Jenrick confirms that he gave his daughter Thatcher as a middle name due to his admiration for former PMHope asks Jenrick about his daughter’s middle name.Jenrick confirms that its “Thatcher” – something that Hope knew already, because Jenrick mentioned it in an interview for Hope’s “Chopper’s Political Podcast”. (Chopper is Hope’s nickname.)But the revelation still provokes a gasp of astonishment. Liz Truss called one of her daughter’s Liberty because she (Truss) is a libertarian. Keir Starmer’s parents called him Keir because they admired Keir Hardie, the Labour party founder. But to have Thatcher as a middle name is a bit more extreme.Jenrick says he chose the name because of his admiration for the former PM, and because she died the year his daughter was born.ShareUpdated at 15.21 CESTKey events5m agoCleverly backs shortening leadership contest so it’s over in time for budget12m agoCleverly says he backs replacing BBC licence fee with subscription model15m agoCleverly says he’s not ruling out accepting gifts as opposition leader26m agoCleverly tells Tories ‘with me, you know what you get’, in jibe at Jenrick’s political shifts47m agoJames Cleverly takes part in Q&A on main conference stage1h agoTories should be ‘obsessed’ with NHS reform, Jenrick says1h agoJenrick says he would oppose assisted dying law1h agoJenrick says, if he makes final ballot, he will demand CCHQ change timetable so new leader elected before budget1h agoJenrick says era of Tories having ‘five families’ factionalism in Commons must end2h agoJenrick says he got Rishi Sunak to agree to tougher immigration policy by threatening to resign2h agoJenrick confirms that he gave his daughter Thatcher as a middle name due to his admiration for former PM2h agoJenrick says he will not accept freebies if he becomes Tory leader2h agoRobert Jenrick takes part in Q&A in main conference hall2h agoJenrick right to say human rights law leads to terrorists being killed not detained, Dominic Cummings says2h agoEx-defence secretary Grant Shapps says he has seen ‘no evidence’ to back up Jenrick’s claim about SAS killing terrorists3h agoGreen party more of threat to Conservatives at local elections than Reform UK, Tory councillors’ leader suggests4h agoAlmost third of Tory voters think it would be good if Reform UK replaced Conservatives as main rightwing party, poll suggests4h agoVoters overall narrowly prefer last Tory government to current Labour one, poll suggests4h agoMore than half Tory members favour merger with Reform UK, according to survey from rightwing PopCon group5h agoTugendhat most popular candidate, Badenoch least popular, with public at large, poll suggests6h agoBadenoch declares war on ‘bureaucratic class’ and ‘safetyism’ in essay setting our her political philosophy6h agoJenrick has almost caught up with Badenoch in popularity with Tory members, poll suggests7h agoJenrick defends claim about SAS killing not capturing terrorists due to ECHR, saying his point ‘absolutely correct’7h agoTory leadership rivals turn on Jenrick over claims SAS ‘killing, not capturing, terrorists’Show key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureCleverly says he is opposed to all-women shortlists. He says using all-women shortlists implies women cannot get selected in competition with women, and he says this suggests it’s a “sexist” party. The Conservative party is not, he says.ShareCleverly backs shortening leadership contest so it’s over in time for budgetCleverly says he thinks the date of the end of the leadership contest should be brought forward so the new leader can respond to the budget. He says the budget will be a defining moment for Labour, and the new leader should be opposing it.Q: So, if you make the final two, will you go to Richard Fuller, the party chair, to say the contest should be shortened?Cleverly says it is “when” he makes the final two.On the basis of what he has said, if he and Robert Jenrick make the final shortlist, the CCHQ will come under strong pressure to have a rethink. Kemi Badenoch, who is not in favour, would no longer be relevant to the decision. (See 2.44pm.)UPDATE: Cleverly said:
I have already said to the party board that I would prefer that we nibble away a couple of days from the leadership [election] … I want to get at them at the first possible opportunity.
This budget will define this Labour party. If we hit them hard, where it hurts, in their economic incompetence that will be a good starting point for the new leader of the party.
ShareUpdated at 16.56 CESTCleverly says he backs replacing BBC licence fee with subscription modelCleverly says he is in favour of changing the BBC licence fee.He says the BBC should move to a subscription model. It has “a back catalogue of some of the best television in the world”, he says.
If Disney and Netflix can make money on the subscription model, the BBC should, because the bottom line is, in the era of streaming services, the tax to watch television is an unsustainable business model.
James Cleverly being filmed on stage. Photograph: Jacob King/PAShareCleverly says he’s not ruling out accepting gifts as opposition leaderCleverly says he won’t rule out accepting gifts as leader of the opposition.
I will accept gifts every now and then.
