Starmer promises 'no return to free movement' in fresh heartbreak for the EU after 'productive' Von Der Leyen meeting

Cleverly blasts 'declinist' Reform over immigration and Brexit - 'I did it!'

James Cleverly has slammed Reform UK over its "declinist" approach as the Brexit-backing Shadow Home Secretary spoke about his recent efforts to curb immigration.

Speaking during his closing spech at the 2024 Tory Party conference, Cleverly said: “Mark my words, we will beat Reform by being the best version of ourselves, not a pale imitation of anyone else.

"So no deals, no mergers. And if we are the best version of ourselves, if we sell Conservative values, if we’re proud of our record and confident in our future we will win the country.

“Because Farage and Starmer are two sides of the same coin. They both think life was better in the past... They’re both wrong, our best days are ahead of us... We need to reject this 1970s attitude that decline is somehow inevitable.”

Speculation about a potential merger between Reform UK and the Tory Party appears unlikely after all four remaining leadership candidates ruled out such an arrangement.

Farage also rejected the proposal, instead claiming Reform UK is "here to stay".

He said: "Reform is here to stay. The Tories had their chance and they blew it.

"All talk of whether a future deal between me and the Conservatives can be done is irrelevant.

"It is not even on my agenda, I simply don’t trust them.

"There is a misunderstanding about the new centre-Right in the Western world. Whether it’s Donald Trump’s takeover of the Republican Party in America or the Freedom Party’s performance in Austria, the old centrist, conservative, stuffy approach to politics no longer inspires."

Farage added: "Political historians will say that the Conservatives can recover and Reform will fade away, but I don’t believe them. I’m used to being told that I’m wrong.

"For years, people told me we would never leave the EU.

"They said I was wasting my time. But I kept going and we won."

Home Secretary to discuss small boat crossings at G7 meeting

Yvette Cooper will use today’s meeting of G7 ministers in Italy to seek “critical” cooperation with Britain’s closest partners on migration and people-smuggling.

The Home Secretary said the summit in Avellino would be an "invaluable opportunity to work internationally” to tackle the cross-border network of criminality facilitating small boat crossings.

Conflict in the Middle East, war in Ukraine and artificial intelligence (AI) will also be high on the agenda, the Home Office said.

The Home Secretary said: "The perpetrators of the vile trade of migrant smuggling have no concern about the security of national borders or the safety of the people they exploit.

"This is a global challenge and working in collaboration with our closest partners is critical."

Labour donor at centre of scandal placed under investigation

The Labour peer at the centre of a row over donations to Sir Keir Starmer is under investigation for an alleged failure to register interests.

The Lords’ standards watchdog will carry out the probe into Lord Waheed Alli amid potential breaches of parliamentary rules surrounding openness and accountability in the members’ code of conduct.

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Badenoch vows to fight identity politics - 'Defend our beliefs!'

Kemi Badenoch has vowed to fight against identity politics by defending Tory beliefs.

Speaking at the ICC in Birmingham, the Shadow Housing Secretary said: “Wealth is not a dirty word. It supports jobs and families. It pays for our families and our health service. We should defend it and encourage it.

“We need to stop being afraid of defending our beliefs. Those beliefs are needed now more than ever. They are needed now more than ever because a new political force has risen, something I have been fighting all my political career - identity politics.”

The Tory leadership hopeful added: “The British public knows that socialism doesn’t work but if you give it a new label, you can sneak it in under the banner of equality.

“This new politics has made us afraid, afraid to defend the people who need us like young Conservatives. They tell me they are afraid to share their politics with other students because they will be attacked, marked down by their lecturers because of their beliefs. We have let young Conservatives down. We need to defend them, champion them and give them a party they can be proud of.”

Badenoch opens up about growing up with 'fear everywhere'

Kemi Badenoch has opened up about growing up with "fear everywhere" during her time in Nigeria.

The Shadow Housing Secretary said: “I was born here but I grew up in a place where fear was everywhere.

“You cannot understand it unless you’ve lived it, triple checking that all the doors and windows are locked, waking up in the night at every sound, listening as you hear your neighbours scream and are beaten and burgled and wonder if your home will be next.

“When you’ve experienced that kind of fear, you’re not worried about being attacked on Twitter.

“You appreciate how rare and precious it is to live in a country with democracy, security, equality under the law and above all else freedom. Free speech, free enterprise, free markets, conservative freedoms, conservative principles.

“I am a Conservative because I see what happens when a country loses sight of those principles and that must not happen here. The truth is we lost faith and stopped acting like Conservatives. We stopped being leaders and became managers. And when we went after Labour voters we lost our own.”

'It's time to tell the truth!' Kemi Badenoch claims system is 'broken' in final pitch to members at conference

Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch said: “It is time to tell the truth. The truth about our party, the truth about our politics, the truth about our future. For too long politicians have been scared of the truth. For too long politicians have hidden behind spin. For too long politicians have told the public what they wanted to hear and then done their own thing. Well I say, enough.

