Rishi Sunak made his pitch to voters to ‘fix’ Britain today as he dramatically cancelled the rest of HS2 to free up £36billion for ‘hundreds’ of better transport projects – and pledged to wipe out smoking in a generation.

The PM confirmed the high-speed rail move saying the scheme was the symbol of the ‘old consensus’ –  as he vowed to ‘fundamentally change our country’ and fix ‘broken’ politics like Margaret Thatcher did.

He said bosses of the project would be replaced to ‘take responsibility’ for the way it had been bungled, with costs soaring towards £100billion. ‘The facts have changed… have the courage to change direction.’

Rishi’s key points 

  • The Tories will always be the party of small business as he hailed his parents role in shaping him  
  • Labour could not be trusted with the UK’s security
  • He wants tax cut and will ‘deliver them’ but pointed to his priority in tackling inflation
  • Brexit was more than a vote to leave the EU – it was a vote for change
  • Keir Starmer ‘can’t be trusted’ on Brexit and wants to follow ‘all the EU rules’
  •  The Labour leader is the ‘walking definition’ of the political status quo of the last 30 years
  • He is cancelling the northern leg of HS2 to Manchester
  • The savings of £36billion will be poured into other transport projects
  • A new ‘Network North’ will connect UK cities
  • The London to Birmingham leg of HS2 will keep its Euston terminus
  • Health strikes are ‘all about politics, not patients’ and ‘not in the spirit of the NHS’
  •  He will introduce a New Zealand-style smoking ban with the legal age for buying cigarettes rising by one year each year
  •  A 14-year-old today will never legally be allowed to buy cigarettes
  • MPs will get a free vote on the issue in the House of Commons
  • There will be new restrictions on the sales of vapes to children
  • He will do ‘whatever necessary’ to ‘stop the boats’
  • Labour’s plan for an EU returns deal could see 100,000 asylum seekers coming to Britain
  • He will change benefit rules so that those who ‘can work, do work’
  • ‘Every crime’ should be investigated and there is no such thing as ‘minor crime’ 
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He added: ‘There is nothing ambitious about pouring more and more money into the wrong project… For too long people in Westminster have invested in the transport they want.’

In another bold step, Mr Sunak said he wants to introduce a rising age limit on buying cigarettes – so 14-year-olds now will never be able to purchase them legally. He insisted the policy – which will be put to a free vote in Parliament – would cut cancer deaths by a quarter and protect children. There will also be a crackdown on young people vaping. 

Mr Sunak put community at the heart of his appeal to voters, saying the Conservatives are the party of the ‘pharmacist’s son and grocer’s daughter’ – drawing a parallel between his own background and that of the 1980s Conservative heroine. 

The premier is rallying the party faithful as he wraps up what is likely to be the final Conservative gathering before the country chooses a new government – and was introduced by wife Akshata in touching scenes. 

Joking that the PM had no idea what she was intending to say, Mrs Murty said her husband of 14 years was her ‘best friend’ and he was summed up by the word ‘aspiration’.

She insisted it was the ‘greatest honour’ for him to be in charge of the country, and gave an impassioned endorsement of his character. 

‘He is fun, he is thoughtful, he is compassionate and he has an incredible zest for life,’ she said. 

Following her on to the stage, a clearly touched Mr Sunak said: ‘Thank you for always being there for me… Literally the best long-term decision for a brighter future I ever made.’

However, turning to politics Mr Sunak swiped at his critics, saying there will ‘always be people who disagree’ – as he is poised to axe HS2’s Manchester leg, instead pumping billions into other northern transport projects, and delay tax cuts. 

And he launched a brutal salvo at Keir Starmer saying he was always ‘banging on about Europe’ and only says whatever he thinks will benefit him.  

The importance of making an impact today was underscored with another poll showing the Tory bounce after he watered down Net Zero commitments has reversed.  

Mr Sunak was introduced by a video showing how he was ‘changing the status quo’ – including footage of him announcing the Covid furlough scheme as Chancellor and agreeing the Windsor Framework with the EU.

The PM is rallying the party faithful as he wraps up what is likely to be the final Conservative gathering before the country chooses a new government

Mr Sunak was introduced by wife Akshata for his first Tory conference speech as he appealed for time to fix 'broken' Britain

Mr Sunak was introduced by wife Akshata for his first Tory conference speech as he appealed for time to fix 'broken' Britain

Mr Sunak was introduced by wife Akshata for his first Tory conference speech as he appealed for time to fix ‘broken’ Britain

Following her on to the stage, a clearly touched Mr Sunak said: 'Thank you for always being there for me... Literally the best long-term decision for a brighter future I ever made.'

Following her on to the stage, a clearly touched Mr Sunak said: 'Thank you for always being there for me... Literally the best long-term decision for a brighter future I ever made.'

Following her on to the stage, a clearly touched Mr Sunak said: ‘Thank you for always being there for me… Literally the best long-term decision for a brighter future I ever made.’

