Tory Party conference latest RECAP: Liz Truss warns of ‘tough times’ during conference speech

Liz Truss has attempted to persuade her party to believe in “a new approach” to the economy in a speech to the Tory Party conference.

The speech, which was briefly interrupted by Greenpeace protesters holding a sign saying ‘who voted for this?’, comes amid bitter infighting in the Tory party over tax cuts and changes to benefits. It lasted just over 30 minutes.

“I am determined to take a new approach and break us out of this high-tax, low-growth cycle,” Ms Truss said.

"That is what our plan is about. It's about getting our economy growing and rebuilding Britain through reform."

It comes after former Cabinet minister Grant Shapps warned Ms Truss has little more than a week to save her leadership.

Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, suggested Tory rebels such as Michael Gove, whose criticism was among the reasons the Government performed a humiliating U-turn on scrapping the top rate of tax, had effectively “staged a coup” against Ms Truss.

An ongoing row over the issue of whether to uprate benefits in line with inflation also threatenened to deepen Tory divisions.

Signing off

18:49 , Will Mata

That’s it for today for the live blog.

See our summary story: Liz Truss vows to get UK ‘through the tempest’ of rising energy and mortgage bills

UK ‘seriously’ engaging in NI protocol talks

18:20 , Will Mata

The UK Government is engaging “seriously” in efforts to resolve the impasse over the Northern Ireland Protocol, according to Ireland’s foreign minister.

Simon Coveney said that reports of protocol negotiations between the EU and UK restarting on Thursday are “positive news”, adding the “mood music has changed quite fundamentally”.

The European Commission earlier this week confirmed the two sides will meet for technical level talks, adding the EU will approach them “constructively” and it remains “committed to finding joint solutions”.

Mr Coveney told reporters in Co Donegal: “Both sides have agreed to engage this week for the first time since mid-February.

“So this is a very welcome change of course that the British Government is engaging now seriously, as opposed to moving ahead with unilateral action which would certainly have caused a lot more problems than it would have solved.”

'Homophobic abuse at conference’

16:05 , Will Mata

Reports on ITV have suggested there have been instances of homophobic abuse at the conference.

A party at Birmingham’s Reflex nightclub was organised by LGBT Conservatives and open to anyone with a conference pass.

One told reporters: "We kicked someone out who was blind drunk and called me a dirty l***** and that I needed to watch my back.

“I don’t feel like I morally fit in anymore.”

The Conservative Party has been contacted.

Pound weakens and borrowing costs rise

15:09 , Miriam Burrell

The pound has wiped out its gains from earlier in the day, falling in value against the US dollar following the Prime Minister’s speech at the Conservative Party conference.

Sterling dipped by 1.4 per cent to 1.1312 dollars shortly after Liz Truss’s speech.

The pound had hit a three-week high against the dollar in early session trading, taking it to around 1.147 dollars.

The Chancellor’s fiscal measures are expected to cost around £45 billion, with just £2 billion of that knocked off after the Government’s U-turn on scrapping the 45p tax rate for high earners.

Concerns over how that deficit will be funded has prompted the costs of government borrowing, known as gilt yields, to rise.

Ten-year gilt yields rose by nearly 4 per cent on Wednesday afternoon after Ms Truss’s speech.

Liz Truss arrives at Downing St

14:57 , Miriam Burrell

The prime minister has arrived at No10 Downing St following her speech at the Conservative Party Conference.

Labour responds to Truss speech

14:33 , Miriam Burrell

Rachel Reeves: PM needs to ‘stabilise economy'

14:07 , Miriam Burrell

The shadow chancellor has said: “Liz Truss has been a government minister for the last 10 years.

“She has been at the heart of building a Conservative economy that has led to the flat wages and low growth she highlighted today.

“Labour knows real growth comes from the contribution of millions of working people and thousands of businesses.

“The most important thing the prime minister can do right now to stabilise the economy is to immediately reverse her government’s kamikaze Budget when parliament returns next week.”

