Johnson says May's Brexit plan would 'cheat' voters in barnstorming fringe speech – Politics live

Rolling coverage of the Conservative party conference in Birmingham, including Theresa May’s morning interviews and Boris Johnson’s speechTheresa May’s morning interviews – Summary 2.51pm BST The DUP has threatened to pull the plug on Theresa May’s government warning it is not “bluffing” when it says it will not accept a border in the Irish Sea.Nigel Dodds, the leader of the party in the House of Commons, said the party would vote against her if she returned from Brussels with a deal that involved any new checks on goods coming into Northern Ireland from Britain.In Northern Ireland we’ve grown up with a lot of fears and issues that we’ve faced, frankly being afraid of what Theresa May may do is not one of my biggest fears. 2.45pm BST Here is some more comment on the Boris Johnson speech.From the New Statesman’s Stephen BushJohnson’s speech was, from a technical perspective, v good I thought. But emphasises the way he’s become a candidate perfectly-designed to win over Tory activists and no-one else: https://t.co/5d3sp59XjwAn MP, Boris ally in 2016 asks me: “what was new in that speech??”. I say eg the words “constitutional outrage” re Chequers. He says Nothing.He carried that fringe room spectacularly – but it’s Tory MPs he needs to get him on any ballot.Fundamental problem for Boris, and those who agree with him, is what Bonar Law said almost a century ago: ‘The party elects a leader & that leader chooses the policy, & if the party does not like it, they have to get another leader’. But they don’t have the numbers to replace herBoris Johnson’s #ConservativeConference fringe speech. PM style tour d’horizon packed with sly jabs at May (& Hammond) main purpose to undermine her Brexit Strategy. If it fails that’s his best chance to takeover.All things considered, that was on the tame end of the damage Boris could have inflicted. A repeat of Chucking Chequers, but an imminent leadership bid? Seems unlikely. More like prep work for an “I told you so” argument.The first appearance of rapture at #ConservativeConference2018 – for @BorisJohnson and his war cry to chuck Chequers. @theresa_may has a problem pic.twitter.com/oD98n4R1TJThat was a very comprehensive speech and beginnings of a leadership bid from @BorisJohnson. Wide ranging with a clear case for conservatism, effective evisceration of Corbyn, lapped up by the crowd. His best speech in years. So if/when does the challenge to May emerge? #cpc18Just been to see the Boris speech. Utterly lacklustre. Nothing new. He just can’t make a good speech when he’s trying to be statesmanlike. Couple of good jokes, ritual ‘chuck Chequers’, but where was the beef? Still at the butcher’s shop… pic.twitter.com/mkJ2U8twK6 Continue reading…
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