For more than 100 years, International Women’s Day has called on us to stand together and celebrate the tremendous achievements of women in every country around the world.

This year, it is particularly significant for us here in the UK because it coincides with a very significant centenary, the moment when some women were given the right to vote here in the UK.

Today, it may seem extraordinary to us that women in this country were not only denied the right to vote until that time, but had to fight so hard for it.

And yet despite the huge political, social and economic strides that we’ve taken forward since, we know there are areas where things are simply not right.

Over the past year we have seen something of a watershed moment.

I am of course referring to the women who have broken the silence on pervasive sexual harassment with the powerful “Me Too” movement;

Spoken out about instances where – incredibly – a pay difference still exists between themselves and men carrying out the same work.

And called out the bullying and harassment some – particularly those in public life – face online.

Much work remains to be done in all those areas, but today I want to turn to another issue.

Because today everybody gathered in this room is here because we are all united in one single aim: bringing an end to abhorrent and life-shattering domestic abuse.

Across the country thousands of women endure unimaginable abuse in their homes, there are women who know what that means on a daily basis, often at the hands of those they are closest to, every single day.

I believe we need nothing short of a complete change across the whole of society in the way we think about and tackle domestic abuse. That’s why today we are launching a consultation on our proposals for new laws, stronger powers and new prevention measures.

And the trouble is too often women and men – although mainly women – suffer in silence and endure the most terrifying behaviour.

We’ve tended to always think of it in terms of violence, but sometimes it means other forms of abuse that may not involve physical harm but certainly should be criminal. And so for the first time the Bill will provide a statutory definition of domestic abuse that includes non-physical abuse such as economic abuse. And we won’t let anyone trivialise these forms of abuse.

The Bill will recognise the devastating impact domestic abuse has on families, by creating a statutory aggravating factor which will allow for tougher sentences in cases involving children. For too long, the approach was taken that children are not affected. It is time we recognise that they are.

It will create new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, drawing on the strongest powers from existing orders to allow police and courts to intervene earlier.

It will establish a Domestic Abuse Commissioner, to hold public bodies to account, and act as a national champion for victims.

And we will build upon the work I started at the Home Office – putting Clare’s Law – the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme which allows anyone to ask if their partner has a violent history – onto a statutory basis; giving victims of domestic abuse the same range of protections in courts as those who have suffered from modern slavery or sexual offences; and further strengthening the ground-breaking offence of controlling and coercive behaviour in a family relationship, which we introduced in 2015.

I am grateful for the work that so many of you do with the police, and those in the criminal justice system and other public services, to ensure that victims are given the support that they need, when they need it. I know that, for too many years, too many people in power did not take this issue seriously. That is why, as Home Secretary, I commissioned Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary to inspect every police force on their response to domestic abuse, ensuring that each force took action wherever the law enforcement response fell short of what it needed to be.

I also understand just how important it is for those fleeing violent partners to have a safe place to go, and our recent injection of £20 million for accommodation-based services is already providing 2,200 additional beds in refuges and safe accommodation benefiting 19,000 victims.

But I know there are concerns about our proposals on how supported housing will be funded in the future. So I want to make clear that I am committed to delivering a sustainable funding model for refuges and to ensuring that there is no postcode lottery when it comes to provision across the country. That is why I want to work with all the charities and organisations working on the front line to get your ideas on how we can get this right.

And we want your input. Those working with those affected and those who have gone through it. You know what will work and what will not.

This morning I visited Safe Lives and heard first-hand the harrowing accounts of women who have suffered at the hands of abusers.

And I would like to pay tribute to all those survivors here today and beyond who show such bravery in speaking out, and to all of you working so hard to support victims and raise awareness. Thank you. You do an incredible job, often in very difficult circumstances.

This is an issue that unites us all – whatever your background or political party. I am grateful to MPs and Peers of all parties for their tireless campaigning on behalf of survivors, and hope that we can work together to build a real consensus around these proposals.

We need to get this legislation right. We need to hear from the widest range of voices possible: experts, charities, frontline professionals, and as many people affected by abuse, from as many walks of life, as possible. So I urge all of you here today to encourage others to contribute with this consultation.

Every year many lives are ruined. Children witness appalling scenes and suffer lasting trauma and emotional damage.

No woman and no child should ever spend their days living in fear, suffering domestic abuse and fearful of speaking out.

A century ago, women fought for their independence, for their right to be heard. Today, we have come a long way but the fact we are gathered here today to talk about the continued issue of domestic abuse shows we still have a long way to go.

We also have a great challenge. So, a hundred years on, let’s fight with the same vigour, the same determination. And let’s be the ones to consign domestic abuse to the past.

Theresa
May, Prime Minister, speaking today at Conservative Party Conference in
Manchester said:

(Check
against delivery)

 

THE GENERAL ELECTION

 

“A
little over forty years ago in a small village in Oxfordshire, I signed up to
be a member of the Conservative Party.

I
did it because it was the party that had the ideas to build a better Britain.  It understood the hard work and discipline
necessary to see them through.

And
it had at its heart a simple promise that spoke to me, my values and my
aspirations: that each new generation in our country should be able to build a
better future. That each generation should live the British Dream.

And
that dream is what I believe in.

But
what the General Election earlier this year showed is that, forty years later,
for too many people in our country that dream feels distant, our party’s
ability to deliver it is in question, and the British Dream that has inspired
generations of Britons feels increasingly out of reach.

Now
I called that election. And I know that all of you in this hall – your friends
and your families – worked day and night to secure the right result.

Because
of your hard work we got 2.3 million more votes and achieved our highest vote
share in 34 years. That simply would not have been possible without the long
days and late nights, the phone calls, the leaflet drops. The weekends and
evenings spent knocking on doors.

So
for everything that you do, let me say – thank you.

But
we did not get the victory we wanted because our national campaign fell short.

It
was too scripted. Too presidential. And it allowed the Labour Party to paint us
as the voice of continuity, when the public wanted to hear a message of
change.    

I
hold my hands up for that. I take responsibility. I led the campaign.

And
I am sorry.

 

 

THE BRITISH DREAM

 

But
the choice before us now is clear:

Do
we give up, spend our time looking back? Or do we do our duty, look to the
future and give the country the government it needs?  

This
country will judge us harshly if we get this decision wrong.

Because
all that should ever drive us is the duty we have to Britain and the historic
mission of this party – this Conservative Party – to renew the British Dream in
each new generation.

That
dream that says each generation should do better than the one before it. Each
era should be better than the last.  

The
dream that, for decades, has inspired people from around the world to come to
Britain. To make their home in Britain. To build their lives in Britain.  

The
dream that means the son of a bus driver from Pakistan serves in a Conservative
Cabinet alongside the son of a single mother from a council estate in
South-West London.  

And
in a way, that dream is my story too.

I
know that people think I’m not very emotional. I’m not the kind of person who
wears their heart on their sleeve. And I don’t mind being called things like
the Ice Maiden – though perhaps George Osborne took the analogy a little
far.  But let me tell you something.

My
grandmother was a domestic servant, who worked as a lady’s maid below stairs.
She worked hard and made sacrifices, because she believed in a better future
for her family. And that servant – that lady’s maid – among her grandchildren
boasts three professors and a prime minister.

That
is why the British Dream inspires me. Why that dream of progress between the
generations spurs me on. And it is why today at this conference, this
Conservative Party must pledge to renew the British Dream in this country once
again.

 

THE GOOD A CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT
CAN DO

 

To
renew that dream is my purpose in politics. My reason for being. The thing that
drives me on.  

And
it has never wavered through good times and hard times. My belief that this
Conservative government can renew it has always remained strong.  

For
whenever we are tested as a nation, this party steps up to the plate. Seven
years ago, our challenge was to repair the damage of Labour’s great recession –
and we did it. The deficit is down. Spending is under control. And our economy
is growing again.

But
we didn’t limit ourselves to that ambition. We have achieved so much
more. 

An
income tax cut for over 30 million people.

Four
million taken out of paying it at all.

Employment
up to a record high.

Unemployment
down to a historic low.

Income
inequality at its lowest for thirty years.

More
women in work than ever before.

Over
11,000 more doctors in our NHS.

Over
11,000 more nurses on our hospital wards.

Free
childcare for 3 and 4 year olds doubled.

1.8
million more children in good or outstanding schools.

3
million more apprenticeships.

Crime
down by more than a third.

More
young people from disadvantaged backgrounds going to university than at any
time in the history of our country.

Britain
leading the world in tackling climate change, eradicating global poverty, and
countering terrorism wherever it rears its head.