Joking that the PM had no idea what she was intending to say, Mrs Murty said her husband of 14 years was her 'best friend' and he was summed up by the word 'aspiration'

Joking that the PM had no idea what she was intending to say, Mrs Murty said her husband of 14 years was her 'best friend' and he was summed up by the word 'aspiration'

Joking that the PM had no idea what she was intending to say, Mrs Murty said her husband of 14 years was her ‘best friend’ and he was summed up by the word ‘aspiration’

Mr Sunak boldly declared he is cancelling the rest of the HS2 project, an issue that has dominated the gathering in Manchester

Mr Sunak boldly declared he is cancelling the rest of the HS2 project, an issue that has dominated the gathering in Manchester

Mr Sunak boldly declared he is cancelling the rest of the HS2 project, an issue that has dominated the gathering in Manchester 

The importance of Mr Sunak making an impact today was underscored with another poll showing the Tory bounce after he watered down Net Zero commitments has reversed

Mr Sunak acknowledged there was an ‘exhaustion with politics’ as he hit out at the last 30 years of political consensus.

The PM told the party conference: ‘All I have learned is there is an undeniable sense that politics just doesn’t work the way it should.

‘A feeling that Westminster is a broken system and the same goes for Holyrood, Cardiff Bay and Stormont. It isn’t anger, it is an exhaustion with politics, in particular politicians saying things and then nothing ever changing.

‘And you know what? People are right. Politics doesn’t work the way it should. We have had 30 years of a political system which incentivises the easy decision, not the right one.

’30 years of vested interests standing in the way of change, 30 years of rhetorical ambition which achieves little more than a short-term headline.

‘And why? Because our political system is too focused on short-term advantage, not long-term success.’

In a dig at his critics, Mr Sunak said ‘change is difficult, particularly for those who disagree’.

In his conference speech, Rishi Sunak told party members he decided to ‘take a pragmatic proportionate and realistic approach to reaching net zero’.

He went on: ‘And I won’t take any lectures from other countries that have done far less than us, or from those for whom spending thousands of pounds means nothing.

‘Change is difficult, particularly for those who disagree, but remember this: we will still meet our international obligations, we will still meet our domestic targets and we will still get to net zero by 2050.

‘We have solved a problem and offered an unapologetic defence of good conservative common sense.’

Mr Sunak said he wanted to ‘lead in a different way’ and to ‘tell it as it is’.

In a blunt rebuke to the Tory right, who have been increasingly demanding immediate tax cuts, Mr Sunak said: ‘You can’t borrow your way out of inflation and if we want fundamental change in our country, we need a strong economy as a foundation. That is why halving inflation was the first and most important of the five priorities I set out at the start of the year.

‘Everything we want to achieve requires getting inflation under control: inflation is the biggest destroyer of all, of industry, of jobs, of savings and of society. No policy which puts at risk the defeat of inflation, no matter its short-term attraction, can be right. Not my words. But those of Margaret Thatcher as true now as they were then.’

He went on: ‘I know you want tax cuts, I want them too, and we will deliver them but the best tax cut we can give people right now is to halve inflation and ease the cost of living.’

The run-up to today’s speech has been overshadowed by a furious row over the future of the troubled HS2 rail line.

Mr Sunak convened an emergency meeting of the Cabinet this morning to rubber stamp proposals that will scrap the northern leg from Birmingham to Manchester – amid Tory dismay that bungled handling has allowed the row to run for weeks and dominate conference.

He unveiled detailed plans to plough the billions of pounds saved into improving transport infrastructure in the North and Midlands.

It included a renewed commitment to the Northern Powerhouse Rail project which aims to revolutionise east-west services stretching from Hull to Liverpool via Leeds and Manchester.

The plan for an HS2 station at Euston also appears to have been saved, following a rearguard action by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.    

The proposal to axe the northern leg of HS2 has triggered a massive backlash from business, Labour and senior Tories, including Boris Johnson and West Midlands mayor Andy Street.

Mr Sunak argued that HS2 is the product of a failed consensus – and insisted that ‘levelling up’ projects in the North will be delivered more quickly and effectively without it.

Internal Tory tensions have flared up in the wake of Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s dramatic speech yesterday, when she delivered a grim vision of the threat to Britain’s borders.

Ms Braverman said a ‘wind of change’ had brought her own parents from Kenya to the UK, but cautioned that a ‘hurricane is coming’ – painting a dire picture of the country being concreted over in a futile effort to accommodate millions of arrivals. 

Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch – seen as a potential rival to be the next Conservative leader – warned the politicians have to be ‘careful’ about words. 

Asked about comparisons which have been made to Enoch Powell’s infamous ‘rivers of blood’ speech, Mr Shapps said: ‘So many people are from immigrant backgrounds in this country. I think I’m third generation myself… Suella’s first generation, her parents came over in the 60s. So this is certainly no Enoch Powell situation, is it, to make the very obvious point.’

