Robert
Jenrick, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, speaking
today at the Conservative Party Conference, said:

(Check
against delivery)

“I’m delighted to be in Manchester for my first
conference as Housing Secretary.

When I arrived, I saw a sign saying
that it is home to the world’s longest running soap opera. And I thought that,
they, too, know we need to get Brexit done by 31^st of October.

I’m here today to tell you about my
mission. As the first millennial in Cabinet, I will address the challenge of my
generation: building the homes our country needs; and building the ownership
society our party has always stood for, from Coronation Street to every other
street across the country.

This is the city where my
grandparents bought their first home. £250 later, they had a piece of
Manchester that was theirs.

For we Conservatives, helping people
to own a home has always been at the heart of our moral mission.

And the property-owning democracy is
a perpetual goal for which our party strives to ensure that every generation
has the opportunity to benefit.

So while some people say we should
give up on homeownership, that’s not my way.

I believe in ownership as the
bulwark of individual freedom, bringing security, dignity and independence. So
I will redouble our efforts.

But according to Jeremy Corbyn,
homeownership is a “national obsession”.

As we stand here in Manchester, home
of United and City, don’t let Corbyn tell you that an obsession needs to be a
bad thing – however much the United half of the city might feel that right now.

While Corbyn obsesses about how he
can get rid of Tom Watson, let us, in the Conservative Party, instead obsess
about how to make people’s lives better.

Since 2010 we’ve delivered over 1.3
million new homes. Last year we delivered the highest number bar one year in my
adult lifetime:  more years than some of
you may think!

And we’ve cut stamp duty for 95% of
first-time buyers. But we’ve got much more to do.

Firstly, we’re going to find more
routes to homeownership.

To overcome the barrier of raising
enough money for a deposit, I’ve already simplified the shared ownership
option.

Today I’m going further, working
with housing associations to give as many of their 2.6 million tenants as
possible the right to shared ownership of their home – starting with all new
properties.

Common sense to us. Alien to
Corbyn’s Labour.

We want people to own their own
home. Labour want people to rent for life from landlord Corbyn.

We want to provide a ladder. They
kick the ladder away after them.

Secondly, we’re reforming our
outdated, contradictory planning system, which is holding us back. It’s a
system that’s even more confused than Emily Thornberry trying to explain Labour’s
Brexit policy – and that’s saying something.

I want to follow in the footsteps of
Conservative reformers who have held my office and used it to get this country
building – from Harold MacMillan, Keith Joseph and Michael Heseltine to Eric
Pickles.

So I will simplify the system.

I’m announcing new freedoms,
including to build upward so that your home can grow as your family does too.

Reducing conditions, speeding up
consent. Better funded local planning in return for efficient service. The
beginning of a planning revolution.

Thirdly, no new home will be built
in the country from 2025 without low carbon heating and the highest levels of
energy efficiency.

We want better homes – and a better
planet to match.

And fourthly, these new homes must
be well-designed, safe, and rooted in places to which people can belong.

I am announcing the first national
design guide and asking every community to produce their own. Empowering people
to make sure that development works for them, in keeping with the local
heritage and vernacular, with each new street lined with trees.

So, under the Conservatives, more
environmentally-friendly homes, more beautiful homes, faster and simpler
planning, and a leg up on to the property ladder.

It was William Hague who said in his
last speech to conference that, “the mass extension of homeownership in the 80s
shows how the whole nation benefits from Conservative principles in action”.

He was right.

The Conservatives have led one
homeownership revolution in the ‘80s already.

Let’s do it again.

But as Margaret Thatcher once said, “there
are no final victories in politics”.

Even something as basic as private
property is now endangered.

Labour will tax you for moving house,
for helping your children get onto the property ladder.

They’ll even tax your garden.

No wonder Corbyn has an allotment!

We want to unite and level up all
parts of the country.

The British public voted to take
back control. And that doesn’t just mean Westminster regaining sovereignty from
the EU.

It means that cities, towns and
counties can become more self-governing and accountable to people.

So, with the first Prime Minster to
have been a mayor himself since Clement Attlee, we are ready to usher in a new
stage of decentralisation. Devolution has got its BoJo back.

We must put an end to dither, delay
and division.

A government led by Jeremy Corbyn
could never do that.

As Communities Secretary and the father
of three Jewish children, I know few feel this as strongly as British Jews.  

A Labour Councillor in this city,
with its 250-year old Jewish community, is suspended for antisemitism.

Under Corbyn’s leadership, the
world’s oldest form of hatred is back in the mainstream.

We must never allow these people to
run our country.

I will do everything in my power to
fight prejudice and discrimination, in all its forms and against all religions.