Same
sex marriage on the statute book, so that two people who love each other can
get married, no matter what their gender…

And
a National Living Wage – giving a pay rise to the lowest earners – introduced
not by the Labour Party, but by us, the Conservative Party.

So
let us never allow the Left to pretend they have a monopoly on compassion.

This
is the good a Conservative Government can do – and we should never let anyone
forget it.

 

WHAT I’M IN THIS FOR: TACKLING
INJUSTICE

 

But
it’s easy when you’ve been in government for a while to fall into the trap of
defending your record, and standing for the status quo.  

Yes,
we’re proud of the progress we have made, but the world doesn’t stand
still.  

Change,
as Disraeli taught us, is constant and inevitable. And we must bend it to our
will. That means staking out an agenda for Britain – and uniting behind it too.
And the agenda that I laid out on day one as prime minister still holds. It burns
inside me just the same.  

Because
at its core, it’s about sweeping away injustice – the barriers that mean for
some the British Dream is increasingly out of reach.

About
saying what matters is not where you are from or who your parents are. The colour
of your skin. Whether you’re a man or a woman, rich or poor. From the inner
city or an affluent suburb.

How
far you go in life should depend on you and your hard work.

That
is why I have always taken on vested interests when they are working against
the interests of the people. Called out those who abuse their positions of
power and given a voice to those who have been ignored or silenced for too
long.      

And
when people ask me why I put myself through it – the long hours, the pressure,
the criticism and insults that inevitably go with the job – I tell them this: I
do it to root out injustice and to give everyone in our country a voice.

That’s
why when I reflect on my time in politics, the things that make me proud are
not the positions I have held, the world leaders I have met, the great global
gatherings to which I have been, but knowing that I made a difference. That I
helped those who couldn’t be heard.

Like
the families of the 96 men, women and children who tragically lost their lives
at Hillsborough. For years they saw people in authority closing ranks and
acting against them, but now they are on the way to seeing justice served.  

That’s
what I’m in this for.

Like
the victims and survivors of Child Sexual Abuse, ignored for years by people in
positions of power, now on the long
road to the truth.

That’s
what I’m in this for.

Like Alexander Paul, a young man who came
to this conference three years ago to tell his story. The story of a young
black boy growing up in modern Britain who without causing any trouble –
without doing anything wrong – found himself being stopped and searched by
people in authority time and time and time again.  

Alexander
spoke so eloquently about his experience and how he came to mistrust those in
positions of power as a result. So inspired by his example, we took action. We
shook up the system, and the number of black people being stopped and searched
has fallen by over two thirds. I am sad to have to tell you that last year,
Alexander – who inspired us all with his passion – was diagnosed with brain
cancer. And in June of this year he tragically passed away. He was just 21. Let
us today remember the courage he showed in coming to our conference to speak
out against injustice, take pride that we gave him a platform – and inspired by
his example, redouble our efforts to give a voice to the voiceless at every
opportunity.

That’s
what I’m in this for.

And
that same commitment is the reason why one of my first acts as Prime Minister
was to establish the ground-breaking racial disparity audit – investigating how
a person’s race affects their treatment by public services, so that we can take
action and respond.

We
already know, for example, that members of Black and Minority Ethnic
communities have a higher risk of illnesses such as high blood pressure that
may lead to the need for an organ transplant.

But
our ability to help people who need transplants is limited by the number of
organ donors that come forward. That is why last year 500 people died because a
suitable organ was not available. And there are 6,500 on the transplant list
today. So to address this challenge that affects all communities in our
country, we will change that system. Shifting the balance of presumption in
favour of organ donation. Working on behalf of the most vulnerable.

That’s
what I’m in this for.  

It’s
why after seeing the unimaginable tragedy unfold at Grenfell Tower, I was
determined that we should get to the truth.

Because
Grenfell should never have happened – and should never be allowed to happen
again.

So
we must learn the lessons: understanding not just what went wrong but why the
voice of the people of Grenfell had been ignored over so many years. That’s
what the public inquiry will do. And where any individual or organisation is found
to have acted negligently, justice must be done.

That’s
what I’m in this for.

And because in this – as in other disasters before it –
bereaved and grieving families do not get the support they need, we will
introduce an independent public advocate for major disasters.

An advocate to act on behalf of bereaved families to
support them at public inquests and inquiries. The strong independent voice
that victims need.

That’s
what I’m in this for.

It’s
why tackling the injustice and stigma associated with mental health is a
particular priority for me. So we are building on our record of giving mental
and physical health parity in law by investing more in mental health than ever
before. But there is widespread concern that the existing Mental Health legislation
passed more three decades ago is leading to shortfalls in services and is open
to misuse. Detention rates under the Mental Health Act are too high. And it is
people from black and minority ethnic populations who are affected the most. So
today I can announce that I have asked Professor Sir Simon Wessely to undertake
an independent review of the Mental Health Act, so that we can tackle the
longstanding injustices of discrimination in our mental health system once and
for all.

That’s
what I’m in this for.

This
is the Conservatism I believe in. A Conservatism of fairness and justice and
opportunity for all. A Conservatism that keeps the British Dream alive for a
new generation.  

That’s
what I’m in this for.

That’s
what we must all be in this for.  

 

 

WHAT’S AT STAKE

 

And
we must come together to fight for this mainstream Conservative agenda. To win
the battle of ideas in a new generation all over again. For those ideas are
being tested. And at stake are the very things we value.

Our
precious union of nations – four nations that are stronger as one – threatened
by those with their narrow, nationalist agendas that seek to drive us apart.

The
strength of our society, in which we understand the obligations and
responsibilities we have to one another, under attack from militant forces who
preach animosity and hate. The free-market economy – for so long the basis of
our prosperity and security. An idea that has lifted millions around the world
out of poverty – called into question by those who would imperil our future by
adopting the failed experiments of the past.

That
idea of free and open markets, operating under the right rules and regulations,
is precious to us.

It’s
the means by which we generate our prosperity as a nation, and improve the
living standards of all our people.

It
has helped to cement Britain’s
influence as a force for good in the world.

It has underpinned the rules-based international system
that helped rebuild post-war Europe and the world beyond.

It has ushered in the fall of the Berlin Wall; the end of
communism, and the dark days of the Iron Curtain; securing the advance of
freedom across Europe and across the world.

It has inspired 70 years of prosperity, raising living
standards for hundreds of millions of people right across the globe.

So
don’t try and tell me that free markets are no longer fit for purpose. That
somehow they’re holding people back.

Don’t
try and tell me that the innovations they have encouraged – the advances they
have brought – the mobile phone, the internet, pioneering medical treatments,
the ability to travel freely across the world – are worth nothing.

The
free market – and the values of freedom, equality, rights, responsibilities,
and the rule of law that lie at its heart – remains the greatest agent of
collective human progress ever created.

So
let us win this argument for a new generation and defend free and open markets
with all our might.

A CHOICE OF FUTURES FOR BRITAIN

 

Because
there has rarely been a time when the choice of futures for Britain is so
stark. The difference between the parties so clear.

And
it’s the Conservative Party that has a vision of an open, global,
self-confident Britain, while our opponents flirt with a foreign policy of
neutrality and prepare for a run on the pound.
 

Some
people say we’ve spent too much time talking about Jeremy Corbyn’s past.

So
let’s talk about his present instead.  

This
is a politician who wants to pile on taxes to business just when we need them
to invest in our country the most. This is a politician who wants to borrow
hundreds of billions of pounds to nationalise industries without the slightest
idea of how much it will cost or how he will ever pay it back.

This
is a politician who wants to strip us of our nuclear deterrent, without being honest
with voters about his plans.

This
is a politician who lets anti-Semitism, misogyny and hatred run free, while he
doesn’t do a thing to stop it.

This
is a politician who thinks we should take the economics of Venezuela as our
role-model.

No…
Jeremy Corbyn.

By
contrast, when I look around the cabinet table, I have confidence that we have
a team full of talent, drive and compassion. A team that is determined that
this party – this great Conservative Party – will tackle the challenges of the
future together.

A
team that is determined we will always do our duty by our country.

 

THE BEST BREXIT DEAL

 

And
our first and most important duty is to get Brexit right. The people have
decided. We have taken their instruction.

Britain
is leaving the European Union in March 2019.

I
know some find the negotiations frustrating.

But
if we approach them in the right spirit – in a spirit of cooperation and
friendship, with our sights set firmly on the future – I am confident we will
find a deal that works for Britain and Europe too. And let’s be clear about the
agreement we seek.

It’s
the agreement I set out earlier this year at Lancaster House and again in my
speech in Florence ten days ago.