Who has vested interests?

13:59 , Will Mata

Levelling up minister Paul Scully said he was not sure who was being referred to by the Prime Minister as "vested interests dressed up as think tanks".

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's World At One programme, Mr Scully was asked about the Prime Minister's comments who she was referring to as "vested interests".

"I'm not too sure to be honest, yeah I wasn't sure," Mr Scully said.

Asked what Liz Truss meant by suggesting there were further changes and disruption to come, Mr Scully said: "You'll see in the next few weeks a number of statements, discussions... and then the Chancellor will set out what we're talking about in terms of migration, childcare, about planning, about regulation for businesses, digital take-up, agriculture and farming and these kind of things."

Referencing a plan for new "investment zones", Mr Scully said: "We'll be able to strip away some of the planning rules and regulations and alike in exchange for tax benefits for the companies that are locating there, if it's an economic thing rather than housebuilding, and significant tax incentives for the councils themselves."

He also said "we'll have wider planning reforms as well coming as I say in the Chancellor's next statement".

Government needs to deliver on growth

13:55 , Will Mata

The CBI (Confederation of British Industry) said that the government now needs to deliver on growth, following the Prime Minister’s speech at the Tory Party conference in Birmingham.

CBI president Brian McBride said: “The Prime Minister has reasserted the Government’s commitment to growth and to a pro-enterprise agenda. The 2.5% target is the right ambition, it’s now down to delivery.

“The need to remove genuine barriers to growth is right and delivering supply-side reforms is now essential.

“Improving the planning system, a pragmatic approach to immigration and unlocking green investment, will be key.

“Businesses will be looking to the upcoming medium-term fiscal plan to deliver a credible route to growth and demonstrate fiscal responsibility.

“The CBI will continue working with the Government to boost investment in UK plc.”

‘Truss will impose discipline’

13:37 , Will Mata

Liz Truss will attempt to impose iron discipline in the Tory ranks as MPs return to Westminster following a fractious Conservative Party conference.

The gathering in Birmingham saw Cabinet collective responsibility pushed to breaking point and the threat of a rebellion over tax measures by senior backbenchers.

Downing Street suggested Tory whips will seek to restore order.

The Prime Minister’s press secretary said: “There’s always going to be differences of opinion between people, people are entitled to their personal opinions. But they should be raised in a more constructive manner.

“Collective responsibility is the same as it always has been.”

Asked if that will be rammed home in Westminster next week, he said: “You will have to speak to the whips about that, but that should answer your question.”

Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt called for benefits to be increased in line with soaring inflation at the conference, something which the Government has not yet decided on, with speculation welfare spending could be linked to earnings instead to save money.

Asked if Ms Mordaunt could lose the whip, he said: “That’s one for the whips but I don’t imagine that to be the case.”

He acknowledged “there have been some difficulties” during the conference.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman also stepped out of line, calling for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights - something which is not Government policy.

But Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg defended Ms Braverman, telling the PA news agency: “I think at a party conference, it’s really important that ministers discuss things.”

He added that he had taken part in discussions about ideas that were not Government policy and “may never become Government policy”.

Boris Johnson’s administration removed the whip from 21 MPs in a show of force against critics of Brexit.

Mr Johnson’s former aide Dominic Cummings suggested there was no hope of Ms Truss being able to exert similar authority and attempting to do so would increase the chances of her being forced out of No 10.

“Anybody who thinks the Vote Leave approach to a once-a-century constitutional crisis amid Sep 2019 mayhem is a) the right approach now and b) actually executable by the Truss team is ... wrong,” he said on Twitter.

“This will accelerate her removal.”

Greenpeace protester interviewed

13:32 , Miriam Burrell

Greenpeace protester Rebecca Newsom said that “we needed to take a different approach”.

She was one of two women to interrupt Liz Truss’s keynote speech. The group is concerned about the prime minister’s pro-fracking stance and “trashing of nature”.