“It’s time to remember who we are, what we stand for, and what we went our country to be. Seven years ago I stood on this stage, so proud to be a Conservative Member of Parliament. We had just lost our majority, but our party was still in government and that was all that mattered. But I am no longer a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed backbencher. I am a veteran of four government departments and a former cabinet minister.

“I have seen the system from inside. Ladies and gentlemen, the system is broken. Without a plan to fix the system, you end up just announcing policies, doing media and waiting for something to happen. And then you run into trouble, as this Labour Government are quickly finding out.”

Jenrick vows to oppose 'crazy' net zero targets - 'Take a stand!'

Robert Jenrick said: “Factories have closed, families have suffered and this is all so because we have become so reliant on expensive forms of energy like offshore wind.

“We have to oppose the root of the problem, and that’s not the principle of net zero but the crazy interim binding targets put into law by Gordon Brown. It’s the mad targets, the carbon budgets, that don’t take any account of innovation that’s driving the mad policy.

“So I say that with our new Conservative Party we will stand for cutting emissions but we will never do it, never, on the backs of working people and by deindustrialising our great country.”

'I'm for LEAVE!' Jenrick channels Brexit debate as ECHR debate continues

Ex-Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick has defiantly declared his support for leaving the European Convention on Human Rights.

Jenrick, who topped the second ballot of Tory MPs last month, vowed to complete Brexit much to the delight of Conservative Party members.

He said: “Let me start with this one, we must take a stand to secure our borders. We must secure our borders. 120,000 people have entered our country on small boats on our watch. Ninety-nine per cent of them are still here, costing us billions. Frankly, there is no future for this party unless we take a stand to answer this problem.

“And the way to do that, we all know is to detain and swiftly deport everyone who comes here illegally.

“But we will never do that, it is impossible, unless we leave the European Convention on Human Rights and we free ourselves from Tony Blair’s Human Rights Act. These institutional are creating an arsenal of laws by which illegal entrants frustrate their removal...

“You can’t reform the European court, it requires unanimity, 46 countries from Iceland to Andorra to Hungary. It’s a fantasy. The choice before us is leave or remain. I’m for leave. I am for the country of the Magna Carta, of the Haebus Corpus, of the Bill of Rights, defending our own freedoms and liberties. I am for finishing the job that we started with Brexit and restoring to our people and our Parliament its sovereignty.

“So under my leadership the new Conservative Party will stand for a new Great Reform Act, one that leaves the ECHR, repeals Tony Blair’s Human Rights Act and writes a British Bill of Rights.”

Jenrick labels Starmer 'shameful' over decision to 'rob poor pensioners'

Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick has labelled Sir Keir Starmer "shameful" over his decision to "rob poor pensioners" of Winter Fuel Payments.

The ex-Immigration Minister, who topped the second ballot of Tory MPs, said: “But we can’t bury our heads in the sand. Just as we celebrate those achievements, we need to be honest with ourselves. The country doesn’t trust us right now... It was a comprehensive defeat and it needs a comprehensive rethink.

“We failed to deliver the strong NHS, the strong economy and yes, the strong border, that we promised. Friends, we must never fail our people again.

“And the truth is this, if we are going to change this party, if we are going to restore the trust and confidence of our people, we are going to have to build something new - a new Conservative Party, that is what I call for today, built on the rock of our finest traditions.”

Farage rejects 'irrelevant' Tory merger - 'Reform is here to stay!'

Nigel Farage has rejected an "irrelevant" merger with the Tory Party and vowed Reform UK is "here to stay".

Writing for The Telegraph, the Reform UK leader made his thoughts clear after a new survey showed over half of Tory members want the two centre-right parties to merge together.

A far higher number - 70 per cent - would like the Conservative Party to pursue a "closer relationship" with Farage's populist party.

However, Farage poured cold water on the idea last night.

He said: "Reform is here to stay. The Tories had their chance and they blew it.

"All talk of whether a future deal between me and the Conservatives can be done is irrelevant.

"It is not even on my agenda, I simply don’t trust them.

"There is a misunderstanding about the new centre-Right in the Western world. Whether it’s Donald Trump’s takeover of the Republican Party in America or the Freedom Party’s performance in Austria, the old centrist, conservative, stuffy approach to politics no longer inspires."

Farage added: "Political historians will say that the Conservatives can recover and Reform will fade away, but I don’t believe them. I’m used to being told that I’m wrong.

"For years, people told me we would never leave the EU.

"They said I was wasting my time. But I kept going and we won."

All four leadership hopefuls - Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat - have all ruled out a merger with Farage.

Cleverly takes bitter swipe at leadership rival and contest finally heats up

Tory leadership hopeful James Cleverly appeared to take swipe at rival Robert Jenrick during his closing speech at the 2024 Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.

He said: “I didn’t complain about immigration or walk away from the challenge, I got it down by 300,000 people a year. I deported foreign criminals and terrorists.

“I stripped citizenship from those who seek to do us harm and I supported our Jewish community here in the UK, tightening the policing response to the protests about Gaza and holding the police accountable for their actions and their inactions.”

Cleverly thanks NHS staff who saved his wife's life - 'Rocked our lives!'

Shadow Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has thanked NHS staff who saved his wife's life after she was diagnosed with cancer.

