Political reporter(wp/es):
Theresa May will declare that Britain’s post-Brexit future is “full of promise” as she seeks to rally her fractious party behind her with a keynote conference speech.
The Prime Minister will make a direct appeal to mainstream Labour voters disillusioned by Jeremy Corbyn's left-wing agenda to switch to the "decent, moderate, patriotic" Tories.
It comes as Mrs May faces pressure to announce when she will stand down after senior ministers said it was now a question of “when, not if”, it was reported last night.
Her speech at Conservative Conference today will also come just a day after Boris Johnson received a thunderous standing ovation as he branded her Brexit plans a “constitutional outrage”.
The former foreign secretary’s fierce criticism of Mrs May’s Chequers proposals came at his hotly-anticipated speech at a fringe event at the Birmingham conference yesterday.
Several Cabinet ministers have said they want the Prime Minister to step down immediately after Brexit in March next year, according to the Telegraph.
But others said they are prepared to give her until 2020 if she uses the next party conference to announce her departure date, saying it’s a case of “when, not if”, the newspaper reported.
In the face of this growing pressure surrounding her future, Mrs May will use her keynote speech today to focus on her hopes for a brighter future for the UK after Brexit.
“I passionately believe that our best days lie ahead of us and that our future is full of promise," she will say. "Don't let anyone tell you we don't have what it takes: we have everything we need to succeed."
In a speech entitled "Our Future Is In Our Hands", Mrs May will tell delegates that countries across the world stand ready to trade with the UK.
And she will promise that at this "moment of opportunity" the Conservatives will always act in the "national interest" and put the needs of hard-working people first.
In an appeal to Labour voters to consider switching, Mrs May will say: "Millions of people who have never supported our party in the past are appalled by what Jeremy Corbyn has done to Labour.
"They want to support a party that is decent, moderate and patriotic. One that puts the national interest first. Delivers on the issues they care about. And is comfortable with modern Britain in all its diversity.
"We must show everyone in this country that we are that party.
"A party that conserves the best of our inheritance but is not afraid of change. A party of patriotism but not nationalism. A party that believes in business but is not afraid to hold businesses to account.
"A party that believes in the good that government can do but knows that government will never have all the answers. A party that believes your success in life should not be defined by who you love, your faith, the colour of your skin, who your parents were, or where you were raised - but by your talent and hard work.
"Above all a party of Unionism, not just of four proud nations, but of all our people.
"A party not for the few, not even for the many, but for everyone who is willing to work hard and do their best."
No comments:
Post a Comment