“She seems to be hellbent on rolling this out across the economy.

“We needed to share a message on behalf of the public that she does not have the mandate to do this.”

Rees-Mogg hails how Truss dealt with protests

13:23 , Will Mata

Jacob Rees-Mogg said the Prime Minister dealt with protesters during her speech "with humour and charm".

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's World At One programme, the Business Secretary said: "The thing hecklers never realise is that they actually help a speaker rather than harm because the speaker commands the floor, and I thought the Prime Minister dealt with it with humour and charm."

Asked what his message is to his Cabinet colleagues who "seem to be fighting rather viciously in public at the moment", Mr Rees-Mogg said: "No they're not. It's all hugely overblown.

"You've got to discuss ideas at a party conference otherwise what on earth is the point?"

Truss’s claim to be first PM to attend a grammar school is debunked

13:20 , Will Mata

Liz Truss has claimed to be the first prime minister to have attended comprehensive school in her Conservative Party conference speech.

The Prime Minister’s claim is likely to invite scrutiny however, as former prime ministers Gordon Brown and Theresa May attended comprehensive schools.

During her speech at the party conference in Birmingham, Ms Truss also shared her memories of low growth while growing up in Leeds and Paisley, and continued to push her tax-cutting agenda.

To applause, Ms Truss told Conservative Party members: “I stand here today as the first prime minister of our country to have gone to a comprehensive school.”

The claim may provoke questions however, as Labour former prime minister Mr Brown attended Kirkcaldy High School, now a comprehensive in Fife.

Mr Brown was reportedly taught in a special fast stream while at the school.

Conservative former prime minister Mrs May attended a girls’ grammar school in Oxfordshire, which was reorganised into a comprehensive school during her education.

Ms Truss added: “That taught me two things: one is that we have huge talent across our country and two that we’re not making enough of it.

“This is a great country. I’m so proud of who we are and what we stand for, but I know that we can do better and I know that we must do better and that’s why I entered politics.

“I want to live in a country where hard work’s rewarded, where women can walk home safely at night and where our children have a better future.”

She also told the party conference that she knew “what it’s like to live somewhere that isn’t feeling the benefits of economic growth”.

Ms Truss said: “I grew up in Paisley and in Leeds in the Eighties and Nineties.

“I’ve seen the boarded-up shops. I’ve seen people left with no hope turning to drugs. I have seen families struggling to put food on the table.

“Low growth isn’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. Low growth means lower wages, fewer opportunities and less money to spend on the things that make life better.”

The Prime Minister claimed the Government “must level up the country in a Conservative way, ensuring everywhere and everyone can get on”.

Ms Truss also shared her experience of having her “potential dismissed by those who think they know better”.

She told the audience of Tory members: “I have fought to get where I am today.

“I have fought to get jobs, to get pay rises and to get on the housing ladder. I have juggled my career with raising two wonderful daughters.”

Ms Truss added: “I remember as a young girl being presented on a plane with a ‘junior air hostess’ badge. Meanwhile, my brothers were given ‘junior pilot’ badges.

“It wasn’t the only time in my life that I have been treated differently for being female or for not fitting in.

“It made me angry and it made me determined. Determined to change things so it did not happen to others.”

Body language expert says Truss lacked empathy

13:15 , Will Mata

A police officer turned TV body language analysist has said that Liz Truss ‘lacked passion and empathy’ during her speech.

Darren Stanton, who has worked on This Morning and The One Show, said a ‘disconnect’ was evient from the prime minister’s effort.

“Truss’ delivery of her speech lacked passion and empathy, which made it clear she was reading from an autocue. The Prime Minister’s hand gestures were not in conjunction with what she was saying verbally, this occurs when there is a disconnect between being impassioned and merely repeating what is written down.

“Truss’ go-to hand gesture is spreading out her fingers, which is an attempted power gesture. In human nature, the more space we occupy, the more powerfully we are potentially perceived.

