May addresses ‘most important’ conference for decades
Conservative Party chairman Theresa May used her opening speech at the annual conference to stress the importance of this year’s gathering.
Ms May called this year’s Blackpool conference the ‘most important’ in decades and insisted that, ‘The eyes of the country are upon us. People are starting to look for a new Government and they want to know if we can do the job.’
She said that the Labour Party had done enough to lose the next election, but added that the question was have the Conservatives done enough to win it.
Ms May said the party had to change the things ‘holding it back’, claiming that more modern campaigning techniques had to be used and the party had to show people that it respected them for who they were.
‘Rich or poor, straight or gay, black or white. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, the Conservative Party is for you,’ she declared.
She defended Iain Duncan Smith’s leadership in the face of internal party bickering and criticism and claimed he has led the way in listening to British people.
The chairman also took the opportunity to deride Labour’s ‘spin and deceit’ and criticise Liberal Democrat attempts to overtake the Conservatives.
Earlier Mr Duncan Smith insisted that he would remain as party leader and was determined to win the next election, despite a poll by Sky News which showed that 80 per cent of people were not convinced that he would provide a competent government.
Asked during a visit to a Blackpool sixth form college about rumoured plots to replace him as Tory leader, he said: ‘I will tell you what there is a plot to do, and that is to get rid of Tony Blair. Even his own chancellor is out to get him.’