It’s
a new deep and special partnership between a strong, successful European Union
and a sovereign United Kingdom. A partnership that allows us to continue to
trade and cooperate with each other, because we see shared challenges and opportunities ahead.
But a partnership that ensures the United Kingdom is a sovereign nation once
again. A country in which the British people are firmly in control.

I
believe it is profoundly in all our interests for the negotiations to succeed.
But I know that are some are worried whether we are prepared in the event that
they do not. It is our responsibility as a government to prepare for every
eventuality. And let me reassure everyone in this hall – that is exactly what
we are doing.  

So
a deep and special partnership is our ambition and our offer. And I look
forward to that offer receiving a positive response.

And
let me say one more thing – because it cannot be said often enough.

If you are a citizen of the EU who has made their life
in this country, I know you will feel unsettled and nervous. But let me be
clear that we value the contribution you make to the life of our country. You
are welcome here.

And I urge the negotiating teams to reach agreement on
this quickly because we want you to stay.

 

 

A STRONG ECONOMY AND WORLD-CLASS
PUBLIC SERVICES

Whatever
the outcome of our negotiations, Britain’s long-term future is bright. The
British Dream is still within reach.

For
as we look to that future, we do so with the fundamentals of our country
strong.

Ten
years after Northern Rock, our economy is back on track. The deficit is back to
pre-crisis levels, we are firmly on course to get our national debt falling and
business investment is growing.

The
work to get there hasn’t been easy. It’s meant big decisions and huge
sacrifices. I know the public sector has had to carry a heavy burden. The
private sector has played its part too.

But
with government, businesses and the public sector working together, we have
bounced back – creating record numbers of jobs, and getting more people into
work than ever before.  

So
while we will never hesitate to act where businesses aren’t operating as they
should, let this party celebrate the wealth creators, the risk takers, the
innovators and entrepreneurs – the businesses large and small – who generate
jobs and prosperity for our country, and make British business the envy of the
world.

Because
we understand that it is the wealth creators whose taxes fuel our public
services. It is their success that funds the things we want to do.  

And
the difference between us and Labour is that we understand that to deliver the
things we want, private enterprise is crucial. That you can’t get something for
nothing. Prosperity is key.

And
when politicians offer the earth but have no means of delivering their
promises, disillusionment with politics only grows.  

So
over the years ahead this government will adopt a balanced approach to the
economy – dealing with our debts, keeping taxes low, but investing in our
priorities too.

Things
like our vital public services, our schools, our police, housing, and our great
national achievement, our NHS.  

Let
us not forget that it is this party that has invested in the National Health
Service and upheld its founding principles through more years in government
than any other.

For
we understand that the NHS doesn’t just bring us into this world, make us well
if we fall ill, and nurse and care for our families through their final hours.
It doesn’t just bear witness to moments of joy and to times of intense
sorrow. 

It
is the very essence of solidarity in our United Kingdom. An institution we
value. A symbol of our commitment to each other, between young and old, those
who have and those who do not, the healthy and the sick. 

Like
most people in this hall, it has been there for me when I have needed it. I
have early childhood memories of visiting my family GP. More recently, it was
the NHS that diagnosed my type 1 diabetes and taught me how to manage it so I
could get on with my life.

And
in recent months, I have seen it at its most brilliant – in the world-class
response shown by the doctors, nurses and paramedics when terrorists struck
London and Manchester.

To
them all – and indeed to the public servants everywhere who so often go unsung
– let me say this: for your service, your hard work and for your dedication – thank
you.

So
I rely on the NHS. I believe in the NHS.

And
because we believe in ensuring that a world class NHS will be there for
generations to come, we will increase funding per head for every year of this
parliament, we will oversee the biggest expansion in training for doctors and
nurses, and we will always support the service to deliver safe, high quality
care for all – free at the point of use.

That’s
what our balanced approach to the economy will help us to do.

 

THE NEXT ECONOMIC CHALLENGE

 

With
our economic foundation strong – and economic confidence restored – the time
has come to focus on Britain’s next big economic challenge: to foster growth
that works for everyone, right across our country.

That
means keeping taxes low, spreading prosperity to all corners of this United
Kingdom, and getting out into the world to trade, export and help our economy
grow.  

So
as the world’s leading advocate for free markets and free trade, we will pursue
new free trade agreements with countries around the world. As we roll out our
modern industrial strategy, we will attract and invest in new high-paid,
high-skilled jobs – spreading prosperity and opportunity to every part of this
country. Tackling our economy’s weaknesses like low levels of productivity, backing
our nation’s strengths, and bringing investment, jobs and opportunities to
communities that feel they have been forgotten for far too long.

We
will continue to reform education and skills training so that people growing up
in Britain today are ready and able to seize the opportunities ahead.  

Starting
in our schools – those great drivers of social mobility – where our record is
strong and our legacy is proud. Because our reforms are working. And after
years of stagnation under the last Labour Government, we are turning things
around. But there is more to do. Our reform programme goes on. Because it’s
simply not good enough that if you live here in the North, you have less chance
of attending a good school than someone living in the South.

So
we will extend the Free Schools programme for a new generation of young people
– building 100 new Free Schools in every year of this Parliament. Not because
our ideology says so… but because Free Schools work. And it’s the right thing
to do.    

And
we need to bring that same energy to skills training too. Preparing our young
people for the world of the future. Setting them up to succeed. Taking skills
seriously with new T-levels for post-16 education, a new generation of
Technology Institutes in every major city in England – providing the skills
local employers need, and more technical training for 16-19 year olds. A
first-class technical education system for the first time in the history of
Britain. Keeping the British Dream alive.

 

A GLOBAL BRITAIN

 

That’s
how we will prepare Britain for an open, global future. I know that some young
people worry that Brexit means we’re turning our back on the world. That
Britain will no longer be open, but closed. But we reject both the isolationism
of the hard-left and those who would have us turn inward, and we choose a
global Britain instead.

As
Asia booms and the world looks to the East, we will reach beyond the borders of
Europe to become a trusted friend to nations all around the world.

We
will meet our commitments to international security, with the finest armed
forces and intelligence services anywhere on the planet.

We
will build an outward looking Britain that cooperates with other nations to
tackle the great challenges of our time like mass migration, modern slavery and
climate change.

And
we will provide a moral lead in the world, and set an example for others.

Meeting
our commitments on security: committing fully to the NATO alliance and spending
2% of our GDP on defence.

Remaining
firmly committed to renewing our independent nuclear deterrent, to help uphold
the security of the world. And leading the world in cracking down on modern
slavery – because if you are buying and selling another human being, you are
undermining all that is right. The very basis of our humanity.

And
we must bring this outrage to an end.  

And
under this government, we will continue to meet the international aid target,
spending 0.7% of our GNI on international development.

That’s
not just because it’s good for Britain, but because it is the right thing to
do.

Today,
UK Aid is being used to bring food to starving children in conflict zones like
Syria and Iraq. UK Aid is being used to bring water to drought stricken parts
of Africa. UK Aid is helping to educate women and girls in parts of Asia where
that most basic of human rights has been denied to them for so long.

Yes,
charity may begin at home, but our compassion is not limited to those who carry
the same passport. We should be proud that under a Conservative Government,
this country is one of the few that is meeting its duty to some of the poorest
people in our world.  

And
as Prime Minister, I will ensure that’s something Britain always continues to
do.

But
let me also be clear: it is absurd that international organisations say we
can’t use the money to help all those that have been hit by the recent
Hurricanes in the British Overseas Territories.

Many
people on those islands have been left with nothing. And if we must change the
rules on international aid in order to recognise the particular needs of these
communities when disaster strikes, then that’s what we will do.

This
then is the Britain we choose.

Not
a Britain that retreats behind its borders, but a global Britain that stands
tall in the world.

A
beacon of hope and an example to others. A modern, compassionate Britain that
we can all be proud to call home.

 

RENEWING THE BRITISH DREAM

And
we must renew the British Dream at home through a determined programme of
economic and social reform. A programme that champions our belief in free
markets by being prepared to reform them when they don’t work. That ensures our
economy and society work for everyone in every part of this country, not just
the privileged few.

Because
for too many, the British Dream feels increasingly out of reach.  

The effects of the financial crisis – nearly a decade
of low growth, stagnating wages and pay restraint – linger.

The boom in the housing market means that while some
have done very well, for many the chance of getting onto the housing ladder has
become a distant dream.

And
it’s that fact, perhaps more than any other, that means for too many the
British Dream is increasingly out of reach.

Just
over a decade ago, 59% of 25-34 year olds owned their own home. Today it is
just 38%.

It
has always been a great sadness for me and Philip that we were never blessed
with children. It seems some things in life are just never meant to be.

But
I believe in the dream that life should be better for the next generation as
much as any mother. Any father. Any grandparent.