“The speech seems lacklustre, her flow was also interrupted by two protesters, who were swiftly curtailed by security. This seemed to rouse the audience, a far less sceptical person than I might think that was a staged interruption, because the protesters were laughing to the cameras.

“At times, the Prime Minister attempted to make a powerful point which should’ve ended in a crescendo of applause, however, it fell flat and the applause came out of sync. She didn’t really address the key points that the three groups needed to be reassured on.

“I also noticed a number of audience members shaking their heads.”

Liz Truss to meet Emmanuel Macron

13:06 , Will Mata

Liz Truss is expected to meet with French president Emmanuel Macron when she attends a summit of European leaders in Prague on Thursday.

The prime minister will travel to the Czech Republic for the meeting of the European Political Community after a difficult party conference dominated by internal division and backbench opposition to some of her key policies.

There she is expected to meet the French premier again for a bilateral meeting, after holding talks with Mr Macron during a UN summit in New York last month.

Energy and migration are believed to be at the top of the agenda during the one-day visit to Prague.

A Number 10 spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister will attend the meeting of European leaders in Prague on Thursday to deliver on the UK’s priorities, including shoring up support for Ukraine, securing long-term energy supplies and tackling migration.”

Ms Truss is also expected to meet with the Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte while there, as well as with Czech premier Petr Fiala for a working lunch.

Ms Truss as foreign secretary had been an outright sceptic of the planned summit, so her decision to attend caused some surprise.

Speech reaction: ‘Party of the low taxes'

13:01 , Will Mata

Truss Pledges ‘Iron Grip’ on UK Public Finances - video

12:59 , Will Mata

Truss: Post-conference tweet

12:56 , Will Mata

Liz Truss personally chose M People to be walk on music

12:53 , Will Mata

Liz Truss personally selected M People song Moving On Up for her walk-on music.

"There was a range of options and she chose that one," her press secretary said.

He was unable to say whether the party had asked the band for permission.

"I don't have detailed knowledge of how the licensing of this stuff works," he said.

When asked about founder Mike Pickering's criticism, the press secretary said: "I don't know who he is."

‘Whips will restore order’

12:51 , Will Mata

Tory whips will seek to restore order over critical Government ministers, Downing Street has suggested.

The Prime Minister’s press secretary said: “There’s always going to be differences of opinion between people, people are entitled to their personal opinions. But they should be raised in a more constructive manner.

“Collective responsibility is the same as it always has been.”

Asked if that will be rammed home in Westminster next week, he said: “You will have to speak to the whips about that, but that should answer your question.”

Asked if Penny Mordaunt could lose the whip, he said: “That’s one for the whips but I don’t imagine that to be the case.”

He acknowledged “there have been some difficulties” during the conference.

Rees-Mogg defends Braverman

12:50 , Will Mata

Jacob Rees-Mogg has defended Home Secretary Suella Braverman for expressing a personal view during the Conservative Party conference, despite it being contrary to Government policy.

Yesterday, Ms Braverman called for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and was later rebuked by a senior Government source, who insisted “if she wishes to make those views known within Government she should do so in a more appropriate setting”.

When asked about this instance and Cabinet discipline, the Business Secretary told the PA news agency: “I think at a party conference, it’s really important that ministers discuss things.

“That this is a chance for members of the party to go at fringe meetings, have discussions, and you can’t just sit there and say that matter hasn’t been decided.

“You have got to trust members and have open discussions with them. If you come to the fringes I have been at, I was trying to have a conversation with members as to where policy should go. And some of that, you know, isn’t Government policy, may never become Government policy. You can’t just close down all discussions and ideas.”

Rees-Mogg: ‘The party works together, the cabinet is united’

12:49 , Will Mata

The business secretary stuck around to be interviewed by press after the speech.

Jacob Rees-Mogg said his “favourite moment” from Liz Truss’ speech was when she reminded the hall that the Conservative “are a tax cutting party”.

