PM’s speech to Tory conference: ‘we will take centre ground’ – as it happened
I think notwithstanding the rhetoric some significant differences in political approaches are being offered by the two largest parties in Parliament. It will be interesting to muse in the coming months about what their clearly differentiated views and the offer of smaller parties might mean for rural in a political landscape which I think is becoming increasingly and interestingly focused on ideas as much as personalities. In terms of the new PM her speech offers ostensibly some good news for rural but lets hope the new Government sees rural through more lenses than just broadband! This article tells us:
What can we glean from May’s speech about who she will prioritise and what is in her line of fire? Here’s the most obvious winners and losers.
Winners
British workers
May promised her government would be on the side of British workers, ruling out a bonfire of employment rights post-Brexit, reiterating her leadership race commitment to putting employees on company boards and attacking company bosses who “earn a fortune but don’t look after your staff.”
Rural Britain
Broadband is a priority which May mentioned in her speech, and one her spokeswoman said had been discussed in cabinet meetings and committees. It’s in rural, and traditionally Tort, areas where connectivity is poorest and expect to see some concrete new policy on this in coming weeks and months.
Savers
May said it was clear current low interest rates were not working for everyone, and there were gentle hints that the government may be preparing to rethink quantitive easing, a policy that would be attractive to savers. May said though QE had been good after the financial crash, the government would “acknowledge there have been some bad side effects.” Monetary policy like this however, is really the domain of the Bank of England.
Losers
Foreign workers
May has made it clear she wants to prioritise voter concerns about immigration in her Brexit negotiations. Her speech will have unnerved many overseas workers, including doctors, whom the Prime Minister suggested may only be allowed to stay in the UK for a limited period. Firms have already started a huge backlash against a proposal floated by Amber Rudd to make companies list the number of foreign workers they employ.
Energy companies
May strongly hinted she wanted to tackle high energy bills, without a firm proposal. But her words about energy companies have been seized on as potentially a move towards Ed Miliband-style energy price caps. Her official spokeswoman did not rule out even tougher action, but said firmer policy announcements would follow.
Human rights lawyers
One of the biggest cheers in the hall came as May attacked “activist, left-wing human rights lawyers.” The focus of her anger was abuse claims against British troops, which defence secretary Michael Fallon had announced earlier would be protected against claims arising from the ECHR for future conflicts.
Tax avoiders