But an opportunity at this conservative Party Conference for the Prime Minister to present himself as an agent of change. As was widely trailed, he announced he will be scrapping the northern leg of h52, every penny of the savings, he said, would be invested instead in transport projects across Northern England and the midlands. Hes promised fundamental reform to the way britain is run and to how the rest of us live. One eye catching announcement, was a new and progressive age related ban on smoking. There will be a new qualification the advance British Standard which will combine a levels and t levels into one single qualification for school leavers. With the reaction from Manchester OurPolitical Editor chris mason. Manchester this lunchtime, and the Prime Ministers warm up act his wife. Rishi and i are each others best friends, and i couldnt imagine being anywhere else to show my support to him. Rishi sunak began by thanking her, his daughters, his parents as he drew a link between himself and margaret thatcher. This conservative party, the party of the grocer� s daughter and the pharmacist� s son, will always be the party of enterprise, the party of small business. He said hes taken a look at how Government Works since he became Prime Minister, and not liked what hes seen. It isnt anger, its an exhaustion with politics. Weve had 30 years of a political system which incentivises the easy decision, not the right one. As for taxes, they will come down, he claimed, but didnt say when. And then, it was to the crux of this speech the proposed high speed rail line between manchester and birmingham scrapped. I am ending this long running saga. I am cancelling the rest of the h52 project. And in its place, we will reinvest every single penny, £36 billion, in Hundreds Of New Transport Projects in the north and the midlands across the country. This means £36 billion of investment in the projects that will make a real difference across our nation. Applause this would include, he promised, an extension to the West Midlands metro, Building A Tram System in leeds, electrifying the main rail line in north wales and upgrading. The a1, the a2, the m5, the m6 but there is more. And there was, but not necessarily popular, even in his own party. Some conservatives hate the idea of banning things. Rishi sunak wants to ban smoking for the next generation. I propose that in future, we raise the smoking age by one year every year. The debate over trans rights prompts strong feelings. The Prime Ministers view got one of his biggest cheers here. We shouldnt get bullied into believing that people can be any sex they want to be. They cant. A man is a man and a woman is a woman thats just common sense. The final big policy idea in this speech was about post i6 education in england. We will introduce the new rigorous, knowledge rich, advanced British Standard, which will bring together a levels and t levels into a new single qualification for our school leavers. As the speech drew towards a conclusion, there was a return to personal reflection. Rishi sunak said the uk was not racist. Now, i am proud to be the first British AsianPrime Minister, but you know what . Im even prouder that its just not a big deal. Applause this was a speech in which the fifth Prime Minister in so far 13 year run in office for the conservatives made an audacious bid to be seen as the face of change. We will be bold. We will be radical. We will face resistance, and we will meet it. Be in no doubt, it is time for a change, and we are it. Thank you. Applause this was an attempt by the Prime Minister to revitalise, to reenergise his premiership, The Grab Politics by the scruff of the neck. The big question now for him is, will it improve his political prospects . Last Roll Of The Dice . Well, look, we know that theres going to be a general election coming up in the fairly near future. This is a statement of intent. Are we seeing Rishi Sunak Unleashed . Yes. He came in at quite a difficult time and hes been showing the countryj how serious and how focused he is. Watching from his hotel room next door, this man, the conservative mayor of the West Midlands, who had pleaded to save hsz. 0bviously, im very disappointed that he announced that today. As you know, ifought for it to be maintained. And youve lost. I have lost. Where does that leave you politically . Will you carry on as mayor . I will carry on as mayor, yeah, because i do think it is right that you should stand up, particularly when something is really important to your region. This wasnt a speech of instant crowd pleasers, but instead, ideas that will divide and provoke. It is, then, a gamble. Chris mason, bbc news, in manchester. Over this next half hour we will take a deeper dive into all of the big 3 announcements. Lets start then with hsz. The northern leg cancelled today which means passengers only able to travel between London Euston and birmingham on high speed rail rather than all the way north to manchester. From birmingham the route will link with the slower west coast main line. Mr sunak says the government will reinvest every single penny that is saved which amounts to £36 billion. Money that will go towards funding Hundreds Of New Transport Projects in the north including a New Manchester to bradford rail link, a fully electrified line from manchester to hull, upgrades to the a1, a2, a5 and m6, expansion of the West Midlands metro system and resurfacing of roads across the country. But what does industry in the north think of that. Jessica bowles is the director of strategy at bruntwood. She joins us from manchester. Lots of details still to be learned about this plan, but what have you