Our party wins when we offer
leadership for the future.

Home ownership as an attainable goal,
not an unachievable aspiration.

Environmentally-friendly homes fit
for the next generation.

Levelling up our country, so that
talent and genius are never wasted.  

Each community respected and
protected, but integrated and stronger together.

A Britain that is everything
Corbyn’s Labour Party is not.

More prosperous. More united. More
optimistic. Face turned to the future.”

ENDS

Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary,
speaking today at Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, said:

(Check against
delivery)

 

“Conference, firstly, as Secretary of
State for Transport it’s my duty to thank the Civil Aviation Authority, staff
across Government, but in particular employees of Thomas Cook for helping to
deliver the largest peacetime repatriation in this country’s history.

They
carried on, getting people home, even when their jobs were uncertain.

I
know communities have come together and that…

With
support from Government…

Where
jobs have been lost, people will rebuild.

Nowhere
more so then here in Manchester…

A
city that has come together in adversity so many times.

So
conference, please join me in thanking everyone involved, for working so hard…for
bringing people home safely.

…

—

Conference…

We are driving the modernisation of our
country’s infrastructure….

As
is evident here in the North West.

From
improving the M60 here in Manchester…

To
tackling congestion and unlocking new homes in Preston.

And
in the North-East, I know how Ben Houchen is working hard to deliver a new Tees
crossing.

Across
the country, our road building plan will reduce journey times, drive local
growth and cut carbon emissions.

We’re
also improving local bus links …

And
today we’re setting out our £220million package to improve services.

When
it comes to railways, Conference, I could try to impress you with the record
amount we’re investing – that’s £48bn, over 5 years.

Whilst
pushing ahead with Northern Powerhouse Rail.

But,
as a frustrated commuter myself, I know what passengers really want is for the
trains to simply run on time…

It’s
why one of my first acts as in this job was to prioritise punctuality.

Surprisingly,
until last month, a train was considered on time if it was up to 5 or even 10
minutes late.

I’ve
challenged this. Now a train will be considered late if it is more than a
minute behind schedule.

And
as the stats show, there’s a lot of work to do.

In
fact, as Transport Secretary, I’m now in the only job in Government where I routinely find myself apologising to
others for them arriving late to my
meetings.

But
conference, to achieve excellence we must be honest. The current railway is not
working as we want.

Since
privatisation we’ve doubled passenger numbers, they’re travelling many more
miles and there are record levels of investment…

But
as the 2018 timetable debacle showed, when things go wrong, it’s not obvious
who’s in charge.

That’s
why rail expert Keith Williams is reviewing how we should organise the railways
in the future.

And
I’m determined to ensure his reforms deliver for passengers.

A
better coordinated railway, pulling in the same direction, to get trains
arriving on time…

And
when things do go wrong? We’ll know precisely whose job it is to fix it.

Because
in 2019, in the city once served by Stephenson’s Rocket, it’s frankly absurd
we’re still working out how to run our trains.

—

But
Conference, there’s no point being on time today, if we damage our tomorrow.

As
we improve our infrastructure, we must protect our planet.

Now,
some call for us to make sacrifices.

To
save the planet, they want you to stop travelling…

To
backtrack on economic growth…

To
live a little less.

As Conservatives, we know the route to
sustainable living is through stronger environmental protection, new technology
and the market.

Consider
the acceleration in electric car use, for example.

As
I drove up to Manchester in my family’s electric car, I found it easier than
ever to plug-in and charge up…

That’s
because there are now more charging locations than petrol stations.

But
we must go further to protect our environment and improve our competitive edge…

As you may know, we’ve already
committed to ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2040.

However, if we’re to become the world-leader in
green technology, we must always be looking to expand our ambitions.

I’d therefore
like to see government look again at the 2040 target, and thoroughly explore
the case for bringing this date forward.

The
Government’s advisory Committee on Climate Change has said 2035 is a date for
which we should aim.

We
will need to test the arguments and work in partnership with industry to
examine how to proceed.

Just as we rejuvenated our automotive
sector in the 1980s, we’re going to work with our pioneering car sector to help
them sell the next generation of vehicles around the world.

Providing
high-skilled jobs, utilising British know-how and ending dependence of fossil
fuels

—

And
just as we strive as Conservatives to preserve what we cherish for the next
generation…

So
we know it’s our duty to do right by those in our society, no matter what their
circumstances.

Since becoming Secretary of State I’ve taken steps to boost transport
accessibility…

We expanded the Blue Badge scheme to
those with so-called ‘invisible’ conditions like autism, dementia, Parkinson’s and arthritis.