The
only difference is that I have the privileged position of being able to do more
than most to bring that dream to life.

So
I will dedicate my premiership to fixing this problem – to restoring hope. To
renewing the British Dream for a new generation of people.

And
that means fixing our broken housing market.

For
30 or 40 years we simply haven’t built enough homes. As a result, prices have
risen so much that the average home now costs almost 8 times average
earnings. And that’s been a disaster for young people in particular.

We
have begun to put this right. The number of new homes being delivered each year
has increased significantly since 2010.

Our
Housing White Paper set out plans to increase it further, ensuring councils release
more land for housing, and giving them new powers to ensure that developers
actually build homes once they’re given planning permission to do so.

And
because it will take time for greater housebuilding to translate into more
affordable house prices, we have introduced schemes like Help to Buy to support
people who are struggling right now.

But
the election result showed us that this is not nearly enough. We’ve listened
and we’ve learned.  

So
this week, the Chancellor announced that we will help over 130,000 more families with the deposit
they need to buy their own home by investing a further £10 billion in Help to
Buy.

We
have announced measures to give the increasing number of families who rent from
a private landlord more security – and effective redress if their landlord is
not maintaining their property.

And
today, I can announce that we will invest an additional £2 billion in
affordable housing – taking the Government’s total affordable housing budget to
almost £9 billion.

We
will encourage councils as well as housing associations to bid for this money
and provide certainty over future rent levels. And in those parts of the
country where the need is greatest, allow homes to be built for social rent,
well below market level.

Getting
government back into the business of building houses.

A
new generation of council houses to help fix our broken housing market.

So
whether you’re trying to buy your own home, renting privately and looking for
more security, or have been waiting for years on a council list, help is on the
way.

It
won’t be quick or easy, but as Prime Minister I am going to make it my mission
to solve this problem. I will take personal charge of the government’s
response, and make the British Dream a reality by reigniting home ownership in
Britain once again.  

And
let me say one more thing. I want to send the clearest possible message to our
housebuilders. We, the government, will make sure the land is available. We’ll
make sure our young people have the skills you need. In return, you must do
your duty to Britain and build the homes our country needs.

And
to renew the British Dream for a new generation of young people we must also
take action on student debt.  

As
Conservatives, we know education can be
the key to unlocking the future. That’s why for more than a century, it has
been Conservative Education Secretaries who have driven the reforms that have
widened access and raised standards. And it’s why we want everyone to have the
opportunity to benefit from studying more after they leave school. Because it’s
good for them and good for the country too.

But
today, young people take on a huge amount of debt to do so. 

And
if we’re honest, some don’t know what they get from it in return.

We
have listened and we have learned.

So
we will undertake a major review of university funding and student financing.

We
will scrap the increase in fees that was due next year, and freeze the maximum
rate while the review takes place.

And
we will increase the amount graduates can earn before they start repaying their
fees to £25,000 – putting money back into the pockets of graduates with high
levels of debt.  

 

 

FIXING OUR BROKEN ENERGY MARKET

 

For
while we are in favour of free markets, we will always take action to fix them
when they’re broken. We will always take on monopolies and vested interests
when they are holding people back.

And
one of the greatest examples in Britain today is the broken energy market.

Because
the energy market punishes loyalty with higher prices. And the most loyal customers
are often those with lower incomes: the elderly, people with lower
qualifications and people who rent their homes. Those who for whatever reason,
are unable to find the time to shop around. That’s why next week, this
Government will publish a Draft Bill to put a price cap on energy bills.
Meeting our manifesto promise.  And
bringing an end to rip-off energy prices once and for all.

 

 

A UNITED COUNTRY

 

So
we have a big task before us. An agenda to follow. A duty to uphold.

To
renew the British Dream for a new generation, and bring our country together
again.  

For
a country that’s divided can never make the most of its potential. And we need
to harness that potential if we’re to compete and succeed in the years ahead.

That’s
why where others seek to bring division, we must stand united. Recognising as
Jo Cox put it that we have more in common than what divides us. It’s why I will
always be proud to call myself a Unionist – and proud to be the leader of the
Conservative and Unionist Party too.

Because
that word means something special to me. It stands for this great union of
nations that has so much to offer the world. And it stands for this great union
of people – people from all over the world who have made their homes here and
are proud to call themselves British. Attracted by the strength of the British
Dream.

We
are an example to the world of how people of different colours and creeds can
live side-by-side. And we celebrate that.

And
as a proud Unionist, I take comfort that the General Election saw the threat of
nationalism set back, the case for a second referendum in Scotland denied. And
wasn’t it a brilliant result for the Scottish Conservatives and their superb
leader, Ruth Davidson?

Together,
quite simply, we are stronger. So we must unite the country around our
Conservative vision of a global, prosperous Britain in which the British Dream
is alive. That means showing that we’re determined to make a difference. To
doing something, not being someone. To doing our duty by Britain again. Because
people are fed-up with the game-playing, the name-calling. The refusal to
listen to the other’s point of view. We can look around the world and see where
this approach to politics gets us – anger, recrimination and polarisation too.

So
we must – all of us – look inside. Consider how we conduct our politics in this
country. And find a better way.

For
there is a big problem in our politics when an MP from one party refuses to be
friends with those of another.

There
is a problem in our politics when a leading journalist from our national
broadcaster has to hire bodyguards just to be able to do her job.

There
is a problem when one of our two great political parties is so riven with the
stain of anti-semitism that even one of its own council leaders questions if
they will be welcome in his city again.

Let
me be clear: racism, intolerance and hatred has no place in British politics or
British society. This party will never permit it. We will always stamp it out.

Britain
can do better than this. For this country is – and has always been – the home
of tolerance, a bastion of freedom and a beacon of democracy.

And
this city of Manchester knows it better than anyone. Because four months ago,
this city came under attack from those who hate our country and despise our
values.

The
liberty we extend to everyone, whoever they are and wherever they are from.

The
way in which our society is open, accepting, and tolerant of others. The fact
that we celebrate diversity and champion difference. The way we encourage
people from all backgrounds and beliefs to live their lives in freedom. To be
all they want to be.    

And
because of this hatred, they chose to take out their rage on the defenceless
and vulnerable. The innocent and the young.

Let
us be in no doubt: the responsibility for such an outrage lies with no one
other than those who planned it, and those who saw it through.

And
this party, which knows the terrible toll of terrorism all too well, will never
seek to justify or excuse such acts of terror. We will stand strong in the face
of terrorism and ensure our values always prevail.

But
what we remember most from the cowardly attack on the Manchester Arena is the
response of the Spirit of Manchester.  

People
throwing open their doors to strangers, giving them a place to shelter.

Taxi
drivers helping people get home safely, accepting no fare in return.

Ordinary
people rushing to the scene of destruction. Putting themselves in harm’s way.

The
incredible men and women of the emergency services running towards the carnage,
while others dropped what they were doing and went back to work to help.

But
above all, an image of a community coming together. Men and women, young and
old, black and white, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Hindu, Jew, standing together as
one.

And
it was that image of this city – an image of modern Britain in all its
diversity, compassion and strength – that was shared around the globe.

And
it said something about us.

It
said that this is modern Britain. A country of promise, of potential, of hope.

And
perhaps we too easily forget that. But we must hold on to that essential truth.

 

 

THE POTENTIAL OF BRITAIN

For
we are a nation of dreamers, with the capacity to deliver those dreams too.

Cities like Manchester were the pioneers that fired
the industrial revolution, helping to make Britain the workshop of the world.
And it’s this heritage that means today we export to and trade with nations in
every corner of the globe.

It was here in Britain that we discovered the
structure of DNA, the biological code for life. All the technologies for
sequencing the human genome have been developed in this country. And today we
are using this knowledge to improve human health.

Back in the 1970s it was scientists in Oxford who
invented the lithium ion battery which powers all laptops and mobile phones.
Today we continue to be pioneers in this sector, funding new battery
technologies for electric cars and renewable energy. Technologies we will soon
be exporting around the world.

Within a few hundred yards of here you will find
the world’s first passenger railway station. And a few hundred yards beyond
that a new research facility to develop the extraordinary material Graphene,
for which two scientists here in Manchester won the Nobel prize.

And let me say this to George Osborne – you were
right to back it as part of the Northern Powerhouse and this Government will
back it too.

So the future is bright, our potential is great,
and if we choose the right path, the British Dream can be renewed.

 

CONCLUSION: FULFILLING OUR DUTY TO
BRITAIN

 

So
let us do our duty by Britain. Let us shape up and give the country the
government it needs.    

