Number 10’s desire to stage a display of unity and confidence is threatened with sabotage from the fringe
o Manchester for a tale of two Conservative conferences. The official one is taking place in the cavernous central convention complex under the snigger-inviting slogan: “Taking long-term decisions for a brighter future.” Rishi Sunak has just one extremely short-term goal this week: to persuade his party, the media and any voters bothering to pay attention to reconsider the assumption that a Tory defeat at the general election is a certainty.
“Can the Tories win?” is the topic of one fringe meeting, not a question a party so accustomed to power usually feels compelled to ask itself. “Can the centre-right survive?” is the plangent title of another scheduled discussion about their future. The uncontrite ghost of Bad King Boris is staying away from, one small mercy for Downing Street. The unrepentant spirit of Mad Queen Liz will be haunting the place, telling anyone who will listen she was right all along.
Number 10 has good reason to be angsty that the united and confident display it wants to stage may be sabotaged by noises off. The prime minister abandoned the idea of a September reshuffle of the government out of fright that ex-ministers whom he’d just fired would wander the conference corridors gnashing their grievances and telling everyone they met how utterly useless their leader is.
'Suella and the other leadership candidates will be preening about,' sighs a senior Tory from the diminished moderate wingpriorities
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