Theresa
May, Prime Minister, speaking today at Conservative Party Conference in
Manchester said:
(Check
against delivery)
THE GENERAL ELECTION
“A
little over forty years ago in a small village in Oxfordshire, I signed up to
be a member of the Conservative Party.
I
did it because it was the party that had the ideas to build a better Britain. It understood the hard work and discipline
necessary to see them through.
And
it had at its heart a simple promise that spoke to me, my values and my
aspirations: that each new generation in our country should be able to build a
better future. That each generation should live the British Dream.
And
that dream is what I believe in.
But
what the General Election earlier this year showed is that, forty years later,
for too many people in our country that dream feels distant, our party’s
ability to deliver it is in question, and the British Dream that has inspired
generations of Britons feels increasingly out of reach.
Now
I called that election. And I know that all of you in this hall – your friends
and your families – worked day and night to secure the right result.
Because
of your hard work we got 2.3 million more votes and achieved our highest vote
share in 34 years. That simply would not have been possible without the long
days and late nights, the phone calls, the leaflet drops. The weekends and
evenings spent knocking on doors.
So
for everything that you do, let me say – thank you.
But
we did not get the victory we wanted because our national campaign fell short.
It
was too scripted. Too presidential. And it allowed the Labour Party to paint us
as the voice of continuity, when the public wanted to hear a message of
change.
I
hold my hands up for that. I take responsibility. I led the campaign.
And
I am sorry.
THE BRITISH DREAM
But
the choice before us now is clear:
Do
we give up, spend our time looking back? Or do we do our duty, look to the
future and give the country the government it needs?
This
country will judge us harshly if we get this decision wrong.
Because
all that should ever drive us is the duty we have to Britain and the historic
mission of this party – this Conservative Party – to renew the British Dream in
each new generation.
That
dream that says each generation should do better than the one before it. Each
era should be better than the last.
The
dream that, for decades, has inspired people from around the world to come to
Britain. To make their home in Britain. To build their lives in Britain.
The
dream that means the son of a bus driver from Pakistan serves in a Conservative
Cabinet alongside the son of a single mother from a council estate in
South-West London.
And
in a way, that dream is my story too.
I
know that people think I’m not very emotional. I’m not the kind of person who
wears their heart on their sleeve. And I don’t mind being called things like
the Ice Maiden – though perhaps George Osborne took the analogy a little
far. But let me tell you something.
My
grandmother was a domestic servant, who worked as a lady’s maid below stairs.
She worked hard and made sacrifices, because she believed in a better future
for her family. And that servant – that lady’s maid – among her grandchildren
boasts three professors and a prime minister.
That
is why the British Dream inspires me. Why that dream of progress between the
generations spurs me on. And it is why today at this conference, this
Conservative Party must pledge to renew the British Dream in this country once
again.
THE GOOD A CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT
CAN DO
To
renew that dream is my purpose in politics. My reason for being. The thing that
drives me on.
And
it has never wavered through good times and hard times. My belief that this
Conservative government can renew it has always remained strong.
For
whenever we are tested as a nation, this party steps up to the plate. Seven
years ago, our challenge was to repair the damage of Labour’s great recession –
and we did it. The deficit is down. Spending is under control. And our economy
is growing again.
But
we didn’t limit ourselves to that ambition. We have achieved so much
more.
An
income tax cut for over 30 million people.
Four
million taken out of paying it at all.
Employment
up to a record high.
Unemployment
down to a historic low.
Income
inequality at its lowest for thirty years.
More
women in work than ever before.
Over
11,000 more doctors in our NHS.
Over
11,000 more nurses on our hospital wards.
Free
childcare for 3 and 4 year olds doubled.
1.8
million more children in good or outstanding schools.
3
million more apprenticeships.
Crime
down by more than a third.
More
young people from disadvantaged backgrounds going to university than at any
time in the history of our country.
Britain
leading the world in tackling climate change, eradicating global poverty, and
countering terrorism wherever it rears its head.
