Have to have a clean speech soon, if you listen to what i said in my speech, there are lots of things that need legislation, we will need to have a budget very quickly and by the way, that thing not connected tonight as we will have a budget with the preparations for a no deal brexit and big business tax cuts and the first week of september. Applause. And then well have the queen speech earliest available. Applause. And then well have the queen speech earliest availablem you can give me a date for a budget why not for the speech . As much as i love you and ive gotten to know you. Steady now. Ithink love you and ive gotten to know you. Steady now. I think there are some things we do not need to talk about in the public arena. So the which ill agreement, is it dad . As it is now, yes. We have to be dead. I wanted to get a deal, and so we have to make some profound changes to that agreement, not that does not mean ripping up the whole thing. But it does mean that backstop has to go. Entirely our amended . Or. Backstop has to go. Entirely our amended . Or. The reason why parliament did not accept that backstop is because it traps us in the Eu Customs Union tariffs until such time as the eu gives us permission not to follow eu tariffs. And that is not acceptable, it wont go through parliament and thats what has to go. If you are saying that we will remove any guarantees over not having hard part or infrastructure on ireland, then no, i think there is agreement and party we cannot go back to a hard border oii we cannot go back to a hard border on the island of ireland. Im feeling faint safe saying this one because priti patel is igniting. But its clear that whoever takes over as Prime Minister, will be absolutely committed to the belfast good friday agreement. One of the greatest achievements of british diplomacy over the last 30 years. Applause. But i often get calls saying the difference betweenjeremy huntand saying the difference betweenjeremy hunt and Boris Johnson, saying the difference betweenjeremy hunt and borisjohnson, as we can trust Boris Johnson hunt and borisjohnson, as we can trust borisjohnson because he feels brexit in his cap, whereasjeremy hunt does not because he boded remain and you did address back sol get back, but how do you. remain and you did address back sol get back, but how do you. I feel democracy in my gut which is why i will deliver brexit. Applause. Why do you think though you can deliver adlin do you think though you can deliver a dlin no do you think though you can deliver a dl in no way borisjohnson cannot . Deal. A dl in no way borisjohnson cannot . Deal. Boris can speak for himself, but what i will say is my experience as foreign secretary and my background as a negotiator before icame into my background as a negotiator before i came into business, and my ability to say tough things, which i have had to say incidentally to the Chinese Government over hong kong a few weeks ago and to President Trump la st few weeks ago and to President Trump last week, you know, with very difficult disputes when i was running the nhs, the ability to say tough things they need to be sad whilst maintaining relationships and hiding negotiations, is an important quality i have demonstrated throughout my life. But what i will not say someone who has seen many deals over the years, is that this will be easy. Nor is it impossible. And we have overcome bigger challenges and we have did and we can overcome this one as well. Applause. You mentioned donald trump and you rightly called him out for his tweets this week about the four congresswomen. But neither you nor your opponent actually used the word racist. Why not . Because i am the countrys diplomatic chief and i have responsibility for our risk relationship with our most important ally. And back and i had a relationship. And that is a foundation of the peace and prosperity we have had for the last 75 years. And i have to recognise. Applause. That the words i use need to be calibrated in a weight that does not do lasting damage to that relationship. But i think i made my feelings very clear, i think i said in that debate that i had 3 2 chinese children born on the nhs with british passports and i would be utterly appalled and horrified and totally unacceptable to me or my wife and everyone if anyone told them to go back to china and i hope iio them to go back to china and i hope no politician in this country would ever say that to them. Applause. Are you a feminist . I would like to think so, yes. What does it mean to you . Of course it means equality between men and women. But it also means being prepared to smash the glass ceilings that had existed for centuries that stop a lemon reaching their full potential. It means backing more women and peace and we have made great progress in the conservative party but not enough. It still only 20 . Exactly, i been a big support and can cans work for women to win, it means more female cabinet ministers, it means doing Everything Possible to do what we conservatives believe in, which is iio conservatives believe in, which is no matter who you are, your background, sexuality or your sex, we are the party of meritocracy and everyone should be allowed to fly flourish and prosper. Applause. David cameron had an eight list that had lots of women get elected in 2010, with you propose something similarand be in 2010, with you propose something similar and be in favourfor a short list . Im not in favour of all women shortlists. Applause. Because we are a meritocracy and i think the risk is that the values the achievement a woman makes when she achieves a job, she think she got it because of her sex. Applause. But that doesnt mean there are not thousands of things he can do and i think thats what we are all about that. I asked Boris Johnson if he dyed his hair, so can i ask you the same out of balance . No, sorry to disappoint, i do have a few grey hairs, itsa disappoint, i do have a few grey hairs, its a start. He might have a few more if you get this job. Hairs, its a start. He might have a few more if you get thisjob. Final question