Theguardian
Monday briefing: Battlefield Birmingham as the Conservative leadership race takes shape
E.Anderson2 hr ago
Good morning. Despite Labour's best efforts to hog the limelight over the weekend with the resignation of Rosie Duffield – the fastest that an MP has stood down after a general election victory in modern times – many eyes this week will be on the Conservative party conference, which began yesterday and runs until Wednesday. Three months after a historic electoral defeat, it is the first conference out of government for the party since 2009. It is going to be a low-key affair in Birmingham, with Rishi Sunak having made his final conference address as leader on Sunday, and many former senior Tories not in attendance. The lack of a clear leader has also exacerbated the low interest, with business leaders and lobbyists also steering clear. A quiet, wound-licking atmosphere seems assured, as members, activists and politicians try to piece together the remnants of their party. The central focus of the conference is going to be on the protracted leadership race, with Tom Tugendhat, James Cleverly, Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick battling it out to try to win over MPs and members. There is little enthusiasm for the contest, however, with senior Tories already predicting that whoever takes on the mantle will not actually last very long. Meanwhile, barely a day into conference and Badenoch is already facing a backlash because of comments she made about maternity pay being "excessive". Although she has since walked back the claim, it could set her back significantly. For today's newsletter, I spoke with deputy editor of Conservative Home, Henry Hill, about the mood of the conference and the future of the Conservative party. That's right after the headlines. Five big stories
- | The far right won the most votes in an Austrian election for the first time since the Nazi era on Sunday, as the pro-Kremlin, anti-Islam Freedom party (FPÖ) rode a tide of public anger over migration and the cost of living to beat the centre-right People's party (ÖVP).| At least 18,000 deaths in England were associated with flu over the past two winters, figures have revealed, as health experts urge those eligible to take up a free vaccination on the NHS.| Almost half of British adults will ration their energy use this winter, a survey has found, as energy bills will rise again by 10% this week.| The steel town of Port Talbot is braced for the shutdown of the final furnace at its plant on Monday which will result in heavy job losses and deal a devastating blow to communities in south Wales.| Kris Kristofferson, the US country singer who ably balanced a prolific acting career alongside his music, has died aged 88 .
Read the full article:https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/30/first-edition-conservative-conference-leadership-race
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