Same
sex marriage on the statute book, so that two people who love each other can
get married, no matter what their gender…
And
a National Living Wage – giving a pay rise to the lowest earners – introduced
not by the Labour Party, but by us, the Conservative Party.
So
let us never allow the Left to pretend they have a monopoly on compassion.
This
is the good a Conservative Government can do – and we should never let anyone
forget it.
WHAT I’M IN THIS FOR: TACKLING
INJUSTICE
But
it’s easy when you’ve been in government for a while to fall into the trap of
defending your record, and standing for the status quo.
Yes,
we’re proud of the progress we have made, but the world doesn’t stand
still.
Change,
as Disraeli taught us, is constant and inevitable. And we must bend it to our
will. That means staking out an agenda for Britain – and uniting behind it too.
And the agenda that I laid out on day one as prime minister still holds. It burns
inside me just the same.
Because
at its core, it’s about sweeping away injustice – the barriers that mean for
some the British Dream is increasingly out of reach.
About
saying what matters is not where you are from or who your parents are. The colour
of your skin. Whether you’re a man or a woman, rich or poor. From the inner
city or an affluent suburb.
How
far you go in life should depend on you and your hard work.
That
is why I have always taken on vested interests when they are working against
the interests of the people. Called out those who abuse their positions of
power and given a voice to those who have been ignored or silenced for too
long.
And
when people ask me why I put myself through it – the long hours, the pressure,
the criticism and insults that inevitably go with the job – I tell them this: I
do it to root out injustice and to give everyone in our country a voice.
That’s
why when I reflect on my time in politics, the things that make me proud are
not the positions I have held, the world leaders I have met, the great global
gatherings to which I have been, but knowing that I made a difference. That I
helped those who couldn’t be heard.
Like
the families of the 96 men, women and children who tragically lost their lives
at Hillsborough. For years they saw people in authority closing ranks and
acting against them, but now they are on the way to seeing justice served.
That’s
what I’m in this for.
Like
the victims and survivors of Child Sexual Abuse, ignored for years by people in
positions of power, now on the long
road to the truth.
That’s
what I’m in this for.
Like Alexander Paul, a young man who came
to this conference three years ago to tell his story. The story of a young
black boy growing up in modern Britain who without causing any trouble –
without doing anything wrong – found himself being stopped and searched by
people in authority time and time and time again.
Alexander
spoke so eloquently about his experience and how he came to mistrust those in
positions of power as a result. So inspired by his example, we took action. We
shook up the system, and the number of black people being stopped and searched
has fallen by over two thirds. I am sad to have to tell you that last year,
Alexander – who inspired us all with his passion – was diagnosed with brain
cancer. And in June of this year he tragically passed away. He was just 21. Let
us today remember the courage he showed in coming to our conference to speak
out against injustice, take pride that we gave him a platform – and inspired by
his example, redouble our efforts to give a voice to the voiceless at every
opportunity.
That’s
what I’m in this for.
And
that same commitment is the reason why one of my first acts as Prime Minister
was to establish the ground-breaking racial disparity audit – investigating how
a person’s race affects their treatment by public services, so that we can take
action and respond.
We
already know, for example, that members of Black and Minority Ethnic
communities have a higher risk of illnesses such as high blood pressure that
may lead to the need for an organ transplant.
But
our ability to help people who need transplants is limited by the number of
organ donors that come forward. That is why last year 500 people died because a
suitable organ was not available. And there are 6,500 on the transplant list
today. So to address this challenge that affects all communities in our
country, we will change that system. Shifting the balance of presumption in
favour of organ donation. Working on behalf of the most vulnerable.
That’s
what I’m in this for.
It’s
why after seeing the unimaginable tragedy unfold at Grenfell Tower, I was
determined that we should get to the truth.
Because
Grenfell should never have happened – and should never be allowed to happen
again.
So
we must learn the lessons: understanding not just what went wrong but why the
voice of the people of Grenfell had been ignored over so many years. That’s
what the public inquiry will do. And where any individual or organisation is found
to have acted negligently, justice must be done.
