out for the party leadership, with Robert Jenrick up first to answer questions in front of an audience of Tory supporters at 14:00 BST. He'll then be followed by James Cleverly.
They will lay out their vision of the future for the party on the main stage in Birmingham, after this summer's thumping election defeat to the Labour party.
Yesterday, we heard from the other candidates - Tom Tugendhat and Kemi Badenoch - in a similar format.
All four are also due to give leadership speeches tomorrow, with the new leader set to be announced on 2 November.
Stick with us as we bring you the key lines from this afternoon.
Leadership contenders quizzed on past, present and future of Tory party
Rachel Flynn
Live reporterReutersThe main event for the day was leadership hopefuls Tom Tugendhat and Kemi Badenoch laying out their visions of a Conservative party under their leadership.
Away from Badenoch's distaste for paper straws and Tugendhat's love of referring to his military career, some key themes from this leadership debate emerged:
General election loss: Both Badenoch and Tugendhat stressed the importance of acknowledging its party's mistakes in July's general election, and moving forward.
European Convention on Human Rights: Asked whether they're in favour of withdrawing from the ECHR, Tugendhat says: "Opt out of the bits you can, reform the bits that aren't working, and if that doesn't work, be prepared to leave."
Badenoch says the UK should leave if necessary, but says quitting the convention would not make it easier for the country to deport illegal migrants.
Winter fuel payment cut: Tugendhat says he would never have scrapped the winter fuel payment, but doesn't say whether he would restore it in the future. He says he is "not going to be writing a budget for four years' time".
Badenoch said she would restore the winter fuel payments to pensioners - “but not to millionaires”.
We'll be wrapping up our live coverage of day two of the Tory conference shortly, and you can read more about Tugendhat's warnings against the Conservatives becoming Reform UK.
Ex-Reform member to vote for Jenrick
Sam Francis
Political reporter, reporting from the conferenceMany have pointed to the huge swing from the Conservatives to Reform UK as a key reason behind the Tory’s record election defeat.
But William Day has gone the other way.
The 70-year-old says he left Reform after Nigel Farage turned the party into “one man band”.
Day says Reform UK used to lead on immigration, but the Tories are “on top with that now”.
Now a fully fledged Conservative member at his first party conference, Day plans to vote for Robert Jenrick but could be persuaded.
“He seems to have the most crowd appeal,” Day says.
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