Seeing it encountering difficulties and they feel it has been struggling a bit so that has lifted people also a little bit. 0thers that has lifted people also a little bit. Others are asking questions, is this a little bit disconnected . The conservatives disconnected . The conservatives not disconnected . The conservatives not yet understanding the Scale And Nature of the defeat and of the problems they will have to get back into power . And also, the reality is they will be out of power for probably five years and that opposition is a long, hard slog. What we hear from the people here is that they are finding this process of electing or choosing the new Leader Kind of energising, theyre getting themselves, the true conservative believers focusing on that task and they enjoy it. They are finding it interesting. A, enjoy it. They are finding it interesting. Enjoy it. They are finding it interestinu. ,. interesting. A fresh new Start Sto interesting. A fresh new Start Sto and interesting. A fresh new Start Step and how interesting. A fresh new Start Stop and how important interesting. A fresh new Start Stop and how important is stop and how important is today . This contest has been going on for a while and it still has a while to run, how critical is the next hour or those four . Critical is the next hour or those four . those four . On one level it is very important those four . On one level it is very important because those four . On one level it is very important because it those four . On one level it is very important because it is l very important because it is the one time in this whole contest where all four of the candidates will be at the same time or one after another giving an address so they will be on the stage here, 20 minutes each, in front of the same audience. And that will not happen again. On another level, it is hard to see how this will really shift things because this is a two Stage Process and first is the mps would link the numbers down, they have done to some candidates already and they will whittle it down to just two next week and then it goes to the membership. There has not been much movement, there has been a bit but essentially the campaign has been predictable so far, Robert Jenrick has kind of been in front and the others are vying to see who will come into second place behind him. It could shift in the next couple of hours here. If someone really deliver something. We have seen that at the conference before, David Cameron notably, memorably taking to the stage and he shifted the dynamic when he was going for it later. Although there is a sense that with everything else going on in the world, this is very much an event happening within conservative bundle and people beyond this group may not really pay much attention so for the next stage of the race, beyond that it may not do much to frame opinions of error might become leaderfor might become leader for everyone might become Leaderfor Everyone else in the might become leader for Everyone Else in the country. We can talk through the candidates and hear a little bit from each of them. The speeches are not the first time we have heard from the conservative candidates at the conference. This is Kemi Badenoch claiming that her comments about Maternity Leave being too long have been misrepresented, an issue she says Mrs Thatcher once faced some of the statements she made. A , some of the statements she made. made. Maternity pay is quite important made. Maternity pay is quite important and made. Maternity pay is quite important and this made. Maternity pay is quite important and this was made. Maternity pay is quite important and this was in made. Maternity pay is quite l important and this was in long discussions we were having about the role of the state in deciding what businesses should do. Take a step back. He remembers the phrase, there is no such thing as society . Yes, everybody. This is that you gave an interview to a magazine she was asked the question and she was asked the question and she said there is no such thing as society. She was talking about people wanting government, but their own individual people and families and that got cut down into a Sound Bite that was used to attack. When you are a leader and a conservative and making the argument for conservative principles, your opponents will try to turn it into Something Else. We need to decide who will be leader of the party, not the left or the guardian or the bbc, just conservatives. Applause. About that ride, Kemi Badenoch s response to the question is Maternity Pay excessive, that took off and it had comments time and again. Yes, she appeared to say quite clearly in response to the direct question, what is a level, is it too high . She thought it was and after Big Roy she backtracked and said she had been misinterpreted because many people on the other candidates said, is she calling for that to be cut . She said no, she was talking broadly about business regulation. Which has punted other questions with others here saying, does that mean she thinks things like the minimum wage on a burden on companies . She found herself embroiled in that and the other candidates used that as a way to attack her..... her. Let us hear from another candidate. Her. Let us hear from another candidate, tom her. Let us hear from another candidate, Tom Tugendhat, l her. Let us hear from another. Candidate, Tom Tugendhat, who has focused on his campaign on winning back former tory voters and the importance of tone in politics. And the importance of tone in olitics. ~ ,. politics. My view is that when ou politics. My view is that when you have politics. My view is that when you have taken politics. My view is that when you have taken a politics. My view is that when you have taken a pounding i politics. My view is that when l you have taken a pounding