And, we’ve
introduced the 16 to 17 travel card, giving young people half
price travel so they can get to college or part-time work…

—

As
Conservatives, we know that the person best placed to make decisions about your
life, is you.

Yet
we also recognise that there is a role for Government, both providing a safety
net and expanding opportunity.

From
Disraeli’s education reform to Mrs Thatcher’s Right to Buy…

Government
can deliver.

And
in transport: those canals and railways that saw us incubate the world’s first Industrial
Revolution…

Built
with private funds, but often requiring legislation.

We
know that there is a role for Government enabling the ingenuity that has
spurred so much of the prosperity we enjoy.

Conference,
our mission is clear…

To build and run
world-class, greener and more accessible transport infrastructure.

But,
my friends, to do this we’ve just got to Get Brexit Done…

So
we can invest in our NHS… level-up education spending… and deliver 20,000 more
police.

So
come on, let’s come together, let’s work together and together let’s deliver for
our United Kingdom.

Thank
you”

ENDS

For further
information, please contact the Press Office on 020 7984 8121.

Nicky
Morgan, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, speaking
today at the Conservative Party Conference, said:

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“Conference, good afternoon. It is wonderful to be here with you today.

And wonderful to be able to tell you about the work we are doing in
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

For some, this may seem a dizzying array of issues –

from broadband to the arts,

heritage to youth services

but it is all brought together by one simple word: place.

‘Place’ means reminding ourselves
that we are all part of a wider community and that our sense of belonging needs
to be central to making policy and enhancing the lives of those we serve –
something I think we can all agree is now more important than ever.

As we grasp the opportunities available to us when we leave the EU on
October the 31^st, I believe that art and culture will have ever more
vital roles to play in Britain’s future.

Tech

 

We are (and always have been) a creative and imaginative nation, we are
a nation of unique museums that capture our vibrant heritage and new businesses
that show us an exciting high tech future.

Conference, in the first seven months of this year alone – the UK tech
sector attracted 5.5 billion pounds of investment.

That is more in the first half of this year than for the whole of 2018.
This – in the words of some Westminster watchers – despite Brexit.

Leaving the EU means we can expand our relationships around the world.
It’s not by coincidence that more than half of the investment I have just cited
came from America and Asia.

Conference, Corbyn and McDonnell would put all of this progress at risk
with plans to tax our tech sector. By taking
taxes to their highest ever level in peacetime Labour would simply drive
business and investment from this country.

This would not only stifle our creativity but impact the companies that
come here – threatening our tech sector’s unique position on the world
stage.  

Almost 40% of the billion dollar tech start-ups in Europe are from the
UK. With London forging ahead of both Paris and Berlin.

But, this success is not just clustered in our capital, other cities are
also contributing to our country’s great success in this area; with both Oxford
and Cambridge, combined, having more than Paris.

Broadband

 

I want the UK to be the best place in the world to start and grow a
business.

But Conference, the truth is, you can’t start and grow a business if you
can’t connect to the Internet. That is the reality facing people in communities
across our United Kingdom today, because of poor broadband services.

The Prime Minister has great ambition and optimism
for our country – and I share that.

We will dramatically speed up the
rollout of fast, reliable and secure broadband and get gigabit speeds right
across the UK – much faster than our previous target.

And you only need to remember the situation we inherited in 2010 when we
came in to clean up Labour’s mess.

It wasn’t just the economy Labour had driven into the ground, we
inherited a situation from Labour whereby millions were left with appallingly
low levels of broadband access and only half of all UK premises having access
to superfast broadband.

Now, we have turned the situation around – 96% of UK premises have
access to superfast broadband– but there is much more that we can and will do.

Why? Because as Conservatives, we believe every corner of the United
Kingdom should have the opportunity to thrive. We will never give up on our
rural communities.

Arts

 

As well as levelling up digital infrastructure right across the UK, I am
determined to do the same for our cultural heritage across the country.

Our culture should not be limited or clustered to our tourist cities.
That is why I am determined that we focus on those left behind areas,
supporting both local culture and creative infrastructure

This all goes back to that word – place.

Every part of the country has its own history and story to tell, which
is at the heart of our shared national culture. These stories should be
cherished for future generations for the great – great – grandchildren of those
who were there.

We all know the last few years have been fractious.

Sometimes we have forgotten the amazing things that unite us, and I
believe passionately our shared culture can help bring us together.

Creative and cultural institutions are the greatest gathering places
that give a community its life – they are the heart of place-making.

Young people

 

When we talk of building the infrastructure Britain needs – we must not forget
the social infrastructure.

No matter where you live or where you came from, everyone should have
the same opportunities afforded to them. This is why we are Conservatives.