That’s
what I’m in this for.
And because in this – as in other disasters before it –
bereaved and grieving families do not get the support they need, we will
introduce an independent public advocate for major disasters.
An advocate to act on behalf of bereaved families to
support them at public inquests and inquiries. The strong independent voice
that victims need.
That’s
what I’m in this for.
It’s
why tackling the injustice and stigma associated with mental health is a
particular priority for me. So we are building on our record of giving mental
and physical health parity in law by investing more in mental health than ever
before. But there is widespread concern that the existing Mental Health legislation
passed more three decades ago is leading to shortfalls in services and is open
to misuse. Detention rates under the Mental Health Act are too high. And it is
people from black and minority ethnic populations who are affected the most. So
today I can announce that I have asked Professor Sir Simon Wessely to undertake
an independent review of the Mental Health Act, so that we can tackle the
longstanding injustices of discrimination in our mental health system once and
for all.
That’s
what I’m in this for.
This
is the Conservatism I believe in. A Conservatism of fairness and justice and
opportunity for all. A Conservatism that keeps the British Dream alive for a
new generation.
That’s
what I’m in this for.
That’s
what we must all be in this for.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
And
we must come together to fight for this mainstream Conservative agenda. To win
the battle of ideas in a new generation all over again. For those ideas are
being tested. And at stake are the very things we value.
Our
precious union of nations – four nations that are stronger as one – threatened
by those with their narrow, nationalist agendas that seek to drive us apart.
The
strength of our society, in which we understand the obligations and
responsibilities we have to one another, under attack from militant forces who
preach animosity and hate. The free-market economy – for so long the basis of
our prosperity and security. An idea that has lifted millions around the world
out of poverty – called into question by those who would imperil our future by
adopting the failed experiments of the past.
That
idea of free and open markets, operating under the right rules and regulations,
is precious to us.
It’s
the means by which we generate our prosperity as a nation, and improve the
living standards of all our people.
It
has helped to cement Britain’s
influence as a force for good in the world.
It has underpinned the rules-based international system
that helped rebuild post-war Europe and the world beyond.
It has ushered in the fall of the Berlin Wall; the end of
communism, and the dark days of the Iron Curtain; securing the advance of
freedom across Europe and across the world.
It has inspired 70 years of prosperity, raising living
standards for hundreds of millions of people right across the globe.
So
don’t try and tell me that free markets are no longer fit for purpose. That
somehow they’re holding people back.
Don’t
try and tell me that the innovations they have encouraged – the advances they
have brought – the mobile phone, the internet, pioneering medical treatments,
the ability to travel freely across the world – are worth nothing.
The
free market – and the values of freedom, equality, rights, responsibilities,
and the rule of law that lie at its heart – remains the greatest agent of
collective human progress ever created.
So
let us win this argument for a new generation and defend free and open markets
with all our might.
A CHOICE OF FUTURES FOR BRITAIN
Because
there has rarely been a time when the choice of futures for Britain is so
stark. The difference between the parties so clear.
And
it’s the Conservative Party that has a vision of an open, global,
self-confident Britain, while our opponents flirt with a foreign policy of
neutrality and prepare for a run on the pound.
Some
people say we’ve spent too much time talking about Jeremy Corbyn’s past.
So
let’s talk about his present instead.
This
is a politician who wants to pile on taxes to business just when we need them
to invest in our country the most. This is a politician who wants to borrow
hundreds of billions of pounds to nationalise industries without the slightest
idea of how much it will cost or how he will ever pay it back.
This
is a politician who wants to strip us of our nuclear deterrent, without being honest
with voters about his plans.
This
is a politician who lets anti-Semitism, misogyny and hatred run free, while he
doesn’t do a thing to stop it.
This
is a politician who thinks we should take the economics of Venezuela as our
role-model.
No…
Jeremy Corbyn.
By
contrast, when I look around the cabinet table, I have confidence that we have
a team full of talent, drive and compassion. A team that is determined that
this party – this great Conservative Party – will tackle the challenges of the
future together.
