Theresa May: PM's conference speech

The Times's political and parliamentary sketchwriter Patrick Kidd, who attended the conference, tells Politics Live that Theresa May dancing onto the stage "showed she has a spring in her step".

He called on previous Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe to watch out, after her Strictly Come Dancing performance a few years ago.

Patrick notes how the prime minister left to the song Mr Blue Sky, with lyrics including "please tell us why you had to hide away for so long".

Former Conservative MP Stewart Jackson, who served as chief of staff, and special adviser to David Davis, former secretary of state for exiting the European Union, says "She's not quite Muhammad Ali, but she's fighting back."

In her speech, Theresa May announced a new cancer strategy which includes lowering the age for bowel cancer screening from 60 to 50, investing in scanners and building more Rapid Diagnostic Centres.

Noting that half of all British citizens will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes, Theresa May then opened up about the death of her own goddaughter from the illness.

On Politics Live, Jo Coburn questions Health Secretary Matt Hancock on how this new cancer strategy will be funded.

He says "any tax increases and the details of them will be announced in the Chancellor's budget next month".

When pushed on the fact that the Insititute for Fiscal Studies states this Conservative party pledge of £394m every week for the NHS was less than Tony Blair put into health services in real terms, Matt Hancock says "my job is to ensure the money is used in the best way possible, including to increase the use of technology in hospitals. This didn't happen last time."

Speaking to audience members outside the conference hall, one says Theresa May "really offers opportunity, unity and gives hope and encouragement to so many people".

She says: "It was the best speech Theresa May has given, and she delivered on great policies and proved that we are a unified party."

Another attendee says: "Theresa May has proved she is fit to lead this party through the Brexit negotiations when people both in the party and out have cast doubts on her. She has proved that the Conservative party are the party this country needs for the future."

Asked by Jo Coburn on Politics Live why he thinks Theresa May did not refer to the Chequers plan by name in the speech, Health Secretary Matt Hancock says "what's in a name?"

Matt Hancock says: "It was a brilliant speech that proves she has 'mojo'."

BBC chief political correspondent Vicki Young tells Jo Coburn on Politics Live that it was noteable that Chequers wasn't mentioned by name, "a clear rebrand by the prime minister".

And she says the policy announcement on housing, giving councils the ability to borrow more to fund new developments, was the biggest policy announcement of the speech.

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The prime minister says the Conservative government has the potential to improve the lives of everyone in society "but only if we take the right decisions now".

She says, "some communities have been left behind. We're all worse off when any part of us has been left back."

"We are investing in infrastructure. We are doing more than anyone since the Victorians to upgrade our railways. Our road-building programme is the largest since the 1970s."

Discussing the Conservative plan for an economy that works for everyone, the prime minister says the Conservatives will "fix markets not destroy them, help with the cost of living, and end austerity".

She says "this is a moment of opportunity for our party. To champion decency in our politics.

"To honour the result of the referendum. To come together to make a success of the decision we took."

She says "our future is in our hands, together let's seize it, together let's build a better Britain."

Fuel duty is to be frozen for the ninth year in a row in the Chancellor's budget later this month, the prime minister says.

She says the Conservative government are on the side of the "working families".

A car is a necessity "not a luxury" for millions of people, she adds.

Last month, Chancellor Philip Hammond said the policy saved drivers money, but would cost the Treasury £38bn if it continued for another three years.

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The prime minister says because the Conservative party put the interest of consumers first, they have announced a fundamental review into British railways.

"On some routes the service has not been good enough. We will fix that."

She also announces a system of auto-compensation, "so that when your train is late you won’t have to waste more time getting your money back".

On housing, the prime minister says the Conservative government has announced it will charge a higher rate of stamp duty on those buying homes who do not live and pay taxes in the UK, "to help level the playing field for British buyers up".

"Solving the housing crisis is the biggest domestic policy challenge of our generation," she says.

The prime minister announces that the government cap on how much local councils can borrow against their Housing Revenue Account assets to fund new developments is being scrapped.

"We will build the homes this country needs," she says.

She says all Labour offered at their conference in Liverpool last week were "bogus solutions".

"Ideas that might seem attractive at first glance, but which would hurt the very people they claim to help," she says.

Theresa May says even some in the Labour Party admit their programme of nationalisation would cost £1 trillion.

She notes: "That's not the government's money, it's yours."

The prime minister says a Labour government would take the country back to square one.

"However bad the Labour approach is, we must do more than criticise it - we need to show what this Conservative government is doing to address people’s concerns."

She says the energy price cap, having workers on business boards and toughening up corporate governance rules are examples of this.

Theresa May says the financial crash in 2008 was "the biggest market failure in our lifetimes".

"Thanks to Labour the country was not prepared. It fell to our party to clear up the mess."

Reflecting on how the Conservative Party have done, she says "our economy is growing, the deficit down by four-fifths, unemployment at its lowest since the 1970s, youth unemployment at a record low and households where nobody works down by almost a million."

The prime minister says challenges remain, including ensuring the system is working in the interest of all ordinary people.