If we wish to use all the great talent in
our country it is vital that we offer opportunities and the chance to build
character and resilience to all.

Increased access to art, culture and
sport, not just in school but also outside of the school day. This Government
has ambitious plans to ensure that our future generations have the chance to
nurture and grow their talents.

 

Conclusion

 

Conference – our national culture has always been a source of soft
power, but today I have set out why it can also be used to drive economic
prosperity in communities across the United Kingdom.  

We should never put a limit on our ambition for this country. We must
support our vital cultural and artistic sectors, while harnessing new
technology to enrich the lives of future generations.

These values that I have spoken about today are Conservative values.

A sense of belonging.

A stake in society.

Opportunity for all to unleash talent across the board.

As Conservatives – we will always fight for these values, to unleash and
harness the abilities of people in places across the country.

Because that is how we will truly become One Nation.

ENDS

Sajid Javid, Chancellor
of the Exchequer, speaking today at Conservative Party Conference in
Manchester, said:

(Check against delivery)

Thank
you for that welcome…

And can
I welcome my mum.

You saw
her in that video…

… and
she is here with us today for her first conference.

Twenty
years ago,

Mum
thought it was a big deal

when
she watched the first Asians move into Coronation Street,

here in
Manchester.

Well,
now she’s watched as the first Asians move into Downing Street.

Once
again, we’re living above the shop…

And I’m
so happy to make her proud.

 

It
might be my mum’s first Tory conference…

… but
I’ve now been coming for thirty years.

Every
year, we talk about what is at stake for our country.

But
never in my lifetime has there been a political moment like this.

We will
be remembered for how we respond.

And we
will do our duty.

Responsibly,
firmly, and democratically.

 

That
starts with getting Brexit done.

We are
leaving the European Union.

It’s
not a matter of if –

it’s a
matter of days.

31 days
–

deal,
or no deal.

We
understand

that
preparing to leave without a deal is not only

the
responsible thing to do…

… but
also the best way of leaving with a deal.

In all
my years negotiating multibillion pound international deals…

… I
never once walked into a room without being able to walk away.

That’s
why on my first day as Chancellor

I gave
a speech to the Treasury…

…
about making No Deal preparations my top priority.

A few
days later I doubled funding for it…

…
taking our Brexit spending to a total of £4 billion this year.

And to
give organisations and Devolved Administrations extra certainty for the year
ahead, in the event of No Deal…

…I have
now agreed to guarantee all £4.3 billion of EU-directed funding that they would
have been expecting.

That
doesn’t mean that a No Deal would be without significant challenges.

I know
that some businesses and households are concerned

about
what a No Deal outcome might mean for them.

I
recognise that.

And I
understand that the uncertainty around Brexit is challenging.

But our
step-change in preparations has made a Deal outcome more likely…

…and a
No Deal outcome more manageable.

Every
department now has the resources available to prepare for No Deal.

That means more Border Force staff…

Better transport infrastructure at our ports…

More support for business readiness.

I’ve tasked the Treasury with preparing a comprehensive economic
response

to support the economy.

Working closely with the Bank of England…

… we’re ready to draw on the full armoury of economic policy if needed.

And the Bank has already revised its assessments because of the actions
we’ve

taken.

Deal or No Deal: We will be ready.

All
that is important –

but
Brexit is not just something to manage or mitigate.

We
understand this is ultimately a question of trust in democracy.

A strong economy can only be built on the foundation of a successful
democracy.

And by definition, democracy isn’t just for when it
suits you.

Like
the Lib Dems – who called for a referendum for years.

Then
sort of changed their mind.

Then
said they’d respect the result.

Then
sort of didn’t.

Then
called for a second vote.

Then
changed their mind again…

… and
now want to somehow pretend the whole thing never happened.

Going
back on our promises to the British people isn’t “liberal”.

And it
certainly isn’t democratic.

 

And
then there’s the Labour Party.

They’re
so split down the middle…

… that
even their leader and their Shadow Chancellor don’t agree

on
whether they support Brexit.

So
they’ll hold another referendum with two options:

perhaps,
and maybe.

What a
leader.

A man
for the many Brexit positions, not the few.

 

What
they don’t seem to understand is that millions of people voted in good faith
over three years ago.

The
biggest democratic exercise in our country’s history.

And
they always forget one group of those voters:

The
millions who voted not to leave the EU…

… but
now completely respect the result and want us to get Brexit done.

Yes,
there are splits of opinion,

and
strong views on all sides.

I
passionately believe that we need to heal the divisions in our society.

But the
way to do that isn’t to carry on arguing about Brexit forever and ever.

It is
to finally deliver on the original decision…

… and
move the whole country forward.