A
team that is determined we will always do our duty by our country.
THE BEST BREXIT DEAL
And
our first and most important duty is to get Brexit right. The people have
decided. We have taken their instruction.
Britain
is leaving the European Union in March 2019.
I
know some find the negotiations frustrating.
But
if we approach them in the right spirit – in a spirit of cooperation and
friendship, with our sights set firmly on the future – I am confident we will
find a deal that works for Britain and Europe too. And let’s be clear about the
agreement we seek.
It’s
the agreement I set out earlier this year at Lancaster House and again in my
speech in Florence ten days ago.
It’s
a new deep and special partnership between a strong, successful European Union
and a sovereign United Kingdom. A partnership that allows us to continue to
trade and cooperate with each other, because we see shared challenges and opportunities ahead.
But a partnership that ensures the United Kingdom is a sovereign nation once
again. A country in which the British people are firmly in control.
I
believe it is profoundly in all our interests for the negotiations to succeed.
But I know that are some are worried whether we are prepared in the event that
they do not. It is our responsibility as a government to prepare for every
eventuality. And let me reassure everyone in this hall – that is exactly what
we are doing.
So
a deep and special partnership is our ambition and our offer. And I look
forward to that offer receiving a positive response.
And
let me say one more thing – because it cannot be said often enough.
If you are a citizen of the EU who has made their life
in this country, I know you will feel unsettled and nervous. But let me be
clear that we value the contribution you make to the life of our country. You
are welcome here.
And I urge the negotiating teams to reach agreement on
this quickly because we want you to stay.
A STRONG ECONOMY AND WORLD-CLASS
PUBLIC SERVICES
Whatever
the outcome of our negotiations, Britain’s long-term future is bright. The
British Dream is still within reach.
For
as we look to that future, we do so with the fundamentals of our country
strong.
Ten
years after Northern Rock, our economy is back on track. The deficit is back to
pre-crisis levels, we are firmly on course to get our national debt falling and
business investment is growing.
The
work to get there hasn’t been easy. It’s meant big decisions and huge
sacrifices. I know the public sector has had to carry a heavy burden. The
private sector has played its part too.
But
with government, businesses and the public sector working together, we have
bounced back – creating record numbers of jobs, and getting more people into
work than ever before.
So
while we will never hesitate to act where businesses aren’t operating as they
should, let this party celebrate the wealth creators, the risk takers, the
innovators and entrepreneurs – the businesses large and small – who generate
jobs and prosperity for our country, and make British business the envy of the
world.
Because
we understand that it is the wealth creators whose taxes fuel our public
services. It is their success that funds the things we want to do.
And
the difference between us and Labour is that we understand that to deliver the
things we want, private enterprise is crucial. That you can’t get something for
nothing. Prosperity is key.
And
when politicians offer the earth but have no means of delivering their
promises, disillusionment with politics only grows.
So
over the years ahead this government will adopt a balanced approach to the
economy – dealing with our debts, keeping taxes low, but investing in our
priorities too.
Things
like our vital public services, our schools, our police, housing, and our great
national achievement, our NHS.
Let
us not forget that it is this party that has invested in the National Health
Service and upheld its founding principles through more years in government
than any other.
For
we understand that the NHS doesn’t just bring us into this world, make us well
if we fall ill, and nurse and care for our families through their final hours.
It doesn’t just bear witness to moments of joy and to times of intense
sorrow.
It
is the very essence of solidarity in our United Kingdom. An institution we
value. A symbol of our commitment to each other, between young and old, those
who have and those who do not, the healthy and the sick.
Like
most people in this hall, it has been there for me when I have needed it. I
have early childhood memories of visiting my family GP. More recently, it was
the NHS that diagnosed my type 1 diabetes and taught me how to manage it so I
could get on with my life.
And
in recent months, I have seen it at its most brilliant – in the world-class
response shown by the doctors, nurses and paramedics when terrorists struck
London and Manchester.
To
them all – and indeed to the public servants everywhere who so often go unsung
– let me say this: for your service, your hard work and for your dedication – thank
you.