from me, if you could steal something from your opponents personality, what would it be . Well, i worked with forest on the london olympics and he was mayor and eyelids boris. And in fact member of the events were held at the centre, and we to meet every few weeks and it did not matter how serious are difficult the topics where we discussed. We always let the meetings with a smile on our face. And i think its a great quality. Applause. Let us start the question and answer session, and we will start right over there. The lady waving over there. In the green cardigan. And then there was somebody here. Thank you. Virginia crosby. Thank you, jeremy. The numberof women crosby. Thank you, jeremy. The number of women voting in the 2017 general election for the conservatives declined dramatically. How are you going to get women to vote conservative again . Thank you, virginia. Well, ithink vote conservative again . Thank you, virginia. Well, i think the vote conservative again . Thank you, virginia. Well, ithink the polling evidence is that one of the reasons that the number of women voting for as declined, by the way we cannot win unless they get a majority of women voting for as which is why this issue matters to us so much, but the reason is because that was an election where most of the discussion one way or another was about brexit. Thats why we have to get brexit and delivered behind us, and then talk about a broader canvas of issues, such as public services, particularly education, we were on the back flick of education and School Funding in the last election. Thats why its essential the sort that out and by the way, i would do this ina that out and by the way, i would do this in a way that i did it with the nhs. I put my money on the table and say i ten year plan thats going to show me how we make sure young people who dont go to University Get properly rigorous technical qualifications so we know we can get a basic decently paid job. I want to see how we abolish literacy illiteracy, and if you can show me i will put more money on the table and i think talking about other issues is how we will succeed. Right, you sir, i will go here. Is how we will succeed. Right, you sir, iwill go here. Mr is how we will succeed. Right, you sir, i will go here. Mr hunt, is how we will succeed. Right, you sir, iwill go here. Mr hunt, i would like to probe you further on a point you made previously about getting youth back into conservativism. We all know that the Education System is not simply towards the left. There is far greater representation dad than the right. But i want to know from you, is how you are going to bring conservativism back to the education syste m conservativism back to the Education System and how youre going to free the Education System from the grips of socialism . Thank you. I. I spotted the next william hague, fantastic. Ill tell you what we have to do. We have to make sure we have to do. We have to make sure we have properly, we are properly defending free speech on our campuses and we cannot have a situation. Applause. We cannot have a situation where people are harassed or intimidated or feel threatened because they do something as bold as to say they are a conservative. And to my knowledge, there is only one vice chancellor and the whole country who openly says he supports the conservatives andi says he supports the conservatives and i think we need a bit of honesty from the vice chancellor is in this country, not by what has made this country, not by what has made this country great is free debate in 19 values and not getting rid of the spanish inquisition and the great things that happened in our universities before they happen anywhere else and we need to stay true to those principles today as we always have done. Applause. Why should University Vice declare political allegiance . They shouldnt have to i mean everyone can decide oii have to i mean everyone can decide on theirown, have to i mean everyone can decide on their own, but im making a point that at our 300 universities, the fa ct that at our 300 universities, the fact that there is only one that feels able to declare that as an indication ofjust how difficult it is to support the conservatives in academia and that is right. The lady ofa academia and that is right. The lady of a bear academia and that is right. The lady ofa bearand academia and that is right. The lady of a bear and then the gentleman in the front of the second section. There. Thank you very much, my question at the last election, at the time i told my friend i would stand as a candidate because im from an ethnic minority, what i was wondering is how to change a change of perception that we are diverse and inclusive and we are notjust a party for the white, black, that white male like everybody says, we are more than that because perception is everything everyone perceives that when you are standing, especially in the ethnic minority, you actually standing for labour. What is your plan . Let me say first of all, first of all thank you for standing up for your beliefs because we are proud to have you as a conservative. Applause. I noticed that back boris badge, i will get you one and a moment. But the answer to your question, is this. Who are the most socially diverse colourblind group of people and our society is not its young people. They are the people who really do not notice if someone has a different colour to their skin and so different colour to their skin and so the way we are going to increase diversity in our own party is by getting more young people involved and thats why i want them to know isa and thats why i want them to know is a businessman, and most powerful thing you can say to the customer is youre hungry for their business. And i want every young person in this country to know that we, the conservatives are hungry for their boats because we offer them the brightest and best future and we are going for it and we can prove that what policies he announced. Applause. The guy right by the wall who is doing this. The social care system in this country is broken. As