like us, you you have taken a pounding like us, you can you have taken a pounding like us, you can either rely on the core us, you can either rely on the Core Vote us, you can either rely on the Core Vote and hope it will not dissipate Core Vote and hope it will not dissipate further or you can try to dissipate further or you can try to build back. I think you have try to build back. I think you have to try to build back. I think you have to try to build back and if youre have to try to build back and if youre not willing to make converts, if youre not willing to make converts, you will not build back, converts, you will not build back, so converts, you will not build back, so you can hacker if you like back, so you can hacker if you like and back, so you can hacker if you like and shout at people but The Truth is, as the old parable The Truth is, as the old parable goes, The Old Man takes his Coat Parable goes, The Old Man takes his coat off for The Sun and not his coat off for The Sun and not the his coat off for The Sun and not the rain. You need to make sure not the rain. You need to make sure what not the rain. You need to make sure what youre doing is encouraging people to come towards encouraging people to come towards you and that is tone matters towards you and that is tone matters. The reason so few young matters. The reason so few young people voted for us is not because they disagreed with us, speak not because they disagreed with us, speak at any School And Everybody is more inspired by Dragons Everybody is more inspired by Dragons Den than by any socialist manifesto, Karl Marx does socialist manifesto, Karl Marx does not socialist manifesto, Karl Marx does not get a look in. What people does not get a look in. What people are put off by is not policies. People are put off by is not policies, it is our turn. And a lot of comments policies, it is our turn. And a lot of comments in policies, it is our turn. And a lot of comments in recent i policies, it is our turn. And a i lot of comments in recent days and weeks that Tom Tugendhat has veered to the right over the course of this Leadership Campaign. He the course of this Leadership Campaign the course of this leadership camaiun. campaign. He styles himself as a sort of onenation a sort of One Nation conservative, slightly more centrist, if you like, but he has made comments about looking at the future of the uks participation in the European Convention on the court of Human Rights and things like that which would appeal more to the right. And that might be because that is the kind of electorate that these candidates have two appeal to if they are going to make it to the leadership. Tom tugendhat also made a lot of his Military Background and that is Something Else we will hear when he takes to the stage. Let us hear a when he takes to the stage. Let us hear a little bit about robertjenrick. He has talked about how the conservative party can win back voters from the reform party. I party can win back voters from the reform party. The reform party. I think it is a symptom the reform party. I think it is a symptom and the reform party. I think it is a symptom and not the reform party. I think it is a symptom and not a the reform party. I think it is a symptom and not a cause. | the reform party. I think it is| a symptom and not a cause. It exists a symptom and not a cause. It exists in a symptom and not a cause. It exists in its a symptom and not a cause. It exists in its current state because exists in its current state because we failed and by that i do not because we failed and by that i do not win you, the members of the party, do not win you, the members of the party, i do not win you, the members of the party, i mean in westminster, we make promises that we westminster, we make promises that we did not keep. I will not that we did not keep. I will not disparage reform, i think in a way not disparage reform, i think in a way that is denigrating the millions of people who vote for them the millions of people who vote for them. Who are our people. I will do for them. Who are our people. I will do is for them. Who are our people. I will do is set out, with your support, will do is set out, with your support, to make them redundant. To retire Nigel Farage redundant. To retire Nigel Farage. I think you do that by being farage. I think you do that by being crystal clear on where we stand being crystal clear on where we stand on being crystal clear on where we stand On The Issues that we have stand On The Issues that we have lost stand On The Issues that we have lost trust on, legal and illegal have lost trust on, legal and illegal immigration, extremism, policing illegal immigration, extremism, policing and if we do that then we make policing and if we do that then we make our party what it was whenever we make our party what it was whenever i was growing up. The natural whenever i was growing up. The natural home for every small c conservative. Conservative. What have we learned about conservative. What have we learned about robert conservative. What have we | learned about Robert Jenrick learned about robertjenrick over the last few weeks . His bi over the last few weeks . His his focus over the last few weeks . His Big Focus has over the last few weeks . H 3 Big Focus has been on immigration and he said that the conservative Government Approach to immigration was like sticking up two fingers to the electorate because so many hundreds of thousands of people came into the uk and made it their home so he has shifted, if you like, to the right during his time. He was seen not long ago as an ally of rishi sunak, more centrist, but he has moved and that has drawn criticism from some of the other candidates, James Cleverly, who also served in the government with him, made some remarks yesterday, saying that he had always