THE “quiet revolution” of Brexit has left Britain with “a once-in-a-generation chance to change” Theresa May said as she closed her first Conservative Party conference as leader.
May set out her agenda to make the UK “a great meritocracy”, with a promise to “represent and govern for the whole nation” in an audacious speech that saw her make a firm pitch to working-class Labour and Ukip voters.
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This week’s gathering of the Tory party faithful in Birmingham has been dominated by immigration. On the morning of May’s speech, her Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, had to defend herself on the BBC’s Today programme against accusations of racism, after she proposed British companies publicly declare how many foreign workers they employ. That did not frighten May off.
Immigration had left some in the country feeling like their dreams “have been sacrificed in the service of others,” the Prime Minister said. She promised “change has got to come”, warning that not responding to those fears, and delivering “the change people want” would lead to growing resentment.
“Divisions will become entrenched. And that would be a disaster for Britain,” she said.
Although the Prime Minister delivered the welcome address on Sunday, this was her first keynote speech since taking charge of the party in the summer. May promised to answer the questions about her vision for Britain, her philosophy, and her approach.
The Tories, she said, would take the ground offered up by Jeremy Corbyn moving Labour to the left, while pitching to those voters who may have been tempted by Ukip.
Brexit marked “a turning point” for the UK, presenting: “A once-in-a- generation chance to change the direction of our nation for good. To step back and ask ourselves what kind of country we want to be.”
Those who voted Leave did so in part to give the establishment a kicking, May said. The vote was “about something broader – something that the European Union had come to represent”. She went on: “It was about a sense – deep, profound and let’s face it often justified – that many people have today that the world works well for a privileged few, but not for them.”
Working-class families had been left behind, she said and hurt by the financial crash. The “necessary emergency medicine” of “super-low interest rates and quantitative easing” had left “bad side-effects”.
“People with assets have got richer. People without them have suffered. People with mortgages have found their debts cheaper. People with savings have found themselves poorer,” she said.
And it would be the Tories who would represent them, rather than Labour, who were more concerned with pursuing vendettas and settling scores. “That’s what Labour stands for today.”May said. “Fighting among themselves. Abusing their own MPs. Threatening to end their careers. Tolerating anti-Semitism and supporting voices of hate. You know what some people call them? The nasty party.”
She promised her party that the Britain built after Brexit “is going to be a Global Britain”, adding: “In fact, now is the time to forge a bold, new, confident role for ourselves on the world stage.”
There was some new policy announced, commitments to press ahead with plans for High Speed 2, and a promise of an imminent decision on a new runway at Heathrow or Gatwick. A proposal to have consumers and workers represented on company boards.
Tax dodgers, and the accountants, financial advisers and middlemen who help “people to avoid what they owe to society,” were warned: “We’re coming after you too.”
May praised Defence Secretary Michael Fallon’s announcement that the UK would opt out of the European Convention of Human Rights on the battlefield to stop the “bravest of the brave – the men and women of Britain’s armed forces” being harangued and harassed by “left-wing human rights lawyers”.
Addressing those in the hall in front of her, and the Leavers and Remainers, she asked them to “come with me as we rise to meet this moment,” May said, “Come with me and together let’s seize the day.”
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