been able to glean today . Went to the people that you represent make of it . ,. , , the people that you represent make ofit . ,. ,. , the people that you represent make ofit . ,. ,. ,, of it . Obviously what business really wants of it . Obviously what business really wants is of it . Obviously what business really wants is certainty of it . Obviously what business really wants is certainty and i of it . Obviously what business i really wants is certainty and this whole episode has been really unhelpful in producing certainty. While the Prime Minister has finally made this announcement, there are still so many Unanswered Questions in the announcements that he has made. So i think there is lots more to be done and really, we now need to get a level of detail and understanding of what happens next, very quickly. I understanding of what happens next, ve cuickl. ,. , understanding of what happens next, very quickly very quickly. I have outlined some ofthe very quickly. I have outlined some of the things very quickly. I have outlined some of the things that very quickly. I have outlined some of the things that he very quickly. I have outlined some of the things that he is very quickly. I have outlined some of the things that he is proposing. J of the things that he is proposing. West midlands mayor said today, compared to what could have happen, this is a good compromise position. Is it possible that the net result will be better than an electrified fast speed line all the way to manchester . I fast speed line all the way to manchester . Fast speed line all the way to manchester . ~ , manchester . I think the devil is obviously in manchester . I think the devil is obviously in the manchester . I think the devil is obviously in the detail manchester . I think the devil is obviously in the detail of manchester . I think the devil is obviously in the detail of this i manchester . I think the devil is i obviously in the detail of this and i think that remains to be seen. There are loads of announcements in the paper that went on what is alarming from my perspective is that there is not very much detail, no timescale and no sense of how this will actually be delivered. So we can talk about some of the specifics, but i think we need to be able to get some clarity from government about the timescale, when funding will become available and how they will perform the system so that we can get Business Cases through treasury much more quickly and planning does not get in the way and planning does not get in the way and we can actually get on and deliver. So it is possible that there is going to be a good Economic Impact from this, but actually there is so many Unanswered Questions as of this evening. Is so many Unanswered Questions as of this evening of this evening. What we should remember of this evening. What we should remember about of this evening. What we should remember about h52 of this evening. What we should remember about h52 is of this evening. What we should remember about h52 is that of this evening. What we should remember about h52 is that it l remember about hs2 is that it started as a Infrastructure Plan Linking London with the north. So from birmingham running north down, there are parts of the line that will link with the west coast main line, those sections of the line are pretty old and they need replacing. The is a key part of the spine so how much confidence can we have that 1020 how much confidence can we have that 10 20 years in time, it will be fit for purpose . I 1020 years in time, it will be fit for purpose . For purpose . I think that is the oint. For purpose . I think that is the point im for purpose . I think that is the point im not for purpose . I think that is the point. Im not sure for purpose . I think that is the point. Im not sure that for purpose . I think that is the | point. Im not sure that we can. From a Business Perspective be have a lodge of business and investment in those birmingham and manchester and we see and the businesses that we work with see the connections between the cities are vitally important. We have always made the point that hs2 is not about speed, but about capacity. Im not sure where this additional capacity will come from on the west coast. The report that is going to come out today from government says, in about two paragraphs, they will double capacity on that section of the west coast and get more freight cars in passengers and able to use it. But it is unclear how that is actually going to happen, but the costs will be, and what level of disruption there will be in the meantime. We know that when the west coast was previously upgraded, there were months if not years of disruption, weekend closures, Engineering Works on the line, i know if this option and i think that is a real challenge to see how that will work. And i think that is a real challenge to see how that will work. Before i let ou to see how that will work. Before i let you go. To see how that will work. Before i let you go. There to see how that will work. Before i let you go, there is to see how that will work. Before i let you go, there is some to see how that will work. Before i let you go, there is some rumourl let you go, there is some rumour that the plots of land acquired through compulsory purchase along the route will be handed back and the route will be handed back and the number of platforms they were going to build in london will be reduced so if labour wanted to revive the plan, it would be much more difficult. Are you hearing similar things, more difficult. Are you hearing similarthings, is more difficult. Are you hearing similar things, is that true . I more difficult. Are