Tories to showcase new policies
Tory party chairman Theresa May will open the Conservatives’ annual conference in Blackpool this week looking to pull her party out of the political doldrums.
Ms May will be the first high profile speaker to come before delegates. She is likely to urge the party to adopt a more modern image ahead of the next general election.
Tory party supporters will hear announcements on new policy pledges on education, health and transport.
The Tories this week will also unveil how they intend to decentralise public services, cut bureaucracy, introduce a quota system for asylum-seekers and elect police chiefs.
Education spokesman Damian Green, Dr Liam Fox, health spokesman, and transport chief Tim Collins are due to speak today.
Mr Green will outline plans to scrap university tuition fees by reducing entrance numbers to higher education. He will also announce the Tories’ “better schools passport”, a policy which aims to foster greater parental choice.
Dr Fox will describe the broad features of the patients’ passports initiative.
Mr Collins will close official proceedings on the first day with a speech attacking the Government’s rail and road policies.
On Sunday, beleaguered party leader Iain Duncan Smith revealed how he intended to increase the basic state pension and cut taxes.
The Tory leader said the basic state pension would go up by £7 a week for single people and £11 for couples. The cost: around £5 billion over four years.
He said the current pensions system was ‘hurting’ everybody who wished to save. His goal was to give pensioners “a fair deal” by replacing the “invidious means test.”
Work and Pensions Secretary Andrew Smith said: “The Tory sums don’t add up and this will be a cruel deceit on pensioners because it is unsustainable.
“No-one can believe Iain Duncan Smith when he claims to be able to cut taxes with one hand and increase spending with the other.”
