RISHI Sunak is preparing to deliver his first Conservative Party Conference speech since becoming Prime Minister.
Sunak became Prime Minister in October 2022, meaning the 2023 Tory conference is his first as leader.
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What time is Rishi Sunak’s speech today?
The Prime Minister is due to deliver his speech from 11.15am today (Wednesday, October 4, 2023).
His speech will follow keynotes from Leader of the House of Commons, Penny Mordaunt, and the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Johnny Mercer.
Mr Sunak is planning to speak to his party — and the wider country — for around 40 minutes.
What is Rishi Sunak expected to say?
The PM will use his set piece on the fourth and final day of the conference to seek to launch a new phase of his leadership in a high stakes attempt to rebrand.
On the back of his net zero reforms, key policies including scrapping the Manchester leg of HS2, and a major crackdown on smoking are also said to be in the mix.
Mr Sunak will tell his party that “there is the undeniable sense that politics just doesn’t work the way it should”.
He will diagnose voters’ fears as the sense that “Westminster is a broken system”.
Mr Sunak will say: “It isn’t anger, it is an exhaustion with politics. In particular, politicians saying things, and then nothing ever changing.”
He will add: “And you know what — people are right. Politics doesn’t work the way it should.
“We’ve had thirty years of a political system which incentivises the easy decision, not the right one.
“Thirty years of vested interests standing in the way of change.”
And he will insist that the Tory mission “is to fundamentally change our country”.
Who else has spoken at the 2023 Conservative Party Conference?
The 2023 Conservative Party Conference began in Manchester on Sunday, October 1, 2023.
On Sunday, Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary, and James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, spoke in the main hall alongside Conservative Party chairman Greg Hands.
The conference also saw Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho, Mark Harper, the Transport Secretary, and Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary speak.
On the second day of the conference, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, announced a £1,000 a year wage boost as he promised to hike the national living wage.
Kemi Badenoch, Therese Coffey and Gillian Keegan also addressed the conference hall.
Speeches were also given by Housing Secretary Michael Gove, Health Secretary Steve Barclay, and Michelle Donelan, Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman addressed the conference on Tuesday, October 3, and vowed to confront a “hurricane” of global migration.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk also spoke during the conference.
When did Rishi Sunak become Prime Minister?
Mr Sunak became Prime Minister on October 25, 2022.
He was previously appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer from February 2020 to July 2022.
Prior to this, he was Chief Secretary to the Treasury from July 2019 to February 2020, and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government from January 2018 to July 2019.
Mr Sunak is the MP for Richmond (Yorks).