stuck to his principles and never changed and many people read that as an attack on robertjenrick. If you go around the holes people will say we quite like some of the Things Robertjenrick are saying and a few say, we are not sure, this criticism he has shifted his ground, is trying to win the leadership . Some questions about his past and his present position is. You mentioned his present position is. You mentioned james his present position is. You mentioned James Cleverly. Let us hear from mentioned James Cleverly. Let us hearfrom him, he was asked at the conference about his record at the Home Office and in particular, the policy on small boats. In particular, the policy on small boats. , small boats. The phrases stop the boats small boats. The phrases stop the boats was small boats. The phrases stop the boats was an small boats. The phrases stop the boats was an error. Small boats. The phrases stop the boats was an error. It the boats was an error. It instilled the boats was an error. It instilled a very corrugated and challenging problem into a sound challenging problem into a Sound Bite. The application, not the Sound Bite. The application, not the implication, the self imposed yardstick was even one Lloat Self imposed yardstick was even one boat was a failure. And. That one boat was a failure. And. That was one boat was a failure. And. That was an one boat was a failure. And. That was an unachievable target that was an unachievable target i that was an unachievable target. I inherited that and one target. I inherited that and one of target. I inherited that and one of my frustrations, you talk one of my frustrations, you talk about communications, one of my talk about communications, one of my frustrations was that we failed of my frustrations was that we failed to of my frustrations was that we failed to communicate our successes in the Home Office portfolio. Unsurprisingly, therefore, everyone believed we had succeeded in nothing. James cleverl. Had succeeded in nothing. James cleverly we had succeeded in nothing. James cleverly. We are had succeeded in nothing. James cleverly. We are waiting had succeeded in nothing. James cleverly. We are waiting in had succeeded in nothing. James cleverly. We are waiting in the i cleverly. We are waiting in the next three or four minutes to hear from the candidates. Tom tugendhat will be first to speak. I just tugendhat will be first to speak. Ijust wonder how tugendhat will be first to speak. I just wonder how the wider situation, the developing situation in the Middle East, has been playing into what has been going on at the conference. How much impact is that having . That having . Certainly, you talk to people that having . Certainly, you talk to people here that having . Certainly, you talk to people here and that having . Certainly, you. Talk to people here and they were talk to people here and they were shocked by the scenes they so yesterday, looking at those and realising that there are many and realising that there are many significant events happening way beyond the Conference Hall that are attracting much more attention than attracting much more attention than here. So recognition of that than here. So recognition of that. Conservatives at the positions of all the candidates are pretty consistent, all very much are pretty consistent, all very much on are pretty consistent, all very much on the same sort of page. Very much on the same sort of page. Very much much on the same sort of page. Very much solid in their backing very much solid in their backing of israel. We will probably hear that in the speeches. But, certainlyl think speeches. But, certainlyl think what is interesting is that think what is interesting is that this think what is interesting is that this contest here that we are going to see unfolding is really are going to see unfolding is really about the character and the personality and the approach being offered to conservatives about conservatives about conservative issues so the positions of the candidates is nothing positions of the candidates is nothing to do with what we say on the nothing to do with what we say on the Middle East with a Global On the Middle East with a global stage, this is a very conservative focused contest. That conservative focused contest. That is conservative focused contest. That is what will play out in the speeches that will come, even the speeches that will come, even though they will make a nod to even though they will make a nod to the situation in the middle nod to the situation in the Middle East. Do nod to the situation in the Middle East. Nod to the situation in the Middle East.. ~ Middle East. Do you think the order of speaking Middle East. Do you think the order of speaking will Middle East. Do you think the order of speaking will have i Middle East. Do you think the | order of speaking will have any bearing on the challenge . Possibly not but who knows . We will see possibly not but who knows . We will see i possibly not but who knows . We will see. I would possibly not but who knows . We will see. Iwould imagine possibly not but who knows . We will see. I would imagine that all of will see. I would imagine that all of these candidates will know all of these candidates will know that they have this one chance know that they have this one chance now in front of The Hall and the chance now in front of The Hall and the mps will then remove two from and the mps will then remove two from the race so time is running two from the race so time is running out. This is their one, only running out. This is their one, only and running out. This is their one, only and last chance to have their only and last chance to have their say only and last chance to have their say. The conservative chief their say. The conservative Chief Whip is on the stage, he is doing Chief Whip is