you hearing similar things, is that true . I have not heard any similar things, is that true . I have not heard any of similar things, is that true . I have not heard any of those similar things, is that true . I have not heard any of those rumours i similar things, is that true . I have | not heard any of those rumours but what i have read in the report is that they are going to start releasing land that has been acquired for and protected for the h52 acquired for and protected for the hs2 route, i dont know where or what that looks like, it is very light on detail in the report. I think that it is to be welcomed that the line is going to go into london thatis the line is going to go into london that is the good thing the idea that we could have had a section like thatis we could have had a section like that is just nonsense so it is at least going into euston and we would welcome that. Least going into euston and we would welcome that welcome that. Thank you for coming on. We will talk plenty more about the Prime Minister speech but we will just take a short break. Around the world and across the uk. This is bbc news. Lets look at some other stories making news. Police are investigating possible corporate manslaughter at the hospital where child serial killer lucy letby worked. The former nurse, who is 33, was found guilty in august of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others at the countess of chester hospital. A Safeguarding Review will take place into the death of sara sharif. The io year olds body was found at her home in woking on the 10th august. Herfather, stepmother and uncle appeared at the old bailey, last month, they will face a murder trial next autumn. Laurence fox has been sacked by gb news after an outcry about comments he made on air about a female journalist. The former actor and political activist sparked controversy last week when he asked what self respecting man would climb into bed with ava evans. New Analysis Shows petrol and diesel prices surged last month, as the rising cost of Oil Hit Drivers at the pumps. Figures from the Motoring Firm Rac Show a litre of petroljumped by an average of 4. 5 pence. Youre live with bbc news. One of the things said of the conservative Party Conference in manchester is that over the three days it appeared pretty light on policy, now we know why. Most of the big announcements were saved for the Prime Ministers speech, one of them, his plan to scrap smoking for young people, by raising the legal age for buying tobacco by one year, every year. A Progressive Ban that would mean todays ia year olds would never be legally entitled to buy a packet of cigarettes. If we could stop the start, then we would be on our way to ending the biggest cause of preventable death and disease in our country. So i propose that in future, we raise the smoking age by one year, every year. That means a ia year old. Applause that means a 14 year old today will never legally be sold a cigarette and that they and their generation can grow up smoke free. We have both sides of the debate tonight, hazel cheeseman, she is the Deputy Chief Executive of ash Action On Smoking And Health and also with us simon clark, the director of the smokers� lobby group forest. Simon, lets start with you. Is smoking a net cost or a net gain for the exchequer . It smoking a net cost or a net gain for the exchequer . The exchequer . It depends on what fi. Ures the exchequer . It depends on what Fiuures Ou The Exchequer . It depends on what figures you take, the exchequer . It depends on what figures you take, but the exchequer . It depends on what figures you take, but the the exchequer . It depends on what figures you take, but the figures i figures you take, but the figures that we look at our the revenue that the treasury gets from the sale of tobacco in that is over £10 billion a year. Against that, the cost of treating smoking related diseases on the nhs is said to be 2. 5 billion. People come up with lots of weird and wonderful estimates for how much societal costs are involved, but there are all calculated on the back of cigarette pack. What we do know, is that smokers contribute over £10 billion a year. That is money that if the smokers suddenly all gave up, the treasury would have to find from somewhere else. It is the treasury would have to find from somewhere else. Somewhere else. It is very popular if ou somewhere else. It is very popular if you look somewhere else. It is very popular if you look at somewhere else. It is very popular if you look at the somewhere else. It is very popular if you look at the polling. Somewhere else. It is very popular if you look at the polling. 70 somewhere else. It is very popular if you look at the polling. 70 odd l if you look at the polling. 70 odd percent of people in favour, those are conservatives as well, in favour of the band after the age of 18. But this would be a free vote in the parliament and as chris said at the top of the programme, conservatives generally are not keen on banning things so what do you make of this policy . I things so what do you make of this oli . ~ , policy . I think it is utterly ridiculous policy . I think it is utterly ridiculous particularly policy . I think it is utterly. Ridiculous particularly coming policy . I think it is utterly ridiculous particularly coming from a conservative government which is supposed to promote things like Freedom Of Choice and personal responsibility. 0n Freedom Of Choice and personal responsibility. On a practical level, it simply would not work. It is creeping prohibition. We know that prohibition does not work will stop it is not going to stop young people smoking.