Defining moment for May as leader attempts to rally party behind her

IN one of the most important speeches of her political career, Theresa May will today seek to rally her fractious party behind her by declaring that Britain’s post-Brexit future is “full of promise”.

The Prime Minister will make a direct appeal to mainstream Labour voters disillusioned by Jeremy Corbyn’s left-wing agenda to switch to the “decent, moderate, patriotic” Tories.

And she will borrow the Labour leader’s ‘For the many, not the few’ slogan as she declares that Conservatives are “a party not for the few, not even for the many, but for everyone who is willing to work hard and do their best”.

Mrs May will take to the stage at the Conservative Conference less than 24 hours after 1,500 delegates gave a thunderous standing ovation to Boris Johnson

(right) as he branded her Brexit plans a “constitutional outrage” that would humiliate Britain.

Mr Johnson’s demand for the PM to “chuck Chequers” has echoed around the corridors and fringe meetings at a gathering riven by profound differences over the best approach to Brexit.

But he stopped well short of a direct challenge to her leadership, urging Tories to “back (her) in the best way possible”, by encouraging her to ditch the plan agreed at her country residence and return to her earlier hard Brexit blueprint.

Mrs May said she was “cross” with her former Foreign Secretary, accusing him of being ready to “tear up” her guarantee to the people of Northern Ireland that there would be no customs border down the Irish Sea. The Prime Minister said she did not watch Mr Johnson’s address, preferring to talk with activists. But she told the BBC: “There are one or two things that Boris said that I’m cross about. He wants to tear up our guarantee to the people of Northern Ireland.

“We have a guarantee for the people of Northern Ireland and we are upholding that. Our Chequers plan does that. It is the only plan on the table at the moment that does.”

Mrs May said that “Boris always puts on a good show”, but added: “What I find frustrating about what Boris has said, is (him) talking about this backstop in this way.

“What he appeared to be saying was he wanted to tear up something which was effectively a guarantee to the people of Northern Ireland. I believe as a unionist that it is important that we recognise the needs and concerns of people in Northern Ireland.”

But in her keynote speech in Birmingham, she will focus on her hopes for a brighter future after Brexit.

“I passionately believe that our best days lie ahead of us and that our future is full of promise,” she will say.

“Don’t let anyone tell you we don’t have what it takes: we have everything we need to succeed.”

In a speech entitled ‘Our Future Is In Our Hands’, Mrs May will tell delegates that countries across the world stand ready to trade with the UK.

And she will promise that at this “moment of opportunity” the Conservatives will always act in the “national interest” and put the needs of hard-working people first.