He said: “It rocked our lives - I could hardly speak, our boys were distraught."

Cleverly added: “But because of the amazing professionals, the doctors, the nurses of the NHS, her life was saved.

"So to all those in the NHS, I say thank you. And it’s because of them she sits with us in this auditorium today.

"And her courage, determination, resolve and optimism, her belief in the future, our belief in the future, is why we are here today.

“And I suspect ladies and gentlemen it is also why you are here. Because tomorrow can be better, and together we can make it better.”

Cleverly says 'sorry' after Tory humiliation - 'The British people are never wrong!'

Tory leadership hopeful James Cleverly has said "sorry" after the Tory Party suffered a bruising defeat on July 4.

He said: “What’s the purpose of our party? What’s our job? Why are we here? We are currently in opposition but we don’t exist to be in opposition. We’re in politics to serve the British people and make their lives better.

“It’s not our right but it is our mission, our duty and our intent. So we need to get back on track. But before we can do that, there’s something we need to say. Sorry.

“Sorry on behalf of the Conservative Parliamentary Party who let you down. We have to be better, much better, and under my leadership we will be”

Tugendhat vows to introduce 100k migration limit - 'I'll set a legal cap'

Tom Tugnendhat has committed to reducing net migration to below 100,000 per year.

The Shadow Security Minister said: “But we must solve as well as stop, which is why I’ll set a legal cap on migration of 100,000, not a target, not an ambition, but a cap.

“This is about visas, not about foreign courts. Let me tell you something my opponents probably won’t. This isn’t simple. We issued the visas because businesses need the staff for our care homes and our hospitals, to look after our families.

“So how do we square this circle? Well we need to fix migration by fixing the gaps in education and skills and in transport and in housing so we can recruit at home and not abroad. Now I will end the caps on apprenticeships and use the immigration skills charge to train our own people.”

Tugendhat calls for Thatcher-style revolution in pitch to Tory members

Ex-Security Minister Tom Tugendhat has called for a Thatcher-style economic revolution in his final pitch to Tory members.

He said: “Real growth, not the illusion of growth that has been boosted by migration, has barely shifted in the past 30 years. Now that’s left us poorer and more vulnerable. We need to free the economy.

“We need a new conservative revolution. That’s what Margaret Thatcher did, that’s what we need to do again and we can do it.”

Tugendhat appeals to Reform voters - 'Conservative values!'

Former Security Minister Tom Tugendhat has appealed directly to Reform UK voters in his closing speech at the Conservative Party's 2024 conference.

He said: "Unlike Labour I will never apologise, ever, for who we are and the country we can be. From Churchill to Thatcher, our party has led the fight for freedom, united against the threats that we faced.

“But we need to face the truth, many who share our values did not vote for us. So let me speak directly to those of you who have supported us in the past but didn’t this time.

“If you went to Reform I want to show you the Conservative values that we share. If you went to the Lib Dems I want you to see the opportunities that only we can deliver. If you went to Labour I want to show you why freedom, not state control, is how we build.

“If you stayed at home, I want to make you proud to vote Conservative again.”

Gove champions ‘mercurial’ Cummings as Tories mull over path back to power

Michael Gove has championed the “mercurial” Dominic Cummings over the Vote Leave supremo’s analysis about the ever-changing centre-ground of the country.

Cummings, who continues to snipe at Boris Johnson after quitting as his No10 Chief of Staff in November 2020, considered the political landscape of the UK to pivot away from more clear-cut lines of left and right during the 2016 Brexit campaign.

Speaking at a More in Common fringe event yesterday, Gove name-dropped Cummings after being asked about whether the Tory Party should move to the centre after losing the 2024 General Election.

He said: “I am, as everyone knows, a fan of the work of my mercurial colleague Dominic Cummings."

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'Not a cat's chance in hell I retire' vows Farage as Reform nightmare to continue for 'delusional' Tories

Nigel Farage says there is “not a cat’s chance in hell” he is set to retire soon after Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick admitted he is hopeful he does so.

The leader of Reform UK joined Eamonn Holmes and Isabel Webster to discuss the attacks he has received from Tory leadership hopefuls waking up to the threat his party poses.

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Tugendhat criticises Jenrick over 'upsetting' video of dead soldier friend

Ex-Security Minister Tom Tugendhat has criticised Tory leadership rival Robert Jenrick over an "upsetting" video which claimed the SAS “kill rather than capture terrorists” because of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

In an interview on the BBC, Tugendhat said: “What’s particularly upsetting is that video is using a piece of footage of some of the people I served with, one of whom there died shortly after that film was taken in an accident.

“And he’s not able to defend himself from the accusation that is being levelled against him. That’s footage of a soldier in northern Afghanistan in around 2002.

“I do not think we should be using footage of our special forces in operations… I would not put that video out. In fact I’d pull it down.”

What to expect today?

Shadow Security Minister Tom Tugendhat will make the opening leadership address at 10.45am.

Former Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will follow Tugendhat, before ex-Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick.

Shadow Housing Secretary Kemi Badenoch, who is seen as the grassroots' current favourite, will make the final speech.