 

People
talk a lot about the risks of Brexit.

Some
understandable, some not.

But the
truth is this:

and it
isn’t acknowledged as often as it should be…

The
most reckless course of all would be to not deliver Brexit at all.

 

If we
fail to deliver on the instruction of the British people…

…we are
in danger of tearing the very fabric of our democracy.

A
fabric that has been carefully woven together over centuries.

And if
we do that,

I fear
we may not be able to stitch it up again.

If
people are going to have faith in the ballot box…

… we
absolutely have to follow through on that vote.

No more
second-guessing

No best
of three.

One
vote.

One
mandate.

One
nation, moving forwards together.

 

As we
get Brexit done and leave the EU…

… it’s
the right time to ask ourselves some big questions:

Who are
we as a country?

How do
we see ourselves in the years ahead?

How
will we shape our economy for the future?

Last
week we saw Labour’s answers to those questions.

Jeremy
Corbyn sees this as an opportunity to bring in nationalisation, protectionism
and state control.

Let’s
be in no doubt about the biggest threat to the UK economy.

Whenever I speak to businesses and international investors…

… the number one concern they always raise is not
the form of our exit from

the EU.

The real “project” to be fearful about is the
agenda of the Labour Party.

 

If they
had their way,

whole
sectors of the economy would be renationalised.

People’s
taxes would rise to the crippling levels of the past.

People’s
jobs would be put at risk with sectoral pay bargaining.

The
return of trade union militancy would once again hold the government to ransom…

…wasting
hundreds of billions of pounds…

…and
hitting families and businesses around the country.

The
British Chambers of Commerce said last week that Labour’s plans will:

“send
an icy chill up the spines of business-owners and investors”.

And
it’s no wonder.

We have
a Shadow Chancellor who says businesses are “the real enemy”…

… and
openly admits he wants to overthrow capitalism.

Given
how much damage they’d do every single day they’re in office…

I’m
glad they say they would only be working four days a week.

 

You
know, when I arrived at the Treasury…

… I did
have a letter on my desk waiting for me…

… but
it didn’t say there was no money left.

That’s
because we took the difficult decisions needed to get the deficit down by
four-fifths.

We have
now taken back control of our financial destiny…

… just
as we take back control of our laws and borders.

It’s
easy to forget how bad things were when we first came in.

Labour
lost control of our public finances – as they always do. …

And
this was when they still believed in the basics of capitalism.

Our
country borrowed £150 billion in their last year in office…

…the
highest level in our peacetime history.

And it
fell to the Conservatives once again to wipe up Labour’s mess.

And I’d
like to pay tribute to both my immediate predecessors…

… for
their role in that.

We may
disagree on our approach on Brexit…

… but
as Conservatives we can be very proud of what they helped us to achieve.

Labour
left behind a bankrupt Britain – and we’ve fixed it.

 

They
don’t like to hear it.

But
when the opposition stop hiding from that election…

… I
promise you, it won’t be like last time.

We
won’t shy away from talking about our hard-earned record on the economy.

And we
won’t shy away from telling everyone…

… about
the threat their divisive…

…
backwards…

…
bankrupt…

…immoral,
incompetent, ideological experiments…

will
pose to everyone’s way of life.

 

They
try to claim the only alternative is a race to the bottom.

Letting
everyone fend for themselves.

That’s
not our conservatism.

I’m not
sure it’s anyone’s.

We are
forging ahead with our positive, One Nation vision for our country’s future.

We
believe in levelling up, skilling-up, and opening up.

Embracing
talent from around the world.

And as
we look towards a future outside the EU…

…I’m
very optimistic we can build on our extraordinary economic strengths…

… and
reshape the British economy to seize the opportunities that this new

chapter
has to offer.

We’ll
be able to pursue a genuinely independent trade policy.

We’ll
be able to replace inefficient EU programmes with better, home-grown

alternatives.

And
from retail to green tech, we’ll have the opportunity to design smarter,

more
flexible regulation.

To help
us do that, I will launch a Brexit Red Tape Challenge…

…to
help identify EU regulations that we can improve or remove.

Liberating
our entrepreneurs, small businesses and consumers….

… from
the burden of over-bearing bureaucracy, wherever we see it.

Doing
what a good pro-business government does.

 

After
the decade of recovery from the last Labour government…

… we
are now bringing in a decade of renewal.

With
this government’s new leadership…

…we
have the opportunity to hit fast-forward on that renewal.

It is
an opportunity the Prime Minister and I are seizing.

We are
not just neighbours, or even sometimes dog-sitters.

We are
partners.

We
share the same determination on Brexit…

… the
same vision of One Nation conservatism…

… and
we both spend the same amount of time brushing our hair.