For
beyond this hall, beyond the gossip pages of the newspapers, and beyond the
streets, corridors and meeting rooms of Westminster, life continues – the daily
lives of working people go on.

Many
pay little attention to great conferences and gatherings like this.

They
get up early and go to work. They want to know their job is going to last and
that they are going to get paid a fair wage. They want to know that the school
their children go to is the best it can be. That they will be cared for when
they fall ill. That they will have safety and security as they advance towards
old age.  

And
they want to believe in the British Dream: that their children will do better
than themselves. That they will have the opportunity to lead happy, successful,
secure lives. That they will have the chance to be all they want to be.

These
are the priorities that it is our duty to respond to. The priorities of working
people up and down this land. And they must be our only focus.

Not
worrying about our job security, but theirs. Not addressing our concerns, but
the issues, the problems, the challenges, that concern them. Not focusing on
our future, but on the future of their children and their grandchildren – doing
everything we can to ensure their tomorrow will be better than our today.  

That
is what I am in politics for. To make a difference. To change things for the
better. To hand on to the next generation a country that is stronger, fairer
and more prosperous. And to renew the British Dream for a new generation again.

None
of this will be easy. There will be obstacles and barriers along the way.

But
it has never been my style to hide from a challenge, to shrink from a task, to
retreat in the face of difficulty, to give up and turn away.

For
the test of a leader is how you respond when tough times come upon you.

When
faced with challenge, if you emerge stronger. When confronted with adversity,
if you find the will to pull through.  

And
it is when tested the most that we reach deep within ourselves and find that
our capacity to rise to the challenge before us may well be limitless.

That
is the story of our party. That is the story of our country.  

And
that is the resolve and determination we need as we turn to face the future
today.

So
let us go forward together.

Confident
in our values. Clear in our vision. Sure in our purpose.

With
a rich, ambitious agenda to follow. A bold, exciting mission to pursue.  

Let
us fulfil our duty to the British people.

Let
us fulfil our duty to our country.  

Let
us fulfil our duty to Britain.

Let
us renew the British Dream.”  

 

ENDS

Boris
Johnson, Foreign Secretary, speaking today at Conservative Party Conference in
Manchester said:

(Check
against delivery)

“Good afternoon

As
our hearts go out to Las Vegas today we are reminded once again of the attack
that took place here only a few months
ago, on innocent and music-loving young people. And if there is a message to our American friends it is this: that
they will come through it and they will come back from
it stronger.

Because
this city has shown that nothing and no one can bow the indomitable spirit of
the people of Manchester, which in recent years has reinvented itself as the
great thrumming engine of the northern powerhouse.

With
its vast potential to generate jobs in finance, in academia, in journalism and
the arts – and that’s just the ones held by George Osborne

And
since our subject this afternoon is how to win the future and build Global
Britain I want to introduce our superb foreign office team

Our
PPSs Conor Burns and Amanda Milling and our whip David Evenett.

And
our ministers : covering the Middle East – already one of the most expert
parliamentarians in that field – Alistair Burt, and covering Africa Rory
Stewart

Like
the pharaohs of upper and lower Egypt they are double hatted ministers in the
sense that they simultaneously represent the FCO and DFID – bringing together
our foreign policy with our aid programmes.

In
the Lords we have Tariq Ahmad, who
is working on ensuring that next year in London we make the most of an
institution that takes 2.4 billion people and 52 of some of the fastest growing
economies in the world and unites them in admiration of the service provided by
Her Majesty the Queen – the Commonwealth.

And
we will have a summit to do her justice

And
just back from Burma – making clear this country’s disgust at the treatment of
the Rohingya – Mark Field

And
dynamically triangulating between Europe and America decoding President Trump for
President Juncker and vice versa.

We
have that Mount Rushmore of wisdom Sir Alan Duncan.

We
have a great team and we are getting on with the job
and yet frankly, folks, as I absorb the general tone of the
national conversation I don’t think I have ever known so many to be sunk in
gloom and dubitation about Britain and the world.

Every
week I pick up British-edited international magazines, of the kind that you
will find in the briefcases of jet setting consultants.

Glossy-covered,
elegantly written, suspiciously unread.

And
every week these publications have found new reasons to be slightly less than
cheerful about this country.

Every
day a distinguished pink newspaper manages to make Eeyore look positively
exuberant and across the world
the impression is being given that this country is not up to it. That we are going to bottle out of Brexit and end up in some dingy
ante-room of the EU, pathetically waiting for the scraps but no longer in
control of the menu.

 And the most pessimistic of them all is not the media or our friends in the EU commission or the excitable M Guy
Verhofstadt – far from it – it’s Jeremy Corbyn.

That
Nato bashing, trident scrapping, would-be abolisher of the British army whose
first instinct in the event of almost any international outrage or disaster is
to upend the analysis until he can find a way of blaming British foreign policy.

 And whose response to the grisly events in Venezuela is to side with the regime – simply because they are fellow lefties.

 He
says he still admires Bolivarian revolutionary socialism.

 I
say he’s Caracas.

At
a time when the world should unite to condemn Venezuela’s Maduro, we have
the leader of Britain’s official opposition
giving cover to a government that is jailing opponents,
shooting demonstrators, intimidating journalists and repressing human rights.

It
is a disgrace – and I can tell you there are many Labour MPs who feel appalled
that their party is still led by this man and his peculiar belief – expressed in glutinous victory-style Chavista
rallies up and down the country – that he somehow won the election.

He
didn’t win.

You
won – we won.

Theresa
May won.

She
won more votes than any party leader and took this party to its highest share
of the vote in any election in the last 25 years
and the whole country owes her a debt for her steadfastness in
taking Britain forward as she will to a great Brexit
deal.

 Based on that Florence speech on whose every syllable, I can tell you
the whole cabinet is united.

Of
all the areas where Corbyn is content to talk this country down,
there is none more ludicrous and vacillating than his policy
on Brexit.

In the
customs union one week, out the next, in the single market, out the next.

In out,
in out.

Faster
than one of those members of the shadow cabinet who gets sacked before she
knows she has even been appointed.

 A kind of manifestation of Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle.

 It
would be disastrous.

And
in leaving Britain in this limbo – locked in the orbit of the EU but unable to
take back control. Unable to do proper
free trade deals.

Labour
would inflict a national humiliation on a par with going cap in hand to the IMF.

And
yes, I know: in making these sorts of points we come up against a difficulty we
must accept that when we talk about the 1970s
we imagine people instantly understand about power cuts, the
three day week, union bosses back in Downing Street, state-made-British rail
sandwiches.

We
think they get the reference but unfortunately going back to the 1970s sounds
to too many people like a massive joint revival concert by David Bowie, Led Zep
and the Rolling Stones.

And
that is because people can remember the Stones and Bowie and Led Zep, monuments
of global culture but they have totally
forgotten that those bands, along with so many other
wealth creators were driven overseas by Labour’s 83 per
cent tax rate.

They
have forgotten that the problem used to be the brain drain, not people wanting
to hear.

They
have forgotten that we had to fight and win battles of ideas
and in a way that is entirely understandable – because
our victory has been so comprehensive.

If
you listen to the aspirations of the young people I meet around the world,
you will find there is not a single successful global economy
that would dream of implementing the semi-Marxist agenda of McDonnell and
Corbyn of nationalisation and state control.

And
wherever you find enterprise and initiative and start-ups and innovation and
economic growth it is where people have followed ideas that were pioneered by
our party and by our country- and in this city of Manchester –

From
India,

to
China,

to
Vietnam,

to
Thailand,

Where
free markets and deregulation and privatisation have helped lift more people
out of poverty than ever in history.

To
the central and east European economies that this party – and not the Labour
party – helped on the path to freedom and democracy.

You
see it in Estonia, tech hub with a high degree of social protection – where
they have a flat tax of 20 per cent.

In
Romania they have a flat tax of 16 per cent and free health and education AND
higher education.

 In
Hungary they have a tax rate of 15 per cent – 15 per cent?

 

We are
all tax-cutting Tories but even I think that is going a bit far. And yet how crazy it is that a quarter of a century after the working
people of these former Soviet bloc countries risked their lives to throw off
the shackles of socialism – while the Labour left sneered at them and made
excuses for their oppressors -the shadow leader and shadow chancellor are
seriously proposing to put place the British people back in bondage – a £200bn
renationalisation programme. A display of economic
masochism that would do incalculable damage to the
future of our children.

That’s
the difference between this Conservative party and the Labour party.

We want
a country with a government that works for everyone.

Corbyn
wants a Britain where everyone works for the government.

This
battle of ideas is not lost in memories of the 1970s.

It
is back from the grave.

Its
zombie fingers straining for the levers of power
and that is why we cannot rest.