He added: “The party works together, the cabinet is united”.

On Greenpeace protesters interrupting the PM half way through her speech, he added: “I think there is great place in British democracy for protesters” and “they energised the hall”.

Truss at heart of Tory economy that led to ‘low growth’

12:36 , Miriam Burrell

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “The Tory economic crisis we are facing was made in Downing Street, paid for by working people facing higher mortgages and soaring costs.

“Liz Truss has been a Government minister for the last 10 years.

“She has been at the heart of building a Conservative economy that has led to the flat wages and low growth she highlighted today.

“Labour knows real growth comes from the contribution of millions of working people and thousands of businesses.

“The most important thing the Prime Minister can do right now to stabilise the economy is to immediately reverse her Government’s kamikaze budget when Parliament returns next week.”

Pound fell following Truss speech

12:29 , Miriam Burrell

The under-pressure pound fell against the US dollar following the speech from Liz Truss.

Sterling had initially hit a three-week high against the dollar in early session trading, but soon slipped back amid ongoing fears over the Government’s credibility and edged further lower, down nearly 1% at 1.136 US dollars, following the Prime Minister’s conference speech.

M People ‘livid’ Truss walked on stage to ‘Moving On Up’

12:28 , Miriam Burrell

M People founder Mike Pickering said the band are “livid” after Liz Truss used their song Moving On Up as she walked out for her speech at the Tory Party conference.

He told the PA news agency: “They (the band) are livid. Heather’s boy James is a Labour councillor. Hopefully most people will know that they have pirated it off us. She won’t be around to use it again for very long, I would imagine.”

Pickering added: “I am absolutely gutted by it because they are killing the live touring of bands and artists…”

Watch: Liz Truss’s tirade against ‘anti growth coalition'

12:03 , Miriam Burrell

Starmer has ‘no vision for Britain’, Truss claims

12:01 , Miriam Burrell

Liz Truss accused opposition parties of lacking a plan and vision for Britain.

“Keir Starmer wants to put extra taxes on the companies we need to invest in our energy security and his sticking plaster solution will only last six months.

“He has no long-term plan and no vision for Britain.

“Mark Drakeford in Wales is cancelling road-building projects and refusing to build the M4 relief road.

“Nicola Sturgeon won’t build new nuclear power stations to solve the energy crisis in Scotland.

“Have these people ever seen tax rises they don’t like or an industry they don’t want to control?

“They don’t understand British people, they don’t understand aspiration.

“They are prepared to leave our towns and cities facing decline.”

Truss attacks ‘anti growth coalition'

11:57 , Miriam Burrell

“I will not allow the anti-growth coalition to hold us back,” Prime Minister Liz Truss said.

“Labour, the Lib Dems, the SNP, the militant unions, the vested interests dressed up as think tanks, the talking heads, the Brexit deniers, Extinction Rebellion and some of the people we had in the hall earlier.

“The fact is they prefer protesting to doing. They prefer talking on Twitter to taking tough decisions.

“They taxi from north London townhouses to the BBC studio to dismiss anyone challenging the status quo.

“From broadcast to podcast, they peddle the same old answers.

“It’s always more taxes, more regulation and more meddling.

“Wrong, wrong, wrong.”

Greenpeace protesters ‘holding Govt to account'

11:55 , Miriam Burrell

The protestors thrown out of the Conservative Party conference for disrupting Liz Truss’s speech were Ami McCarthy and Rebecca Newsom, who both work in public affairs for Greenpeace.

They said they were “holding the Government to account” for its promises on net zero.

Pictured: Liz Truss delivers speech

11:52 , Miriam Burrell

Liz Truss leaves stage to loud applause

11:48 , Miriam Burrell

The prime minister’s speech has ended.

Liz Truss received loud applause as she left the stage with a huge smile.

‘Hard left behind the disruption'

11:46 , Miriam Burrell

The prime minister said she is thinking of the hairdressers, white van drivers, nurses and teachers and other workers up and down the country.