So
I rely on the NHS. I believe in the NHS.
And
because we believe in ensuring that a world class NHS will be there for
generations to come, we will increase funding per head for every year of this
parliament, we will oversee the biggest expansion in training for doctors and
nurses, and we will always support the service to deliver safe, high quality
care for all – free at the point of use.
That’s
what our balanced approach to the economy will help us to do.
THE NEXT ECONOMIC CHALLENGE
With
our economic foundation strong – and economic confidence restored – the time
has come to focus on Britain’s next big economic challenge: to foster growth
that works for everyone, right across our country.
That
means keeping taxes low, spreading prosperity to all corners of this United
Kingdom, and getting out into the world to trade, export and help our economy
grow.
So
as the world’s leading advocate for free markets and free trade, we will pursue
new free trade agreements with countries around the world. As we roll out our
modern industrial strategy, we will attract and invest in new high-paid,
high-skilled jobs – spreading prosperity and opportunity to every part of this
country. Tackling our economy’s weaknesses like low levels of productivity, backing
our nation’s strengths, and bringing investment, jobs and opportunities to
communities that feel they have been forgotten for far too long.
We
will continue to reform education and skills training so that people growing up
in Britain today are ready and able to seize the opportunities ahead.
Starting
in our schools – those great drivers of social mobility – where our record is
strong and our legacy is proud. Because our reforms are working. And after
years of stagnation under the last Labour Government, we are turning things
around. But there is more to do. Our reform programme goes on. Because it’s
simply not good enough that if you live here in the North, you have less chance
of attending a good school than someone living in the South.
So
we will extend the Free Schools programme for a new generation of young people
– building 100 new Free Schools in every year of this Parliament. Not because
our ideology says so… but because Free Schools work. And it’s the right thing
to do.
And
we need to bring that same energy to skills training too. Preparing our young
people for the world of the future. Setting them up to succeed. Taking skills
seriously with new T-levels for post-16 education, a new generation of
Technology Institutes in every major city in England – providing the skills
local employers need, and more technical training for 16-19 year olds. A
first-class technical education system for the first time in the history of
Britain. Keeping the British Dream alive.
A GLOBAL BRITAIN
That’s
how we will prepare Britain for an open, global future. I know that some young
people worry that Brexit means we’re turning our back on the world. That
Britain will no longer be open, but closed. But we reject both the isolationism
of the hard-left and those who would have us turn inward, and we choose a
global Britain instead.
As
Asia booms and the world looks to the East, we will reach beyond the borders of
Europe to become a trusted friend to nations all around the world.
We
will meet our commitments to international security, with the finest armed
forces and intelligence services anywhere on the planet.
We
will build an outward looking Britain that cooperates with other nations to
tackle the great challenges of our time like mass migration, modern slavery and
climate change.
And
we will provide a moral lead in the world, and set an example for others.
Meeting
our commitments on security: committing fully to the NATO alliance and spending
2% of our GDP on defence.
Remaining
firmly committed to renewing our independent nuclear deterrent, to help uphold
the security of the world. And leading the world in cracking down on modern
slavery – because if you are buying and selling another human being, you are
undermining all that is right. The very basis of our humanity.
And
we must bring this outrage to an end.
And
under this government, we will continue to meet the international aid target,
spending 0.7% of our GNI on international development.
That’s
not just because it’s good for Britain, but because it is the right thing to
do.
Today,
UK Aid is being used to bring food to starving children in conflict zones like
Syria and Iraq. UK Aid is being used to bring water to drought stricken parts
of Africa. UK Aid is helping to educate women and girls in parts of Asia where
that most basic of human rights has been denied to them for so long.
Yes,
charity may begin at home, but our compassion is not limited to those who carry
the same passport. We should be proud that under a Conservative Government,
this country is one of the few that is meeting its duty to some of the poorest
people in our world.
And
as Prime Minister, I will ensure that’s something Britain always continues to
do.
But
let me also be clear: it is absurd that international organisations say we
can’t use the money to help all those that have been hit by the recent
Hurricanes in the British Overseas Territories.