We may
have the most illustrious battle honours of any political party but now we have to win the battle for the future and the way to win the future is not to attack the market economy,
not to junk our gains but to make it work better – make
it work better for the low paid – turning the living wage under this Conservative
government into a national living wage.

Make it
work for all those who worry their kids will never find
a home to own – building 100s of 1000s of homes.

Make
it work better for parents who can’t find good enough childcare – with 30 hours
free care for 3 and 4 year olds.

And
above all help people who are struggling, by driving benefit reforms that have helped millions back into the
dignity and self-esteem that goes with having a job and
which has seen inequality fall – as the Chancellor pointed out yesterday – to
the lowest levels for 3 decades.

 And to win the future we must communicate once again the central idea,

Our
one nation conservatism that, for all its faults, an open free-trading and
thriving market economy is the only sustainable way to create the wealth we
will always need to help the poorest.

The
surest way to finance the platform of great public services and great
infrastructure that themselves enable business to succeed.

And
the only way to win the future is not
to retreat from the world, not to abandon globalisation
but to play our part, as we always have, in making the world
safer and freer – and therefore more prosperous and that is why we must believe in global Britain. Not dismiss the very notion of a world role – as Corbyn does but accentuate and be proud of that role.

There
are places where it is simply our moral duty to British passport holders, like
the overseas territories in the Caribbean where those islands have been
overwhelmed by the biggest catastrophe for 150 years.

It
is an eery scene.

Not a
leaf remaining on the shattered trees.

Houses
turned into streaks of wooden and plastic litter.

Boats
hurled on top of one another or lodged absurdly up hillsides.

Of
all the disasters in my lifetime, none has overturned the lives of so many UK
nationals and yet we should pay
tribute to the indomitable spirit of those islanders and
together with Priti Patel and Michael Fallon the government will work to put
them back on their feet.

And
still our responsibilities go wider.

When
we protect the world we protect British interests as well.

When
we campaign for the stability of the south china seas, that is because through
the narrow pulsing jugular of the Malacca straits – only 1.7 miles wide – goes
fully 25 per cent of world trade including huge quantities of British goods.

Across
the Middle East and North Africa we are helping to bring peace and defeat
terrorism.

Not
just because that is right in itself but
because these will be the great markets of the coming century.

Just
in the last few weeks I have seen British troops training the Nigerian forces
to defeat the numbskulls of boko haram around Maiduguri – where British doctors
are tending the maimed victims of terror and as our helicopter swooped over the burned and deserted villages
they said there was a risk of pot-shots from behind, and I said it was an occupational hazard in my line of work.

And
every week, with UK help, the brave Nigerian forces are winning but you can’t just tackle the problem in Nigeria. Those terrorists’ AK47s are being smuggled down through the desert
from the chaos of Libya and in Tripoli I have seen the charred ruins of our
embassy – the smashed snooker table and the room where Tony Blair once held a
banquet.

 But I was proud to run that Union Jack back up the flagpole and that embassy is being be rebuilt.

 And if we in the UK can help solve the problems of Libya – and we are
making progress – then that country can also win a
great a future.

And
until we sort it out you will find
British ships off the Libyan coast, helping our Italian friends to cope with
illegal migration.

And
that is what I mean by Global Britain, committed as team players and where
necessary as leaders to the protection of the world and our common European
home.

I
have seen the 800 British troops in Estonia and congratulated them on resisting
the honey traps allegedly placed in their way by Russian intelligence. At least they said they had resisted. They
are a visible and powerful symbol of this country’s unconditional commitment to
defend the boundaries of Europe and the incredible freedoms we won in the 1980s
and 1990s.

And
I can’t tell you how much our friends value Britain’s contribution,
in Europe and around the world because
we have reached a unique phase in our history.

We
are big enough to do amazing things.

We
have the ability to project force 7000 miles, to use our permanent membership
of the UN sec council to mobilise a collective response to the crisis in North
Korea.

We
contribute 25 per cent of European aid spending
and yet no one seriously complains that we have a sinister
national agenda and that is why the phrase global
Britain makes sense because if you said Global China or
global Russia or even alas Global America it would not have quite the same
flavour.

I
am not saying that everyone automatically loves us or that everyone completely
follows our sense of humour, though
a lot more than you might think. But there is a huge
desire out there for us to engage with the world more emphatically than ever
before.

And
after Brexit that is what our partners are going to get as this country is
freed from endlessly trying to block things in Brussels committee rooms. Freed
to stop being negative and to start being positive about what we believe in –
including free trade.

And
yes we are leaving the EU – but as the PM has said in her Florence speech we
can create a deep and special partnership built on free trade
with a strong EU buttressed and supported by a strong UK.

And
since it is manifestly absurd to argue that European values or culture or
civilisation are somehow defined or delimited by the institutions of the EU,
we will be no less European.

Britain
will continue to be European in culture, geography, history, architecture,
spiritually, morally, you name it.

We
are one of the great quintessential European nations.
In many ways the most influential of all and that is because our most important exports are our values.
British values. Embodied in this
amazing metropolis of Manchester as they are in London and across the country.

A
society that welcomes talent. That welcomed my ancestors from France, Russia,
Turkey and heaven knows where. That is proud of the EU
and other nationals that want to come here and that have enriched our lives. A society that does not judge you for where you come from or your
background or how you live your life provided you do no harm to others that is the syncretic genius of our country.

And
it is thanks to that intellectual cross-fertilisation that Britain is at the
cutting edge of new markets and new technology.
Think back to how we have changed the world just in our
lifetimes, and then imagine what we will have done in 40 years time, your
lifetime – William Hague’s lifetime.

We
are going to crack global warming, with British clean technology and British
green finance – in which we lead the world.

We
will get to a point where we generate as much clean energy as we want
and eventually we will stabilise our world populations and
raise per capita GDP above all by promoting female
education – which is at the heart of all British overseas policy – and we
should be proud of the young women and girls that we are helping to teach, in
Africa, in South Asia – 6 m of them in the Pakistani Punjab alone.

And
if we can drive on that great cause of female empowerment and education,
the Swiss army knife that solves so many problems, then I believe we will eventually find a cure for the psychological
contamination of radical Islamist extremism. Just as we
have eradicated smallpox and polio.

It
came and it will go.

And
we will have problems – of course we will have problems.

Humanity
will always have its afflictions in mind or body because without pain and doubt
and anxiety there can be no pleasure and no triumph and no success.

But
success will be achieved not by allowing the UK to retreat from our global role
but by reinforcing that role and
breakthroughs will come not through the edict of some bureaucrat in some Corbynist
ministry of plenty but through the effort of inventors, scientists, business
people, students and dreamers of whom we have so many.

And to
all those who are worried about the UK today, let me
remind you that it was only eight years ago that we
stood on the verge of the nastiest recession for 70 years and I remember being taken up on to the roof of City hall – which I
then ran – by a female American TV journalist and she said Mr mayor – look around you – no one is building anything and the irritating thing was she was right; the cranes were gone
from the skyline; confidence had deserted us.

 Well look at London today, storming ahead –
even if the new mayor isn’t a patch on the last guy.

He
seems to spend his time trying rather ineffectually to ban things.

Why
not try doing something for a change?

And
look at the UK – with the lowest unemployment rate for 42 years.

The
highest number of people in work ever, the number one destination for investment into Europe and every time one of these facts emerges it is reported in tones of
slight disapproval, and with the inevitable
qualification – despite Brexit.

It
is time to stop treating the referendum result as though it were a plague of
boils or a murrain on our cattle or an inexplicable aberration by 17.4 m people.
It is time to be bold, and to seize the opportunities and there is no country better placed than Britain.

Which
is not only the place where the atom was first split but has become a gigantic
cyclotron of talent in which people
are coming together from every discipline to produce constant flashes of
inspiration and indeed we are the global capital of innovation we export more
TV programmes than any other country in Europe – five times more than the
French. 

We
export a programme to Cambodia called Neak Neng Klay Chea Sethey, which
means who wants to be a millionaire. And it is thanks to the triumph of
conservative values you are allowed to become a millionaire in Cambodia without
being despatched for re-education by some Asiatic John McDonnell

We
lead the world in bioscience and fintech and some branches of AI and
cybernetics – and what is Labour’s first instinct on hearing the news? Tax
robots! and then make them join the union.

Did
Manchester become great by taxing the spinning jenny?

We
have a growing space programme run by my brother Jo Johnson
and I have a candidate for the first man we gently blast into
orbit and that is the superannuated space cadet from Islington and I know he
has an innocent and voletrousered air but his domestic policies would rack up
unfair debts for our children and grandchildren and his foreign policies would
imperil not just this country but our friends and neighbours as well.