Liz Truss said people on the “hard left tend to be the ones behind the disruption”, referring to rail strikes and protests blocking major roads in recent weeks.

She said the Conservatives will build “a new Britain for a new era”.

Truss bags protesters

11:42 , Miriam Burrell

Liz Truss said she will not allow the “anti growth coalition” to hold her Government back.

The prime minister named the “coalition” as Labour, the Lib Dems, Extinction Rebellion and protesters that interuppted her speech.

“They prefer protesting to doing,” she said.

‘Ukraine must win'

11:39 , Miriam Burrell

Liz Truss said Britain will stand with Ukraine for “however long it takes” to win the war against Russia.

This was received with a standing ovation and loud applause from delegates.

Govt to ‘expand Rwanda scheme'

11:38 , Miriam Burrell

The Government is “expanding the Rwanda Scheme” and Home Secretary Suella Braverman will make sure “no European judge will overrule us”, the prime minister said.

Truss sets high expectations for Health Secretary

11:36 , Miriam Burrell

Liz Truss said patients can expect a GP appointment within two weeks under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister and Health Secretary Therese Coffey.

She also claimed Ms Coffey will “bust the Covid backlog” and “bolster social care”.

‘We have your back'

11:33 , Miriam Burrell

“By the end of the year, all EU red tape will be consigned to history,” Liz Truss said.

The prime minister said over the coming weeks ministers will set out more detail about their plans to build homes, and improve internet connectivity to support businesses.

Ms Truss said she’s working “flat out” to make sure people “get through this crisis”.

“We have your back,” she said.

Watch: Truss speech interrupted by protesters

11:31 , Miriam Burrell

Truss vows to support homeowners and businesses

11:30 , Miriam Burrell

Liz Truss said there are rising interest rates worldwide and inflation is high across the world’s major economies.

The prime minister said the Government “will do what we can” to support homeowners, but “it’s right” that interest rates are independently decided by the Bank of England, she added.

She said houses haven’t been built when they have been needed and wanted, but her Government will invest.

“We will back business to the hilt by cutting taxes and red tape,” she said.

‘Britain is open for business'

11:28 , Miriam Burrell

Liz Truss said the UK needs to be internationally competitive and cutting taxes effectively puts up a sign, saying ‘Britain is open for business’.

She admitted the abolition of 45p tax cut was a “distraction” from the overall economic plan.

“I get it, and I have listened.”

She said the Government will keep an “iron grip” on the country’s finances and “always be fiscally responsible”.

Pictured: Protesters disrupt PM’s speech

11:25 , Miriam Burrell

‘Growth, growth and growth'

11:24 , Miriam Burrell

Liz Truss said she wants to break Britain out of “this high-tax, low growth cycle”.

She admitted the “scale of this plan is immense” and not everyone will support her economic plan.

The prime minister said she has three plans for the economy: “Growth, growth and growth.”

Truss pushes importance of economic growth

11:22 , Miriam Burrell

Liz Truss said Britain’s economy hasn’t grown as strong as it should have done.

The prime minister said growing up in Leeds in the 1980s and 1990s showed her what it was like to see “low growth” in tangible ways such as lower wages and “people turning to drugs”.

She said she wants to ensure everyone, everywhere, can get on.

Liz Truss speech interrupted by Greenpeace protesters

11:20 , Miriam Burrell

The prime minister’s speech was stopped shortly by Greenpeace protesters in the crowd who held a banner up before they were led out of the auditorium.

Liz Truss said “they arrived in the hall a bit to early...we will get on to them in a few minutes.”

‘I refuse to let our great country decline'

11:18 , Miriam Burrell

“We cannot have any more drift and delay at this vital time,” Liz Truss said, outlining the situation she had to inherit as the new prime minister, including rising energy bills.

“I didn’t accept that things had to be that way,” she told delegates.

“I refuse to let our great country decline.”

