Summary

  • Theresa May delivers closing speech to Conservative conference

  • She pledges to build a "fairer" and "united Britain"

  • Diane James resigns as UKIP leader after 18 days as leader

  • Nigel Farage returns to role as UKIP's interim leader

  • Home Secretary defends tougher immigration rules for businesses

  1. Amber Rudd: We will put British people's interests firstpublished at 12:35 British Summer Time 4 October 2016

    Amber RuddImage source, bb

    Home Secretary Amber Rudd announces a consultation on reducing net migration and a "controlling migration fund", emphasising: "This isn’t about pulling up the drawbridge."

    She says:

    Quote Message

    But I also come here today with a warning to those that simply oppose any steps to reduce net migration: this government will not waver in its commitment to put the interests of the British people first. Reducing net migration back down to sustainable levels will not be easy. But I am committed to delivering it on behalf of the British people."

  2. 'Communities let down over EU aid'published at 12:31 British Summer Time 4 October 2016

    Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns launches a fierce attack on the "mismanagement" of £4bn of EU grants by the Welsh Government intended to help the poorest areas.

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  3. Home secretary: Renting to illegal immigrants to be a criminal offencepublished at 12:25 British Summer Time 4 October 2016

    "There can be no question that recent levels of immigration motivated a large part of the vote," the home secretary tells conference. 

    She adds there are "legitimate concerns" around housing, public services and wages but reducing net migration "will not happen overnight".

    She goes on to announce that from December, landlords that knowingly rent out property to people who have no right to be in the UK will be committing a criminal offence.  

    Also from December, immigration checks will be a mandatory requirement for those wanting to get a licence to drive a taxi.

  4. Amber Rudd begins by paying tribute to Theresa Maypublished at 12:25 British Summer Time 4 October 2016

    Amber Rudd

    Home Secretary Amber Rudd begins her speech to conference by paying tribute to her predecessor, Theresa May, who she calls "one of the most successful" home secretaries in modern history. 

    She says it's "no secret" she campaigned on behalf of the Remain side in the EU referendum, but "the British people made their wishes very clear, and I absolutely accept the result".

    She pledges: "As we leave the European Union, my department will play its part in fighting for, and securing, the best possible outcome for our country."

  5. Sir Eric Pickles addresses conferencepublished at 12:13 British Summer Time 4 October 2016

    Eric Pickles

    Former cabinet minister Sir Eric Pickles says he has not "gone off to some genteel retirement" since he left frontbench politics. He says he has been working "as the government's anti-corruption champion".

    He says that Transparency International rates the UK as "one of the 10 least corrupt countries in the world".

  6. Liz Truss 'proud to be Lord Chancellor'published at 12:06 British Summer Time 4 October 2016

    Liz Truss

    Liz Truss says the government will treat attacks on prison officers as "what they are: serious crimes".

    She says she is "proud to be addressing you for the first time as Lord Chancellor" and wants to "modernise our justice system".

    Ms Truss adds that "only one in seven QCs and one in seven partners in law firms are women", while "fewer than one in 10 judges come form ethnic minorities and only a quarter went to state school".

    Quote Message

    If we are to transform this great nation into a great meritocracy, the legal profession and our judiciary should be leading the field."

  7. Justice secretary sets out reforms to 'make prisons work'published at 12:02 British Summer Time 4 October 2016

    Justice Secretary Liz Truss is the next speaker, telling conference that she wants to "make prisons work".

    She draws attention to poor educational attainment amongst prisoners and argues that "reform is the only way that we can break the cycle" and stop more people being vctims of crime.

    Ms Truss says she wants to build on the legacy of former Justice Secretary Michael Gove and "spend £1.3bn on sweeping away our crumbling Victorian jails". There will be new "education and employment schemes".

    She says she wants to ensure "offenders come out of prison better able to work, better able to support their families and better able to turn their lives around".

  8. Fallon sets 10% target for BME recruits to armed forcespublished at 11:56 British Summer Time 4 October 2016

    Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon sets a target of having "at least 10% of new recruits from a black, Asian or minority ethnic background" in the armed forces by 2020.

    He adds that all combat roles have been opened up to women.

    "This isn't about tokenism, it's about talent," he says.

  9. Government to 'derogate' from human rights convention on battlefieldpublished at 11:55 British Summer Time 4 October 2016

    Sir Michael Fallon

    Sir Michael Fallon says measures to protect UK troops from "vexatious" legal claims include a new time limit for legal claims and tackling "no win, no fee deals".

    The government will "derogate" from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in future conflicts, meaning it does not apply on the battlefield.