Conference
we cannot allow it to happen.

200
years ago people used to come to this city to see something revolutionary – the
beginning of the modern world and once again this country has had the guts to
try to do something new and different to challenge received wisdom with a
democratic revolution that we can turn into a cultural and technological and
commercial renaissance. 

There
are people say we can’t do it.

We
say we can.

 We
can win the future because we are the party that believes in this country
and we believe in the potential of the British people. We have been privileged
collectively to be placed in charge of this amazing country at a critical
moment in our history.

We
are not the lion.

We
do not claim to be the lion.

That
role is played by the people of this country. But it is up to us now – in the
traditional non-threatening, genial and self-deprecating way of the British –
to let that lion roar.

ENDS

Priti
Patel, Secretary of State for International Development, speaking today at Conservative
Party Conference in Manchester said:

(Check
against delivery)

“Conference,
good afternoon.

Britain
has always been a bold and confident nation.

We
are unafraid to stand up for what we believe in.

In
our history, we’ve helped to end the slave trade, defeat dictators, and
champion democracy around the world.

And
today, we are leading the fight to end poverty, eradicate disease and help
refugees survive brutal conflicts.

Influence
is about knowing what you believe in.

Having
the confidence to project British values internationally.

Looking
outwards not inwards and utilising our unique history and our position as a
force for good.

Using
British values to shape a better world and create hope and optimism for the
future.

 

When
people across the globe see UK aid supplies arriving in their village or
refugee camp – proudly marked with the Union flag – they know that Britain is
on their side.

Our
heroic Armed Forces forces and aid experts are serving around the world, from
Nigeria, to Afghanistan, to South Sudan and the hurricane relief efforts across
the Caribbean.

They
are providing a badge of hope to millions, shaping a better and safer world.

Each
and every one of them deserves our thanks.

 

We
all know that money spent by Ministers and civil servants does not belong to
them.

It
belongs to you – the very taxpayers who have worked hard for it.

As
Margaret Thatcher once said: “Pennies do not come from heaven. They have to be
earned here on earth.”

The
public are right to be angry when they hear stories about wasted aid.

They
naturally think that their Government is throwing away their hard-earned cash.

That
is why under my leadership, my priority is to make sure that aid delivers value
for money.

My
Ministers have scrutinised every aspect of DFID’s spending

I
have removed programmes which did not stand up to scrutiny.

Where
partnerships weren’t working, I have ended them.

Where
legitimate concerns have been raised over poor spending, I have taken action.

And
where other Government Departments need to improve their aid spending, I am
challenging them to raise their game and be accountable to UK taxpayers.

I
am delivering close to £500 million pounds of savings.

And
I have been ruthless in closing programmes that did not meet the standards I
have set.

I
am expanding the use of Payment by Results.

That
means performance based funding.

If
they don’t deliver, we won’t pay.

I
am taking back control of our spending and decision-making.

Making
sure we use British values to bring hope and optimism to millions across the
world.

I
would like to thank the Ministers who are supporting this improvement: Michael
Bates, Rory Stewart and Alistair Burt.

I
also want to pay tribute to James Wharton, my former Africa Minister, who until
the General Election, helped to drive essential change across DFID.

He
was an outstanding Minister, and I know that he’ll be back in frontline
politics again.

 

When
it comes to getting value for money, the job is not yet done.

Today,
I am announcing the conclusion of a comprehensive review of DFID’s
relationships with suppliers.

I
am setting out tough reforms that will encourage the private sector to work
with DFID and end the appalling practice of fat cats profiteering from the aid
budget.

I
am introducing a tough Code of Conduct, with legally enforceable sanctions for
non-compliance, to root out unethical behaviour.

I‘m
taking the toughest approach in Whitehall to crack down on contract costs.

I‘m
cutting red tape and simplifying the bidding process to help small British firms
win with DFID and create jobs up and down the UK.

On
my watch I will end the crony-market where a handful of suppliers, would win
contract after contract, which blocked innovation and competition.

I
will always put the interests of taxpayers and the world’s poor ahead of
consultants and middle-men.

I
am leading global efforts to reform the way the whole world does development
and aid.

Two
weeks ago I announced a new regime of performance-related funding for the
United Nations and its agencies.

From
next year 30% of our funding will be conditional on improved results and
reform.

But
that’s not all.

For
years the United Nations has ignored the shocking scandal of sexual abuse and
the exploitation of children.

This
must end.

I
have told them that all future funding is subject to them implementing the
highest standards of child protection; investigating all allegations; and
securing prosecutions of those responsible for these crimes.

If
they don’t make the grade, believe me, they won’t get the aid.

 

I
will continue to challenge the aid system to ensure that the international
rules remain relevant to our changing world.

As
Hurricane Irma graphically demonstrated, they need to be flexible, so aid gets
to the right place at the right time.

That
equally applies to our British citizens in our British territories.

 

In
today’s world of new threats and extremist ideologies – and I’m not just
talking about Mr Corbyn – we must be bold and unapologetic in standing up for
our values.

Conservatives
do not talk Britain down.

We
are the party that raises horizons, transforms lives and secures a better
future.

We
know that trade, investment and free markets provide the route out of poverty.

And
as we look to support prosperity in developing countries and growth in the UK,
Brexit is the opportunity to secure our place in the world.

Britain
can reassert itself as a global beacon for free trade, enterprise and free
markets.

Earlier
this year I launched DFID’s first-ever Economic Development Strategy and set out
a vision for how the private sector can boost jobs, growth and development.

My
objective is clear.

I’m
not here to endlessly hand out money.

I
will help people and countries stand on their own two feet.

Like
Mary in Ethiopia who now works full-time in the new industrial zone in Hawassa.

Thanks
to DFID, she can now provide for her family.

Also
millions of girls around the world are now able to go to school.

And
the job of everyone working in development must be to end aid dependency.

We
are offering a hand-up, not a hand-out.

That’s
why I’m working with colleagues across Government to promote economic
development.

In
Nigeria, we are working to create real jobs and tackle the scourge of modern
day slavery.

Our
trade Department is creating new trading links in some of the poorest countries
in the world.

I
want the countries who receive aid today be our trading partners of tomorrow.

 

We
made a clear commitment on aid in our manifesto.

We
will honour it.

The
money I’ve saved from closing programmes, is going on projects such as the
fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases.

We
will deliver over a billion treatments to fight cruel, avoidable infections
such as trachoma, Guinea-worm and river blindness.

Britain
is leading the way on clearing landmines globally.

And
I am placing a new international emphasis on improving the lives of people with
disability.

That’s
not all.

Across
this country there are thousands of small charities led by inspirational
people, doing amazing work around the world.

But
for years, they have found it impossible to access UK aid, because the aid
budget supported big international charities.

That
is why I’m opening up the aid budget to the Best of British charities up and
down the country.

Using
British values and expertise to shape a better world.

This
Conservative Government is leading the way in eradicating polio from the face
of the earth, forever.

And
I want to pay tribute to the thousands of Rotarians across the world  – and in this audience – who have led the
fight against polio.

Earlier
this year, the world faced the terrifying prospect of four famines.

We
succeeded in getting the rest of the world to pull their weight.

It
was Global Britain that raised the alarm and pushed the international community
to step up and deliver a life-saving response.

That
saved millions of lives, and I will continue to challenge others to do more.

 

Compare
that with Labour’s approach to the world.

Last
week, at their conference, Mr Corbyn failed to condemn North Korea for abusing
human rights and flouting international rules by launching missiles.

He
failed to condemn Venezuela – where the regime he has held up as a beacon for
others to follow, is viciously stamping out all opposition.

He
failed to condemn the terror his friends in Hamas have unleashed upon the
Israeli people.

And
not once did he confront or condemn his supporters who have launched a wave of
anti-Semitism, bullying, and abuse against anyone who does not subscribe to
their extremist views.

And
as he stood in Brighton, of all places, he once again failed to apologise for
standing side-by-side with the IRA terrorists who brutally murdered and maimed.
Disgraceful.

Our
approach is different from Labour’s, because our values are different from
Labour’s.

They
believe that wealth is created by governments and bureaucracies.

We
believe that wealth is created by people and enterprise.

I
believe in people, markets and freedom.

This
is what will genuinely serve the interests of the many and not the few.

The
Labour Party, despite what they say, does not stand for the many.

It
stands for the vested interests and narrow dogma of the few.

Exploiting
the hopes and fears of young people, only to go on and lie to them.

Celebrating
the state-sponsored theft of the property held by private citizens.

And
when it comes to international relations, they have just one principle.

To
turn a blind eye and refuse to speak out as their socialist friends and
comrades unleash violence and repression against people and communities.