Our
vision is based on the people’s priorities, and on Conservative principles.

Conservatives
understand that a dynamic free market…

… is
the only way to fund world-class public services.

For me, like so many others around the country…

…public services were my lifelines.

The teachers who made my career possible.

The police officers who kept us safe when the street I grew up on became
a centre for drug dealers.

The NHS that cared for my dad in his final days.

These aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet – they are the beating heart
of our country.

That’s
why public services are at the heart of this government’s agenda.

Earlier this month, I announced our spending plans for Britain’s first
year outside the EU.

A New
Economic Plan for a new era.

Thanks to the hard work of the British people…

… and our responsible economic management…

… we
are able to invest an extra £13.4 billion in our public services.

This
Spending Round will make a real difference in people’s lives.

That
includes recruiting 20,000 new police officers…

…restoring
our rightful reputation as the party of law and order.

 

Increased
funding for every school in the country…

… and a
renaissance for further education.

Continuing
our record investment in the NHS…

… and
making a large down-payment on social care.

These
are the people’s priorities.

These
are our priorities.

And
it’s our Conservative government that is delivering on them.

 

Brexit
was a wake-up call that we need to be better connected…

… both
across our country, and beyond our shores.

One of
the things I remember most from my international career is the energy in the
air you can feel in places like Southeast Asia.

The
quick turnaround between vision to implementation – from new towns to new
airports.

It
echoes our industrial revolution of the Victorian era…

… which
laid the foundations for over a century –

from
the railway network to

the
electric telegraph.

That’s
the spirit we need to rekindle in Britain.

But the
truth is,

successive
governments failed to invest enough for the long-term.

We’ve
started to put that right, but we can do more – a lot more.

This
government is going to build Britain’s future,

and
bring in a new infrastructure revolution.

 

Infrastructure
is the foundation of everything.

It’s
the new road that connects local communities.

The bus
you need to get to school.

And the
broadband that helps your small business trade around the world.

The
full benefits of our infrastructure revolution may not be felt for some time.

But the
work must start here and now.

So
today I can announce the first wave of this revolution…

… the
good kind of revolution.

Our
roads are the arteries of our country.

We will
soon launch the new Roads Investment Strategy…

… with
£29 billion committed for strategic and local roads over the next five
years.  

And
today we are getting the shovels out early on several important road projects…

…
including upgrading the nearby M60 Simister Island…

…
dualling the A66 Transpennine,

and
starting work on the A428 between Cambridge and Milton Keynes.

Now
buses….

… they
haven’t been given the attention they deserve from politicians…

… but
they are still the backbone of our public transport in most of the country.

Well,
not only do you have a Chancellor with a well-known family connection to buses…

… but a
PM who likes to paint them!

At the
Spending Round we allocated £220 million to buses alone.

This
will form part of a National Bus Strategy next year.

Rolling
out new ‘superbus’ networks…

…
expanding our fleet of low emission buses…

… and
delivering better value for money for passengers.

And
last but not least:

connecting
us to the modern, global digital economy with gigabit broadband.

We have
rolled out superfast broadband

but we
have fallen behind many European countries

on the
next generation of technology.

And as
we catch-up I don’t want any part of our country to fall behind others.

So I
can announce we are committing £5billion…

… to
support full-fibre rollout to the hardest to reach 20% of the country.

All of
these measures will level up areas of our country that feel left out.

 

There
are three principles that will underpin our approach to them.

First,
we will be smart and responsible in the way we invest for the long-term.

We can
do this by taking advantage of incredibly low interest rates…

…and
borrowing-to-build, not borrowing-to-waste like the Labour years.

Second,
we will have a bias towards anything that brings our country together.

For a start
that means protecting our United Kingdom.

And I’d
like to pay tribute to Ruth Davidson…

…for
all she did to prevent a socialist-separatist alliance from running –

from
ruining – our country.

Thank
you Ruth.

Bringing
our country together also means rebalancing our economy…

That’s
why the first big policy decision of this government

was to
support the development of Northern Powerhouse Rail.

And we
know it’s no good just decreeing from on high what local areas need.

Too
many people already feel power is distant to them – be it in Brussels or

Westminster.

So I
can announce today we will bring forward a White Paper on further devolution in
England.

Giving
more local areas more local powers…

… to
drive investments in the infrastructure and services they know they need.

We
already have four brilliant Conservative metro mayors…

Let’s
get one in Manchester too!

And
third, we will take a dynamic, market-driven approach to driving down our
carbon emissions.

Not
only are we the first large economy to commit to Net Zero by 2050.

Last
week at the UN General Assembly…

… our
Prime Minister committed to doubling Britain’s funding

for
global environmental and climate change programmes.