Many
people on those islands have been left with nothing. And if we must change the
rules on international aid in order to recognise the particular needs of these
communities when disaster strikes, then that’s what we will do.
This
then is the Britain we choose.
Not
a Britain that retreats behind its borders, but a global Britain that stands
tall in the world.
A
beacon of hope and an example to others. A modern, compassionate Britain that
we can all be proud to call home.
RENEWING THE BRITISH DREAM
And
we must renew the British Dream at home through a determined programme of
economic and social reform. A programme that champions our belief in free
markets by being prepared to reform them when they don’t work. That ensures our
economy and society work for everyone in every part of this country, not just
the privileged few.
Because
for too many, the British Dream feels increasingly out of reach.
The effects of the financial crisis – nearly a decade
of low growth, stagnating wages and pay restraint – linger.
The boom in the housing market means that while some
have done very well, for many the chance of getting onto the housing ladder has
become a distant dream.
And
it’s that fact, perhaps more than any other, that means for too many the
British Dream is increasingly out of reach.
Just
over a decade ago, 59% of 25-34 year olds owned their own home. Today it is
just 38%.
It
has always been a great sadness for me and Philip that we were never blessed
with children. It seems some things in life are just never meant to be.
But
I believe in the dream that life should be better for the next generation as
much as any mother. Any father. Any grandparent.
The
only difference is that I have the privileged position of being able to do more
than most to bring that dream to life.
So
I will dedicate my premiership to fixing this problem – to restoring hope. To
renewing the British Dream for a new generation of people.
And
that means fixing our broken housing market.
For
30 or 40 years we simply haven’t built enough homes. As a result, prices have
risen so much that the average home now costs almost 8 times average
earnings. And that’s been a disaster for young people in particular.
We
have begun to put this right. The number of new homes being delivered each year
has increased significantly since 2010.
Our
Housing White Paper set out plans to increase it further, ensuring councils release
more land for housing, and giving them new powers to ensure that developers
actually build homes once they’re given planning permission to do so.
And
because it will take time for greater housebuilding to translate into more
affordable house prices, we have introduced schemes like Help to Buy to support
people who are struggling right now.
But
the election result showed us that this is not nearly enough. We’ve listened
and we’ve learned.
So
this week, the Chancellor announced that we will help over 130,000 more families with the deposit
they need to buy their own home by investing a further £10 billion in Help to
Buy.
We
have announced measures to give the increasing number of families who rent from
a private landlord more security – and effective redress if their landlord is
not maintaining their property.
And
today, I can announce that we will invest an additional £2 billion in
affordable housing – taking the Government’s total affordable housing budget to
almost £9 billion.
We
will encourage councils as well as housing associations to bid for this money
and provide certainty over future rent levels. And in those parts of the
country where the need is greatest, allow homes to be built for social rent,
well below market level.
Getting
government back into the business of building houses.
A
new generation of council houses to help fix our broken housing market.
So
whether you’re trying to buy your own home, renting privately and looking for
more security, or have been waiting for years on a council list, help is on the
way.
It
won’t be quick or easy, but as Prime Minister I am going to make it my mission
to solve this problem. I will take personal charge of the government’s
response, and make the British Dream a reality by reigniting home ownership in
Britain once again.
And
let me say one more thing. I want to send the clearest possible message to our
housebuilders. We, the government, will make sure the land is available. We’ll
make sure our young people have the skills you need. In return, you must do
your duty to Britain and build the homes our country needs.
And
to renew the British Dream for a new generation of young people we must also
take action on student debt.
As
Conservatives, we know education can be
the key to unlocking the future. That’s why for more than a century, it has
been Conservative Education Secretaries who have driven the reforms that have
widened access and raised standards. And it’s why we want everyone to have the
opportunity to benefit from studying more after they leave school. Because it’s
good for them and good for the country too.
But
today, young people take on a huge amount of debt to do so.
And
if we’re honest, some don’t know what they get from it in return.