He ways the problem with Keir Starmer was not that he accepted gifts, but the hypocrisy. He says:
The problem is not the accepting of gifts, particularly if those gifts are properly declared. The problem is the stench of hypocrisy because whilst [Starmer] was accepting those gifts, he was attacking us for what he did.
James Cleverly. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty ImagesShareJames Cleverly attacks the way David Lammy, the foreign secretary, gave a speech at the UN security council in which he referred to his own slave ancestry when attacking Russia. He says:
David Lammy went to the UN security council for a debate about the plight of Ukraine and Ukrainians, who are being brutalized by the Russian oppressors and invaders as we speak. And somehow he made it about him the went on about my ancestors, I get it. He’s very proud of being the first black foreign secretary.
ShareReferring to his support for Brexit, James Cleverly recalls writing to David Cameron when he was a new MP saying Cameron was not getting enough out of the EU from his renegotiation. He says:
It is now very fashionable for everyone to be a Brexiteer, but I was doing it before it was cool.
This is another jibe at Jenrick, who voted remain. Cleverly voted leave.ShareCleverly tells Tories ‘with me, you know what you get’, in jibe at Jenrick’s political shiftsCleverly says, if members elect him as leader, they will know what they are getting.
I do not pretend to be perfect, but with me, you know what you get and what I was, what I am and what I will be is consistent.
I don’t chop and change. I don’t U turn. I don’t flip flop.
If you like it, vote for me.
If you don’t like it, vote for someone else. But the point is, you know where you stand [with me].
This is aimed primarily at Robert Jenrick, who is standing on a rightwing platform that he would never have been associated with two years ago, when Rishi Sunak made him immigration minister in the Home Office supposedly as the mainstream foil to Suella Braverman, the very rightwing home secretary.Polling suggests a final ballot contest between Cleverly and Jenrick would be very close. (See 9.37am.)Asked about the timing of the election, Cleverly implies he did not approve of having it in the summer. But he says, by the time Rishi Sunak told people, he had told the king, and it was too late to change it.Cleverly says at that point he focused on trying to win the election. He also implies some of his rivals were more interested in preparing their leadership bids.
At that point, the die was cast. And from that point, you have a choice. Do you do everything in your power to win the general election. That’s what I did. Or do you start perhaps daydreaming about what might be next, doing preparatory work for a leadership bid?
Asked if that is what some of his rivals were doing, Cleverly says: “You will have to ask them.” But, when Jenrick resigned from the Home Office in December last year, colleagues thought that he was preparing for a future leadership run.James Cleverly (left) on stage with Christopher Hope in the conference hall. Photograph: Jacob King/PAShareJames Cleverly takes part in Q&A on main conference stageJames Cleverly is up now.Asked why he thinks he is the best candidate, he says:
I am the only one who has run a great office of state. In fact, I’m the only one that has run two great offices of state and delivered in both of them.
I’m the only one who has been chairman of the Conservative party.
I’m the only one who’s been instrumental in winning a general election. I’m the only one who has the experience to deal with people like you, Chopper, the forensic media, and I know that I’m going to be the best advocate for this party, the best spokesman for this party, and the best leader, not only of this party, but of this country.
ShareJenrick says he would keep the two-child benefit cap. Getting rid of it would be expensive, he says. He says the benefits system must be fair.ShareJenrick defends going running in a top saying “Hamas are terrorists”. He complains about Kay Burley from Sky News suggesting he might be inciting people. He says he is not worried about inciting Hamas supporters. They should be arrested, he says.ShareTories should be ‘obsessed’ with NHS reform, Jenrick saysJenrick said the Tories should be “obsessed” with reforming the NHS. He said:
Our party needs to be obsessed with how we can reform the NHS. Don’t treat it like a religion to be worshipped. Treat it like a public service to be reformed.
ShareJenrick says he would oppose assisted dying lawQ: Would you vote for assisted dying?Jenrick says he would allow a free vote, but he thinks he would vote against. He says his grandmother lived with their family. It was a formative experience. He goes on:
She had a very long and terminal illness, a very severe form of emphysema, and the last years of her life were extremely difficult and painful, and it was painful for us to watch.
Now, we never had a conversation, obviously, about what she might have done if we’d lived in a different society with different laws. I understand where the motivation to change the law comes from, and it is a noble one in that sense.
But I am very concerned about the unintended consequences of changing the rule.
A few months ago, just before the general election, I went to Canada to meet the Canadian Conservative party who I take great inspiration from. I think, incidentally, they are the model, really, for what we should be doing as a party.
But one of the things in conversation they spoke about was the very severe unintended consequences that they have experienced from their own [assisted dying law].
And so I would just urge everyone – my parliamentary colleagues, Keir Starmer and the Labour party – to think this through very, very carefully.
ShareUpdated at 16.04 CESTJenrick says he does not approve of all-women shortlists for candidates. He says that this system does a disservice to women, because it implies they are not selected on merit.Share