‘I know how it feels to have your potential dismissed'

11:16 , Miriam Burrell

Liz Truss said she fought to get where she is today.

“I know how it feels to have your potential dismissed by those who think they know better,” the prime minister said.

Ms Truss said she was treated differently for being a female and for “not fitting in”. This fuelled her to “change things” so others didn’t feel the same way, she said.

‘These are stormy days'

11:13 , Miriam Burrell

“These are stormy days,” Liz Truss said.

We are now in a new era, the prime minister said, dealing with the Covid crisis and invasion of Ukraine.

“I’m determined to get Britain moving..and to put us on a stronger footing as a nation,” she said to a round of applause.

PM praises Birmingham

11:12 , Miriam Burrell

Liz Truss opened her speech by complementing the city of Birmingham and its Tory mayor Andy Street.

Speech begins

11:10 , Miriam Burrell

Liz Truss has entered the stage to ‘Moving on Up’ by M People.

Cabinet arrives

11:05 , Miriam Burrell

Cabinet arrives and sits in the front row ahead of the prime minister’s speech.

Tories will ‘blow Labour out of the water'

11:02 , Miriam Burrell

Cabinet Office Minister Nadhim Zahawi claimed that Conservatives will “blow Labour out of the water” and secure another term in office, as he addressed delegates ahead of the prime minister’s speech in Birmingham.

PM speech slightly delayed

10:59 , Miriam Burrell

Liz Truss will address delegates from the main stage at the Conservative Party Conference in around 10 minutes, according to Sky News.

The Prime Minister was initially set to begin her speech at 11am.

Pictured: PM arrives ahead of speech

10:34 , Miriam Burrell

YouGov poll: Truss more unpopular than Johnson

10:31 , Miriam Burrell

Liz Truss is already more unpopular than Boris Johnson or Jeremy Corbyn ever was, according to a YouGov poll.

Just 14% of the public now say they have a favourable impression of the Prime Minister compared with 26% who said so between 21-22 September.

Nearly three-quarters – 73% – now see the Prime Minister in an unfavourable light, including more than half – 55% – who see her very unfavourably.

That gives her a net favourability rating of minus 59, depths not plumbed by Mr Johnson, who hit minus 53 in July or Mr Corbyn who fell to minus 55 in June 2019.

YouGov surveyed 1,751 British adults on October 1-2.

Pictured: 4th day of Tory conference underway

10:22 , Miriam Burrell

Watch: Cleverly says Truss will lead Torys into election

10:14 , Miriam Burrell

Opinion polls: Labour has lead over Torys

09:59 , Miriam Burrell

All of the “ingredients” for the Tories to be defeated at the next election are in place, one of Britain’s leading polling experts has said.

Ten opinion polls show that the Labour Party now has an average 25 point lead over the Conservatives, according to polling guru Sir John Curtice.

The professor of politics at Strathclyde University said the Government’s recent tax cutting budget shakeup could do “serious damage” to their reputation for economic competence.

Pictured: Queue forms ahead of Truss speech

09:52 , Miriam Burrell

‘National uprising’ if no rise in benefits

09:49 , Miriam Burrell

Former prime minister Gordon Brown warned there would be a “national uprising” if the “immoral” decision was taken not to raise benefits in line with inflation this year.

He told BBC Radio 4 it would be “unfair” and would be “unequal”.

The former Labour leader said: “It’s divisive because we’re not in this together any more. It’s anti-work because 40% of those who would suffer are people on low pay in work. It’s anti-family because five million children would be in poverty.

“And I think most of all it’s immoral. It’s asking the poor to bear the burden for the crisis that we face in this country and for mistakes that other people have made, and it’s a scar on the soul of our country, it’s a stain on our conscience.”

Cleverly: Raising benefits will be part of Truss agenda

09:30 , Miriam Burrell

James Cleverly has suggested that raising benefits in line with wages will be part of Prime Minister Liz Truss’s growth agenda.