We
have listened and we have learned.
So
we will undertake a major review of university funding and student financing.
We
will scrap the increase in fees that was due next year, and freeze the maximum
rate while the review takes place.
And
we will increase the amount graduates can earn before they start repaying their
fees to £25,000 – putting money back into the pockets of graduates with high
levels of debt.
FIXING OUR BROKEN ENERGY MARKET
For
while we are in favour of free markets, we will always take action to fix them
when they’re broken. We will always take on monopolies and vested interests
when they are holding people back.
And
one of the greatest examples in Britain today is the broken energy market.
Because
the energy market punishes loyalty with higher prices. And the most loyal customers
are often those with lower incomes: the elderly, people with lower
qualifications and people who rent their homes. Those who for whatever reason,
are unable to find the time to shop around. That’s why next week, this
Government will publish a Draft Bill to put a price cap on energy bills.
Meeting our manifesto promise. And
bringing an end to rip-off energy prices once and for all.
A UNITED COUNTRY
So
we have a big task before us. An agenda to follow. A duty to uphold.
To
renew the British Dream for a new generation, and bring our country together
again.
For
a country that’s divided can never make the most of its potential. And we need
to harness that potential if we’re to compete and succeed in the years ahead.
That’s
why where others seek to bring division, we must stand united. Recognising as
Jo Cox put it that we have more in common than what divides us. It’s why I will
always be proud to call myself a Unionist – and proud to be the leader of the
Conservative and Unionist Party too.
Because
that word means something special to me. It stands for this great union of
nations that has so much to offer the world. And it stands for this great union
of people – people from all over the world who have made their homes here and
are proud to call themselves British. Attracted by the strength of the British
Dream.
We
are an example to the world of how people of different colours and creeds can
live side-by-side. And we celebrate that.
And
as a proud Unionist, I take comfort that the General Election saw the threat of
nationalism set back, the case for a second referendum in Scotland denied. And
wasn’t it a brilliant result for the Scottish Conservatives and their superb
leader, Ruth Davidson?
Together,
quite simply, we are stronger. So we must unite the country around our
Conservative vision of a global, prosperous Britain in which the British Dream
is alive. That means showing that we’re determined to make a difference. To
doing something, not being someone. To doing our duty by Britain again. Because
people are fed-up with the game-playing, the name-calling. The refusal to
listen to the other’s point of view. We can look around the world and see where
this approach to politics gets us – anger, recrimination and polarisation too.
So
we must – all of us – look inside. Consider how we conduct our politics in this
country. And find a better way.
For
there is a big problem in our politics when an MP from one party refuses to be
friends with those of another.
There
is a problem in our politics when a leading journalist from our national
broadcaster has to hire bodyguards just to be able to do her job.
There
is a problem when one of our two great political parties is so riven with the
stain of anti-semitism that even one of its own council leaders questions if
they will be welcome in his city again.
Let
me be clear: racism, intolerance and hatred has no place in British politics or
British society. This party will never permit it. We will always stamp it out.
Britain
can do better than this. For this country is – and has always been – the home
of tolerance, a bastion of freedom and a beacon of democracy.
And
this city of Manchester knows it better than anyone. Because four months ago,
this city came under attack from those who hate our country and despise our
values.
The
liberty we extend to everyone, whoever they are and wherever they are from.
The
way in which our society is open, accepting, and tolerant of others. The fact
that we celebrate diversity and champion difference. The way we encourage
people from all backgrounds and beliefs to live their lives in freedom. To be
all they want to be.
And
because of this hatred, they chose to take out their rage on the defenceless
and vulnerable. The innocent and the young.
Let
us be in no doubt: the responsibility for such an outrage lies with no one
other than those who planned it, and those who saw it through.
And
this party, which knows the terrible toll of terrorism all too well, will never
seek to justify or excuse such acts of terror. We will stand strong in the face
of terrorism and ensure our values always prevail.
But
what we remember most from the cowardly attack on the Manchester Arena is the
response of the Spirit of Manchester.