They
are the approaches we will take in building Britain’s future.

 

And
with so much at stake for our country right now…

… I’m
impatient to get on with it.

We have
achieved so much in just ten weeks.

And I’d
like to thank our brilliant ministerial team in the Treasury…

Rishi
Sunak,

Jesse
Norman,

John
Glen,

Simon
Clarke…

And our
parliamentary team…

Rachel
Maclean,

Lee
Rowley

and
Mike Freer.

 

The
final Conservative principle I want to talk about today is this.

We
believe in a society where everyone knows that if they work hard, and play

by the
rules…

… then
they will have every opportunity to succeed.

They
are our values.

It’s
our mission to help people to get a job, get a home, get ahead.

But we
do have to acknowledge that not everyone…

…in
every part of the country…

… feels
that they have all the opportunities they should have.

Not all
parents feel that their children will have it better than they did.

We need
to do more to level the playing field…

…
between regions and generations…

…and
give all young people the best start in life.

Last
year I announced the Youth Endowment Fund…

…helping
at-risk young people get off the conveyor belt to crime.

And I
can announce today a new Youth Investment Fund.

This
ambitious £500 million programme will roll out youth centres and services right
across our country…

…
helping millions more young people get on the conveyor belt to a better life

and
career.

 

Of
course, one of the biggest concerns for the next generation is being able to

buy a
home.

To
claim their stake in our society.

We’re
on track to increase housing supply to its highest level since 1970.

But I
know from my time as Housing Secretary that we need to do so much

more…

…and
the accelerated planning proposals Robert has announced today are just

the
start.

 

Getting
ahead.

Getting
a home.

The
best way to achieve both those things is getting a good job.

On our
watch… 1,000 extra people have gone into work every day since 2010.

And
this applies to all corners of our country…

… with
most of the new jobs being created outside London and the South East.

150,000
more people are in employment in Greater Manchester alone…

… whenever
I meet my counterparts in Europe, they ask me how we are doing it.

Real
wages and household incomes are rising…

…
putting more money in people’s pockets.

And with
full employment and strong public finances…

… we
are now in a position to see what more we can do to help workers…

… and
reduce the cost of living.

In
2016, we introduced the National Living Wage…

Giving
Britain’s workers the biggest pay rise in two decades.

In
April, we increased the rate again…

…making
1.8 million workers better off…

Putting
the number of low paid workers at its lowest level in four decades.

Today,
I’m delighted to announce that we will take this much further.

Over
the next five years, we will make the UK the first [major economy in the
world] to end low pay altogether.

To do
that, I am setting a new target for the National Living Wage:

Raising
it to match two-thirds of median earnings.

That
means, on current forecasts, this ambitious plan will bring the National Living
Wage up to £10.50.

Giving
four million people a well-earned pay rise.

 

And to
help the next generation of go-getters to get ahead…

… we
will reward the hard work of all millennials too…

By bringing
down the age threshold for the National Living Wage…

…to
cover all workers over the age of 21.

The hard
work of the British people really is paying off.

It’s
clear it’s the Conservatives who are the real party of labour.

We are
the workers party.

 

Delivering
Brexit.

Boosting
public services.

Backing
enterprise and hard work.

And
bringing our country together by levelling up across the nation

and
across generations.

That’s
the direction we are setting for our country.

That’s
what will be on offer at the next election:

A
decade of renewal,

or a
decade of reversal.

 

We in
this room are today’s representatives of the most successful party in the

Western
world.

An
institution that has helped to build Britain for over two centuries.

And now
in 2019, we have a duty to see the country through the challenges

ahead.

We are
the only party that can get Brexit done.

We are
the only party that can call ourselves democrats.

And we are
the only party that will truly deliver for workers.

We are
the Conservative & Unionist Party – and we will unite this country.

 

We are
a responsible, One Nation party that focuses on what we have in common, not
what divides us.

We
believe in building on the best of the past.

Not
just putting up with modern Britain, but embracing it.

Saying
loud and clear that we love our country.

We are
a welcoming, tolerant and fair society.

The
most successful multiracial democracy in the world.

We are
an open, global, trading nation.

One of
the most prosperous in the world.

And we
are a compassionate, caring, country.

Not
just for those close to home, but also for some of the poorest in the world.

That’s
who we are.

That’s
what this party stands for.

And
that’s what we are delivering for our country.

 

ENDS

Theresa Villers,
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, speaking today at the
Conservative Party Conference, said:

(Check against
delivery)

It’s great to be back on the conference platform once again.