In his keynote speech to the Conservative Party conference in Manchester today, the PM will say that Britain has suffered from a failed political consensus since Margaret Thatcher left Downing Street 30 years ago.

He will complain that the system has been ‘too focused on short-term advantage, not long-term success’, and politicians who spend ‘more time campaigning for change than actually delivering it.’

‘There is the undeniable sense that politics just doesn’t work the way it should,’ he will say.

‘A feeling that Westminster is a broken system – and the same goes for Holyrood, Cardiff Bay and Stormont. It isn’t anger, it is an exhaustion with politics. In particular, politicians saying things, and then nothing ever changing.

‘And you know what: people are right. Politics doesn’t work the way it should. We’ve had 30 years of a political system which incentivises the easy decision, not the right one. Thirty years of vested interests standing in the way of change.’

The PM will also hit out at Sir Keir’s effort to protect his poll lead by refusing to set out what Labour would do in government.

‘The Labour Party have set out their stall: to do and say as little as possible and hope no one notices,’ he will say.

‘They want to take people’s votes for granted and keep doing politics the same old way.

‘It is a bet on people’s apathy. It is about power for the sake of power. It is, in short, everything that is wrong with our politics.’

HS2’s original £30billion budget has ballooned to £71billion and insiders believe it is on course to top £100billion following the latest bout of inflation, despite a 2021 decision to scrap the eastern leg to Leeds. 

Ministers believe that truncating the project further could save £35billion and release cash for other projects. 

Writing in the Daily Mail last week, Boris Johnson spoke of his ‘suppressed fury’ at his successor’s decision to throw the future of the flagship project into doubt.

He said terminating the line at Birmingham would be a ‘betrayal of the North’. 

The new plans included building infrastructure for NPR, also known as HS3, which is set to run east-west via Manchester. 

Meanwhile, the fallout has continued from Ms Braverman’s speech yesterday in which she warned of the need to control borders.

Asked about comments, Ms Badenoch said: ‘We have to be very careful about how we explain and express immigration policies, so that people aren’t getting echoes of things that were less palatable,’ she said.

Science Secretary Michelle Donelan declined to repeat the language used by Ms Braverman.

She told BBC’s Newsnight: ‘My language is different to her language… I think that she’s trying to emphasise how important it is that we tackle something that the British public are deeply concerned about.’

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps played down concerns that the speech was inflammatory. ‘She makes the absolutely correct point we’ve already seen a lot of movement… we could see a lot more, a hurricane, as she describes it, of people moving,’ he told Times Radio.

Rishi Sunak headed for Tory conference hand in hand with wife Akshata today as he braced for his big speech

Rishi Sunak headed for Tory conference hand in hand with wife Akshata today as he braced for his big speech

Rishi Sunak headed for Tory conference hand in hand with wife Akshata today as he braced for his big speech

Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt gave a grim vision of the consequences of Tory defeat at the next election, with Labour ceding control to militant unions

Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt gave a grim vision of the consequences of Tory defeat at the next election, with Labour ceding control to militant unions

Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt gave a grim vision of the consequences of Tory defeat at the next election, with Labour ceding control to militant unions

Theresa May is not sticking around to hear her successor's speech today, having been seen packing up and departing Manchester with husband Philip

Theresa May is not sticking around to hear her successor's speech today, having been seen packing up and departing Manchester with husband Philip

Theresa May is not sticking around to hear her successor’s speech today, having been seen packing up and departing Manchester with husband Philip 

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will use the most important speech of his premiership to paint himself as an agent of change

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will use the most important speech of his premiership to paint himself as an agent of change

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will use the most important speech of his premiership to paint himself as an agent of change

In a red meat address to the party faithful yesterday Suella Braverman warned of an immigration 'hurricane' coming

In a red meat address to the party faithful yesterday Suella Braverman warned of an immigration 'hurricane' coming

Kemi Badenoch

Kemi Badenoch

In a red meat address to the party faithful yesterday Suella Braverman (left) warned of an immigration ‘hurricane’ coming – but Kemi Badenoch (right) said politicians need to be ‘careful’ about their language 

Mr Sunak toured receptions at Tory conference last night as he tries to rally the party

Mr Sunak toured receptions at Tory conference last night as he tries to rally the party

Mr Sunak toured receptions at Tory conference last night as he tries to rally the party

Grant Shapps defended Suella Braverman today over her comments about an immigration 'hurricane'

Grant Shapps defended Suella Braverman today over her comments about an immigration 'hurricane'

Grant Shapps defended Suella Braverman today over her comments about an immigration ‘hurricane’ 

Pictured: The HS2 construction site at Curzon Street in Birmingham city centre on Tuesday

Pictured: The HS2 construction site at Curzon Street in Birmingham city centre on Tuesday

Pictured: The HS2 construction site at Curzon Street in Birmingham city centre on Tuesday

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