a former secretary of state for health and social care, how will you fix it was blue thank you. applause and a great question. Because we are the party that believes in fairness between the generations and there is iio between the generations and there is no conservative in this hall that does not want every single older person i and frankly, sir, if i was to talk about the austerity cuts that i had to bring in as part of David Camerons cuts, there are two areas that with the benefit of hindsight it is easy to say that they went too farand one of it is easy to say that they went too far and one of those was Police Numbers and the social care system. So how do we solve it, i think you have to do two things. First of all, local counsellors do need more money to deliver basic standard of care and social care. applause and i wanted tenure planned for the social care system just like i did for the nhs. But secondly it is about personal responsibility and we need to encourage younger people to save for those costs in the very la st save for those costs in the very last few months of their lives earlier just last few months of their lives earlierjust as they save for their pensions and in this country, we set up pensions and in this country, we set upa very pensions and in this country, we set up a very strong Pension System which made it the norm and under our conservative government, we introduced auto enrol, and i want to have a system where people are automatically putting aside a little bit more for the social costs towards the end of their lives. So they are gradually moving towards a society in which people are saving enough. It will take time but it will be the right thing to do. Enough. It will take time but it will be the right thing to dolj remember they got together in 2009 to talk about the future of social ca re to talk about the future of social care ten years ago. I take the point about austerity, but do you think it was a failure on your part not to prioritise social care during the tenure as Health Secretary . |j prioritise social care during the tenure as Health Secretary . I was formerly responsible for for my last six months on the job that i was very concerned about social care syste m very concerned about social care system because i could see our andes filling up because hospitals cannot find care packages in the community andi find care packages in the community and i became absolutely convinced that you cannot solve the problems of the nhs without addressing the problems in the social care system at the same time. So this is something that we have to do now. Right. Have you got with the guy in the corner by the wall. We are going to go to you and then we will go to you, sir. Good evening. Wave your wave your hand please. Hello. Good evening, iam wave your hand please. Hello. Good evening, i am a deputy chair. I wave your hand please. Hello. Good evening, iam a deputy chair. I met you at the hospital and. My question is with the ever increasing rise of christians being persecuted by nationally and internationally, losing theirjobs for expressing theirfaith, losing theirjobs for expressing their faith, what course of action when you take in order to deal or bring about change when you become the Prime Minister . When i become Prime Minister. Thank you. A very important question. 80 of the people around the world are persecuted for their faith, are christians. And i sometimes think of christians. And i sometimes think of christians as white, western, afflue nt christians as white, western, affluent people. But these can be the poorest people in the world, for the poorest people in the world, for the simple act of going to church is a risk of your safety and even your life. There has been a blind spot in foreign policy, may be for reasons of political correction or embarrassment oii of political correction or embarrassment on talking about religion, we have not done as much as we should cite commissioned the bishop to do an independent report and to what more we can do. He published that the week before last, it is an excellent report and his Prime Minister, i will implement all of his recommendations. applause no, here. And then well go to the lady there because i missed her last time. And a counsellor from salisbury, one of the criticisms i often get is our party do not have an mp were other opposition do. If you become the Prime Minister, would you become the Prime Minister, would you become the Prime Minister, would you be able to fill the gap and get us you be able to fill the gap and get us in . I think we found our next mp. Make sure you get on the candidates list and it would be an honour her daddy and parliament with us. applause the lady there, followed by the gentleman over there waving the newspaper. You say you support the people of hong kong, how far are you prepared to go to show your support for the british nationals overseas in hong kong. Will you give them the new blue british passports after brexit . Thank you. applause thank you for asking that question andi thank you for asking that question and i want you to know that the people of this country stand foursquare behind the people of hong kong we have a long historical relationship. applause we are so proud of what hong kong has achieved but during british rule and after british rule, part of that responsibility has been to say difficult things about the need for china to respect the 1984 declaration and we are prepared to use a declaration and we are prepared to use a Political Capital with china to defend but was agreed and that 1984 agreement. I understand your concerns about passports. That is obviously a much bigger issue, but what i want you to know that we will be there for you and will defend the agreements that we made with other countries that affect hong kong that are legally binding and Everyone Needs to remember that. applause gentleman over there and then the lady there in the blue jacket. Thank you for the opportunity. My name is matthew and here. I am extremely confident that both major candidates have committed themse