The Foreign Secretary told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We are saying that we will increase the help for the people that need that help, but exactly how much will be dependent on a whole load of factors.”

When it was put to him that not uprating benefits in line with inflation equates to a real-terms cut, he said: “Well, you’ve got to remember the two things that people have been discussing… the Prime Minister said she wants to get earnings up, she wants to get productivity up, she wants to go for growth.”

He added: “What we are looking to do is to get that inflation down and mirror that with economic growth.”

Truss to deliver speech at 11am

09:22 , Miriam Burrell

Liz Truss will be delivering her speech on the main stage at the Conservative Party Conference at 11.05am.

The Prime Minister will say the “disruption” from her plans to revive the country’s economy will be worth it as she battles to save her premiership after just a month in the job.

Other speakers on Wednesday will include Jake Berry and Nadhim Zahawi.

‘Further crises to come’ in economy

08:42 , Miriam Burrell

Former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown said he fears there could be “further crises to come” in the economy.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he criticised Prime Minister Liz Truss’s growth plans.

“I would be very careful if I was the Bank of England and make sure that the supervision of that part of the economy is tightened up, because I do fear that, as inflation hits and interest rates rise, there will be a number of companies and a number of organisations that will be in grave difficulty.

“I don’t think this crisis is over because the pension funds have been rescued last week.

“I do think there’s got to be eternal vigilance about what has happened to what is called the shadow banking sector, and I do fear that there could be further crises to come.”

Braverman downplays row with Gove

08:30 , Miriam Burrell

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has downplayed a row with Michael Gove.

She said she was “disappointed” by the U-turn on the top rate of tax, and accused Tory rebels like former minister Mr Gove of staging a “coup”.

Speaking to Radio 4’s Today programme, in a clip recorded on Tuesday: “I just think that we’ve all got to get behind the Prime Minister. She’s early on in her tenure, we’ve had a really exhausting and exhaustive leadership contest.”

Asked if Mr Gove was entitled to voice concerns, Ms Braverman said: “Yeah of course, but I think when it has the effect of undermining a decision, a key flank of Government policy, then I think the way in which that’s expressed and discussed, has to be...behind closed doors.”

‘Ridiculous’ to suggest Truss has 10 days to save leadership

08:23 , Miriam Burrell

James Cleverly insisted Prime Minister Liz Truss will lead the Tory Party into the next election and said it was “ridiculous” to suggest she has 10 days to save her leadership.

“She recognises that if you don’t go for growth you end up with either stagnation or recession and that is not what we want to do,” the Foreign Secretary said.

Asked about former cabinet minister Grant Shapps’ warning that Ms Truss has little more than a week to save her leadership, Mr Cleverly said: “If people are saying ‘oh hang on a second, we need to see the fruits of that in 10 days’, that is ridiculous.”

Tory infighting

08:16 , Miriam Burrell

Former transport secretary Grant Shapps told The News Agents podcast “the next 10 days is a critical period of time” and suggested some Tory MPs at risk of losing their seats in a general election might consider replacing Liz Truss with a new leader.

Meanwhile Commons leader Penny Mordaunt joined backbench rebels in calling for welfare payments to be raised in line with inflation, which has been at around 10 per cent, rather than earnings at 5 per cent.

Home Secretary Ms Braverman was rebuked by senior Government figures after suggesting the UK should leave the European Convention on Human Rights.

Truss: Not everyone will be in favour, but everyone will benefit

08:08 , Miriam Burrell

Liz Truss will tell activists in Birmingham today that she hopes to create a “new Britain for a new era”.

In her speech to Conservatives, she wil say: “Whenever there is change, there is disruption. Not everyone will be in favour.

“But everyone will benefit from the result – a growing economy and a better future. That is what we have a clear plan to deliver.”

Alongside measures to boost growth, the Prime Minister will insist she will keep an iron grip on the nation’s finances, with a leaner state offering value for taxpayers’ money.