Shame
on them, shame on the Labour Party and shame on their vile brand of socialism.

It
is our responsibility to stop them from getting anywhere near the door of
Number 10.

They
are not fit to represent Britain or the British people.

That
is why what you do is so important.

From
me, from all of my colleagues in Cabinet and Parliament, I want to say a huge
thank you.

Because
it’s your hard work and campaigning that made all the difference.

You
delivered us the highest Conservative vote for many years – some 13.6 million
people who backed us at the ballot box.

 

So,
we know what we need to do.

We
must set out the positive case for Conservative values across all areas of
policy.

Explain
why our ideas will create the society that we all want to see and live in.

Not
just for us, for our children and for their children.

One
which is open, tolerant and extends opportunity for all.

British
Conservative values are my values.

And
I will use them to shape a better country and a better world for all.

Thank
you.”

ENDS

Sir
Michael Fallon MP, Secretary of State for Defence, speaking today at Conservative
Party Conference in Manchester said:

(Check
against delivery)

“This
week we set out plans for a Global Britain that stands up for our people and
for our values.

This
city needs no reminding of the threats from extremists who want to destroy our
way of life.

When
I became Defence Secretary, Daesh terrorists were at the gates of Baghdad,
enslaving women, beheading British hostages, and throwing gay people off
buildings. And when the democratic Government of Iraq appealed for help,
Britain answered the call.

At
our conference three years ago, I announced the first successful RAF airstrike.

As
of last night there have been 1,600 airstrikes.

The
Army has trained 60,000 Iraqi forces.

The
Royal Navy has been guarding the United States carriers in the Gulf.

Daesh
is being defeated.

The
black flags have been torn down.

Three
million people have been freed from its murderous rule.

So
we should be very proud of the contribution of our Armed Forces to this
success.

And
I am delighted to tell you that a new medal will be awarded to those servicemen
and women who are doing so much to fight the evil of our time.

I’m
sure you’ll agree with me they deserve nothing less.

Conference,
terrorism is not the only threat to our security.

Russian
aggression with the highest level of submarine activity since the Cold War,
thousands of troops exercising on NATO’s borders.

North
Korea firing ballistic missiles over Japan.

Cyber-attacks
on our national health service and on our Parliament.  

So
we are stepping up our response.

Today
our armed forces are on operations in more than 25 countries, they’re helping
to stop Afghanistan become a haven for terrorists. They’re training Ukraine’s
Armed Forces to defend themselves against Russian aggression. They’re in
Nigeria helping to tackle terrorists and they’re supporting United Nations
peacekeeping in Somalia and South Sudan and we are leading in NATO – our Army
deploying in Estonia and Poland; RAF Typhoons protecting the Black Sea skies;
and the Royal Navy leading NATO’s maritime task groups. And our Armed Forces
are also ready for anything.

Look
at our response to the most powerful hurricane ever to hit the Caribbean.

RFA
Mounts Bay was already on station to provide immediate assistance – helping our
people, the people of the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Turks and Caicos.

Within
a week we had deployed 600 service personnel, 3 helicopters, and one Foreign
Secretary. We even flew French supplies from Normandy to Guadalupe.

From
Asia Pacific, to the Middle East, to Europe we are deepening our defence ties
with allies and partners. And we have no greater ally, Conference, than the
United States.

In
Defence Secretary Jim Mattis we have a true friend of our nation with whom I
work closely with on Russia, on North Korea, and on the campaign against Daesh.
And here at home our Armed Forces are patrolling our skies and seas, every hour
of every day.

Every
one of them deserves our gratitude.

Conference,
there is no better statement to the world of our ambition for Britain than our
two new aircraft carriers. Weighing 65,000 tonnes, they each provide four acres
of sovereign territory, deployable around the globe, to serve on operations for
the next 50 years.

Made
in Britain, built in six ship yards, assembled in Scotland, they are a tribute
to British engineering, British technology, British skills – the pride of our
nation.

And
yes, there will be fighter planes on them.

We
already have 12 F35 jets with 120 pilots and ground crew training up in the
United States, before the first Squadron arrives at RAF Marham next summer. And
what does Jeremy Corbyn have to say in response?  

He’s
asked “why do we have to be able to have planes, transport aircraft, aircraft
carriers, and everything else to get anywhere in the world?”

Well,
you don’t get very far without them. He wants to slash defence spending. He
wouldn’t authorise drone strikes on terrorists. He would abandon our NATO
allies.

We
must never put the security of our country in the hands of a man whose warped
worldview puts him side of those who threaten us. We are backing up our
ambition with the fifth biggest defence budget in the world.

A
budget that our manifesto committed to increasing by at least half a per cent
above inflation in every year of this parliament. Of course you’ll always find
retired Admirals or Generals who like more.

What
matters isn’t just numbers: it’s power: stronger, smarter defence. We’re now
investing £18 billion a year – by the way that really is £350m a week. In the
last three years we’ve started building seven new ships and submarines for the
Royal Navy. Now I want to see more of our ships out there patrolling the seven
seas.

So
today, Conference, I am announcing £800 million of support contracts that will
produce faster turnaround and improve the availability of the Royal Navy’s
world class warships. The Army is getting new attack helicopters, and new
armoured vehicles built in Wales.

For
the RAF, 16 new transport aircraft have joined our fleet, and 9 maritime patrol
aircraft will start arriving in Lossiemouth. Under Theresa May’s leadership, we
are also renewing our nuclear deterrent, building four Dreadnought class
submarines.

North
Korea’s illegal testing underlines just how irresponsible it would be to scrap
the deterrent that protects us. It is all very well Jeremy Corbyn saying he
would never use nuclear weapons but Manchester and London are closer to
Pyongyang than Los Angeles. Being prepared, in the most extreme circumstances,
to use nuclear weapons is what separates a Prime Minister from a pacifist.

 

As
we grow our defence budget we must continue to modernise the way we work.

To
modernise how we equip our Armed Forces, everything from ration packs to
medical kit, will save £600m.

Improving
how we run our test and training sites will deliver £300M of further savings.

And
as those threats intensify we are now looking across government to make sure we
are doing enough, spending enough, to properly protect our country against all
of them – cyber, hybrid warfare, rogue states, terrorist attacks. Spending 2 %
of GDP on defence is the minimum NATO commitment. We meet it but we should aim
to do better still.

One
of the privileges as Defence Secretary is meeting the outstanding people who
make up our Armed Forces. Many of them started as cadets. This morning I visited
Albion Academy in Salford, one of 150 new cadet units we have already set up.
They are instilling values of resolve and service, discipline and loyalty –
from which we can all learn.

So
today I am announcing the creation of a further 30 new cadet units in state
schools.

I
also want to attract more ethnic minority and female recruits.

I
set a target for 10 per cent of recruits in future to come from a black, Asian,
or minority ethnic background by 2020 – seven per cent now do.

They’re
joining some who have already reached the ranks of Brigadier, Commodore, and
Air Commodore. We are also on track to meet our target that 15% of new recruits
should be female – but I want to do even better.

So
I’m opening up every single role in our Armed Forces to women so that talent,
not gender, determines how far you can go.

And
I will expect the next Chief of the Defence Staff – he or she… – to champion
more diversity in the leadership of our Armed Forces.

I
will also lead a new Ministerial Covenant and Veterans Board to look after our
servicemen and women better when they leave. Often the worst scars are the ones
we can’t see, so we will deliver mental health services better tailored for
veterans.

Conference,
I’m tackling other injustices too

Thanks
to our evidence, thousands of false legal claims against our Armed Forces have
been dismissed, the solicitor involved has been struck off, and I’ve shut down
the Iraq Historic Allegations Tribunal.

And
I am working with James Brokenshire to make sure that investigations into
killings during the Troubles focus on terrorists, not those who protected our
people.

And
I will ensure that our former servicemen are fully supported throughout.

Conference,
under this government we will go on increasing defence spending. Our
magnificent armed forces will keep us safe.

But
as citizens of a truly Global Britain we have a wider, deeper responsibility.
We must defence our values too.

Britain,
this great country, stands as a beacon to the world for our commitment to
freedom, democracy, tolerance, and the rule of law.

We
face terrorism and aggression from those who hate not because those values are
losing but because they are winning – values that have lifted millions around
the globe out of oppression and poverty.

With
the fifth biggest defence budget in the world, we have the means. So we must
always be ready to answer the call from further away, from fragile democracies,
from the very poorest, from the hardest hit.

That
means deploying our ships, our planes, and yes, our troops on the ground where
we and our allies are asked to help.

Standing
up for what we believe in – that is Global Britain.”

 

ENDS