    The defence secretary insists this is not about putting soldiers "above the law", adding:  "Serious claims must be investigated but spurious claims will be stopped."

  10. £4bn EU funds 'mismanagement' claimpublished at 11:54 British Summer Time 4 October 2016

    Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns launches a fierce attack on the "mismanagement" of £4bn of EU grants by the Welsh Government intended to help the poorest areas.

    Read More
  11. Jo Cox MP death: Murder accused Thomas Mair refuses to enter pleaspublished at 11:48 British Summer Time 4 October 2016

    A man accused of killing the Labour MP Jo Cox has refused to enter pleas as he appeared in court.

    Thomas Mair, 53, from Birstall, remained silent when asked to plead on four charges relating to Mrs Cox's death at the Old Bailey.

    Mrs Cox, 41, who was married with two young children, was shot and stabbed in Birstall, West Yorkshire, in June.

    In the light of Mr Mair's silence, the judge ordered that not guilty pleas should be entered on his behalf.

    Read more.

  12. Defence secretary announces cadet units in schoolspublished at 11:47 British Summer Time 4 October 2016

    The defence secretary says there will be 150 new cadet units in state schools.

    This will include Rockwood Academy in Birmingham, which Sir Michael Fallon claims was once "a Trojan Horse school" and is now "instilling British values".

    The Trojan Horse affair was sparked by an anonymous letter which claimed some Muslim groups were trying to get their own members on to governing bodies to try and oust head teachers at some schools in the city.

    As a result, five Birmingham schools were put into special measures by Ofsted. Rockwood Academy, formerly called Park View, was one of two schools taken out of special measures earlier this year.

  13. UK will not step back from defence commitments - Fallonpublished at 11:40 British Summer Time 4 October 2016

    Michael Fallon

    Sir Michael Fallon accuses Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn of wanting to leave Nato and "talk to terrorists".

    "Waving a white flag will not keep us safe," the defence secretary tells the Conservative conference.

    The defence budget "will grow every year of this Parliament", he says, adding:

    Quote Message

    Leaving the European Union does not mean stepping back from our commitments."

  14. Former soldier welcomes women serving on the front linepublished at 11:33 British Summer Time 4 October 2016

    Azi Ahmed

    Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon is intorduced by Azi Ahmed, a former Conservative candidate and member of the British Army.

    She welcomes that women can now serve on the front line under the current government and Sir Michael says her story is "inspirational".

  15. Republic of Ireland 'to seek special EU status'published at 11:26 British Summer Time 4 October 2016

    The Guardian

    Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire has reiterated the UK government's line that there will be "no return to the borders of the past" with the Republic of Ireland.

    The Guardian, external reports that "an increasingly anxious Irish government is to apply to the EU for special status to prevent a hard border being re-established if the UK leaves the EU customs union, and insists on controlling the flow of European migrants".

    The article continues: "Charles Flanagan, the Irish foreign minister, said the UK and Irish governments would seek special legal status for Ireland, even though an open border between Ireland and the UK would in theory be a route through which tens of thousands of EU citizens could travel to the UK.

    "Martin McGuinness, the deputy first minister in Northern Ireland and Sinn Féin’s leader, spoke to David Davis, the UK’s Brexit minister, on Sunday, to discuss government plans after speeches at the Conservative conference revealed a cabinet leaning towards leaving both the EU single market and the customs union."

    Quote Message

    The Irish government will announce on Tuesday that it is setting up a civic dialogue to be held in Dublin on 2 November involving political parties, business organisations and non-governmental organisations from Northern Ireland and the Republic."

  16. What does the opposition think of the Conservative conference?published at 11:26 British Summer Time 4 October 2016

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  17. Brexit: Food for thought?published at 11:18 British Summer Time 4 October 2016

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  18. PM facing calls for more... selfiespublished at 11:16 British Summer Time 4 October 2016

    The prime minister says she's being asked for more selfies since starting at Number 10.

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  19. UK is 'a precious bond', says Welsh secretarypublished at 11:14 British Summer Time 4 October 2016

    Alun CairnsImage source, bb

    Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns tells the Conservative conference "there will be challenges [from Brexit] but there will also be a host of opportunities".

    He claims First Minister Carwyn Jones "seems to see Wales as a victim" of the EU referendum, but a majority of Welsh voters backed leaving the EU.

    Mr Cairns adds that the government will be able to "follow UK priorities, investing in a way that is completely tailored to the Welsh and the UK economy".

    And he describes the Union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as "a precious, precious bond".

  20. Former MP Esther McVey chairs panel from Scotland, Wales and NIpublished at 11:08 British Summer Time 4 October 2016

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