People
throwing open their doors to strangers, giving them a place to shelter.
Taxi
drivers helping people get home safely, accepting no fare in return.
Ordinary
people rushing to the scene of destruction. Putting themselves in harm’s way.
The
incredible men and women of the emergency services running towards the carnage,
while others dropped what they were doing and went back to work to help.
But
above all, an image of a community coming together. Men and women, young and
old, black and white, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Hindu, Jew, standing together as
one.
And
it was that image of this city – an image of modern Britain in all its
diversity, compassion and strength – that was shared around the globe.
And
it said something about us.
It
said that this is modern Britain. A country of promise, of potential, of hope.
And
perhaps we too easily forget that. But we must hold on to that essential truth.
THE POTENTIAL OF BRITAIN
For
we are a nation of dreamers, with the capacity to deliver those dreams too.
Cities like Manchester were the pioneers that fired
the industrial revolution, helping to make Britain the workshop of the world.
And it’s this heritage that means today we export to and trade with nations in
every corner of the globe.
It was here in Britain that we discovered the
structure of DNA, the biological code for life. All the technologies for
sequencing the human genome have been developed in this country. And today we
are using this knowledge to improve human health.
Back in the 1970s it was scientists in Oxford who
invented the lithium ion battery which powers all laptops and mobile phones.
Today we continue to be pioneers in this sector, funding new battery
technologies for electric cars and renewable energy. Technologies we will soon
be exporting around the world.
Within a few hundred yards of here you will find
the world’s first passenger railway station. And a few hundred yards beyond
that a new research facility to develop the extraordinary material Graphene,
for which two scientists here in Manchester won the Nobel prize.
And let me say this to George Osborne – you were
right to back it as part of the Northern Powerhouse and this Government will
back it too.
So the future is bright, our potential is great,
and if we choose the right path, the British Dream can be renewed.
CONCLUSION: FULFILLING OUR DUTY TO
BRITAIN
So
let us do our duty by Britain. Let us shape up and give the country the
government it needs.
For
beyond this hall, beyond the gossip pages of the newspapers, and beyond the
streets, corridors and meeting rooms of Westminster, life continues – the daily
lives of working people go on.
Many
pay little attention to great conferences and gatherings like this.
They
get up early and go to work. They want to know their job is going to last and
that they are going to get paid a fair wage. They want to know that the school
their children go to is the best it can be. That they will be cared for when
they fall ill. That they will have safety and security as they advance towards
old age.
And
they want to believe in the British Dream: that their children will do better
than themselves. That they will have the opportunity to lead happy, successful,
secure lives. That they will have the chance to be all they want to be.
These
are the priorities that it is our duty to respond to. The priorities of working
people up and down this land. And they must be our only focus.
Not
worrying about our job security, but theirs. Not addressing our concerns, but
the issues, the problems, the challenges, that concern them. Not focusing on
our future, but on the future of their children and their grandchildren – doing
everything we can to ensure their tomorrow will be better than our today.
That
is what I am in politics for. To make a difference. To change things for the
better. To hand on to the next generation a country that is stronger, fairer
and more prosperous. And to renew the British Dream for a new generation again.
None
of this will be easy. There will be obstacles and barriers along the way.
But
it has never been my style to hide from a challenge, to shrink from a task, to
retreat in the face of difficulty, to give up and turn away.
For
the test of a leader is how you respond when tough times come upon you.
When
faced with challenge, if you emerge stronger. When confronted with adversity,
if you find the will to pull through.
And
it is when tested the most that we reach deep within ourselves and find that
our capacity to rise to the challenge before us may well be limitless.
That
is the story of our party. That is the story of our country.
And
that is the resolve and determination we need as we turn to face the future
today.
So
let us go forward together.
Confident
in our values. Clear in our vision. Sure in our purpose.
With
a rich, ambitious agenda to follow. A bold, exciting mission to pursue.
Let
us fulfil our duty to the British people.
Let
us fulfil our duty to our country.
Let
us fulfil our duty to Britain.
Let
us renew the British Dream.”
ENDS
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