My voice may be a little hoarse …but I’m ready to seize the
once-in-lifetime opportunity brought by getting Brexit done…

…an opportunity that no Environment Secretary has had for decades.

For over 40 years, the vast majority of the work of Defra, and its
predecessors, involved rubber-stamping and implementing decisions made in
Brussels.

All that is going to change.

We have the chance to take back control … control of our rules on
farming … on animal welfare …. on the environment … and on fisheries.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, getting Brexit done means we’ll become an
independent coastal state with control of our own fishing waters …

… and I’m determined that will mean a better deal for our fishing
communities.

They felt that their interests were sacrificed in the negotiations to
join the EU …they’ve had a raw deal from the CFP ever since …and this
Conservative Government must put that
right.

And we must release our farmers from the rigidity and bureaucracy of the
Common Agricultural Policy.  

Based on public money for public goods, our new
support system will reward farmers for environmental stewardship… and help them
become more productive, more sustainable and more successful.

We should be proud that our farmers produce some of the highest quality
food in the world …to some of the highest standards …and we will not water down those standards in
future trade negotiations.

Instead we’re raising standards
of animal welfare.

I’m proud to announce that
we’re bringing forward proposals for consideration on banning the import of
objects from endangered species killed by trophy hunters…

 

…on banning the sale of primates as pets…

 

…and on ending the live export of animals for
slaughter.

A Conservative Government tried to stop live exports back in the 80s… but
the ECJ wouldn’t let us.

I’ve campaigned against this trade for 20 years …it’s the source of
grave public concern …and getting Brexit done means we’ll finally have the opportunity
to bring it to an end.

On the environment, we’re at a cross roads.

We’ll have no chance of averting catastrophic climate change if we don’t
reverse the worrying decline of wildlife habitats and nature.

Conservation and biodiversity …and addressing the climate crisis… are
two sides of the same coin.

Both are crucial for humanity’s future stability, prosperity and quality of
life.

We need to act now to
reverse the tragic loss of biodiversity at home and around the world.

This was the powerful message our Prime Minister gave at the G7.

And at the UN last week he made a historic commitment to double our
funding to £11.6 billion, to help developing countries protect nature and climate.

This will safeguard vast areas of wildlife habitats and conserve them
for future generations.

Our domestic commitment to nature recovery will be
driven by our hugely ambitious 25 Year Environment Plan.

And the landmark Environment Bill I’ll present to Parliament will push
that work forward …including creation of a powerful new independent environmental
watchdog.

We’re pushing the water companies to do more to combat pollution …so our
rivers and waterways are cleaner.

We’ve set ourselves demanding targets for cleaning up air quality …so
children growing up today can live longer and healthier lives.

And this week we’ve pledged up to a billion more to reduce harmful
emissions from transport.

And we’re delivering major programmes of tree
planting as a vital component of becoming a net zero economy.

I’m delighted to announce that we’ll press ahead with creating extensive
new forests in Northumberland …following on from our pioneering work on the
Northern Forest.

In the years to come, the lasting legacy of this Government will include
millions of trees to enhance our landscapes …improve our quality of life …and
protect our climate for future generations.

And we are resolute in our determination to tackle plastics pollution.

Who could fail to be moved by what we’ve seen on our TV screens of birds
and marine life choked by plastic?

We will not stand by
and let the tragedy of plastics pollution of our oceans continue.

We’ve introduced world-leading measures on microbeads …and our plastic bag charge has seen bag use plummet by 90%
since it was introduced.

Working with overseas territories, we’re on track to protect over 4 million square kilometres of the
world’s oceans by the end of next year.

And we’re building an international coalition to enable us to go even further
and faster.

No other nation on the planet is doing more to address what is a
defining issue of our time.

Historians will judge us on whether we succeed or fail …and we will not
be found wanting.

The Conservative Party has a long and distinguished tradition of leading
on the conservation of our natural environment.

It was a Conservative Government which introduced the 1957 Clean Air
Act.

It was Mrs Thatcher who was the first leader on the global stage to warn
seriously of the dangers of climate change.

And it was this Conservative Government which made the historic
commitment to becoming a net zero carbon economy.

As the grandfather of Conservative thinking, Edmund Burke, put it: we
are “temporary possessors or life
renters” of this world…

…and we have a moral obligation not to squander our natural inheritance,
lest we “leave to those who come
after …a ruin instead of a habitation”.

Children and young people across the nation are demanding change and we
are determined to live up to the challenge they are setting us.

We want this to be the first generation to leave
the natural environment in a better state than we found it.

This wonderful country led the world in the industrial revolution.

Now …at this cross roads …we can lead once again in a new green economic
revolution…

…and we can put our country on track to a brighter, greener, better
future.

ENDS