The quest for Pure Conservatism is afoot, and the former PM is not short of ideas. The problem is that they’re all really terrible
hen two tribes go to war … Or three. Or four. The real action at this year’s Tory party conference is all taking place on the fringes. Almost no one believes that Rishi Sunak can win the next election and the leadership hopefuls are making their pitch for the hollowed-out soul of the party. The main hall is a dead zone. A theatre of charades where ministers on autopilot trot out a whole load of cliches they don’t believe to a handful of dozing delegates who aren’t listening.
But here in Manchester, almost all that most people – including Rishi Sunak – agree on is that 13 years of Conservative government have brought the country to its knees. When they catch up with the Tories who have done this to the UK, there will be hell to pay. What they do know, however, is that the only thing that will save us is more Conservatism. Logic isn’t their strong point. But we’re in the realm of false consciousness.
They were backing up round the corridors and out the front door of the Midland hotel for Truss’s “Rally for Growth”. By far the longest queues of the day. If you need somewhere to lie down, there’s plenty of spare seats in the main hall. A few of those in line were simply catastrophe curious. Party members who wanted a chance to eyeball one of life’s greatest failures. But the majority were there because they were genuine believers.
If Truss had a fault it was that she had never been bold enough. She should have cut taxes further and harder. Corporation tax should go down to 19%. Or even lower. She still had no idea how to fund any of this. Then she would reduce energy bills by fracking the entire country. Except in the bits where no one wanted it. Which was everywhere. And somehow, out of all this, 500,000 new homes would miraculously appear each year. Me neither. It was genuinely breathtaking.
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