| Hi there, I'm Ailbhe Rea, a Bloomberg associate editor covering Westminster. Good afternoon from rainy Birmingham, where I've been trying to work out how to describe the odd atmosphere at Conservative Party Conference to you. "Quiet" might be the kindest word. From the lack of coffee queues to the ease with which I am finding a seat at events, there are reminders everywhere that this is a party reeling from a devastating election defeat, and suffering the loss of business and media interest that comes with being in opposition. My colleagues report that a panelist asked the audience during yesterday's business day for a show of hands from the private equity industry, only to be met with silence. But this lack of appetite from outside hasn't necessarily cut through to members, who have given Liz Truss the warmest reception of any politician — even more than the leadership candidates — despite her responsibility for the single most damaging event for the Conservatives' poll ratings in their last period in office. Few Tories I have spoken to appear to be reckoning with just how long the road back to power might be.  Liz Truss here in Birmingham yesterday Photographer: Darren Staples/Bloomberg Who will lead them on that journey? Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick each had their wobbles in recent days, meaning the contest is wide open as they, James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat battle to win over the tiny electorate of Tory MPs who will select the final two candidates to be put to the membership. (We have a full run-down of all the ructions behind the scenes). Tomorrow's speeches are seen as the crucial moment. Everyone is remembering David Cameron's speech to conference during the leadership contest of 2005, in which he spoke without notes and convinced the party membership that he was the young, modern leader with a plan to lead them back to government. It was that speech that took him from also-ran to frontrunner, overtaking the previous favorite, David Davis. All four candidates are hoping that that will be them tomorrow. But it could all be overshadowed by other events globally. As I write, Bloomberg's Washington team is reporting that the US has indications Iran is preparing to launch a ballistic missile attack against Israel. The Middle East appears on the brink of all out war. Keep an eye on our website for updates. Want this in your inbox each weekday? You can sign up here. | 
No comments:
Post a Comment