Good morning. Today in Manchester, Rishi Sunak is expected to stand in front of a lectern reading “LONG-TERM DECISIONS FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE” and announce the scrapping of the HS2 rail link to that very city – and with it a key plank of his promise to level up the north.
The Conservative party conference – which closes today and is likely the last before a general election in 2024 – has been completely dominated by the prime minister’s repeated refusal to confirm whether or not the £100bn high speed line will continue as planned.
Peter Walker, the Guardian’s deputy political editor, who has been at the conference all week, says it has led to a chaotic gathering. Let’s get into why, after the headlines.
Five big stories
US | Kevin McCarthy has been abruptly removed from his role as House speaker, ousted by hard-right members of his own Republican party less than a year after his election. It is the first time in US history the speaker has been dismissed, and came after he led a bipartisan effort that avoided a government shutdown.
Italy | At least 21 people died and 18 were injured when a tourist coach crashed off an overpass near Venice, falling 30 metres on to power lines and catching fire. Those on board included Ukrainians, German and French citizens, said Venice prefect Michele Di Bari, adding the bus was “totally crushed”.
Transport | Two planned strikes by London Underground workers this week have been called off, the RMT union announced. Its members had been due to strike on Wednesday and Friday, closing the tube over plans to reduce staff numbers by up to 600 posts to save costs.
Health | Trans hospital patients in England will be banned from being treated in female- and male-only wards, under plans announced by the health secretary. Steve Barclay also said patient requests to have intimate care provided by someone of the same biological sex would be respected.
Diplomacy | India has told Canada it must remove 41 diplomats from its embassy in Delhi as the diplomatic spat continues between the two countries. The Indian foreign ministry has given Canada a week to repatriate two-thirds of its diplomats stationed in India, reducing the number to 21.
In depth: ‘Ask them about their chances of winning the election, they laugh and change the subject’
Rishi Sunak with staff in Manchester ahead of his speech. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA
“This is almost certainly going to be the last Conservative party conference before the election,” Peter says from a cafe in the Manchester Central Convention Complex (a former railway station) plastered in the party’s “long-term decisions” branding, which even the Spectator has described as possibly “the worst slogan ever”.
“So this conference should be ultra-disciplined, and a drip feed of key policies,” Peter says. “But, while the branding is all about taking long-term decisions, it’s striking how nothing much new has been announced. It’s either policies that…
2023-10-04 00:45:34
Article from www.theguardian.com
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