May walks Brexit tightrope as party conference looms
Conservative Party politicians, staff and members will descend on Birmingham at the weekend for an annual conference certain to be full of intrigue and infighting.
The four-day conference at the International Convention Centre will get under way on Sunday, with the highlight of the first day likely to be a discussion of the party’s ‘Global Britain’ plans, which is to be led by International Trade Secretary Liam Fox.
Brexit is likely to dominate the conference as the party’s internal rows over Britain’s future relationship with Europe continue.
On Sunday, a rally by the Leave Means Leave group, which counts Nigel Farage, Jacob Rees-Mogg and John Redwood among its backers, will be taking place in Birmingham to further focus the minds of Tory delegates and pile more pressure on Prime Minister Theresa May as the group seeks a more decisive break from EU rules and regulations. FIGHT FOR JUSTICE
On Monday, preliminary hearings will begin for the contaminated blood inquiry. The inquiry is to examine the treatment of thousands of people in the 1970s and 1980s, who were given blood products infected with hepatitis viruses and HIV.
There will be opening statements from Sir Brian Langstaff, chair of the inquiry and Jenni Richards QC, counsel to the inquiry, with the latter outlining its huge scale of the task.
Sir Brian said: “The preliminary hearings are an important moment for the inquiry.
“Many of the people infected and their families have campaigned for the inquiry for many years.
“They helped to shape the inquiry’s terms of reference. This is now their opportunity to tell me where they want the inquiry to focus its investigative powers.”
The preliminary hearings in Westminster are expected to last until Wednesday.
Thursday will see a moving tribute to the late Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox, who was murdered in June 2016.
A square in Brussels is to be named after the politician after she was included on a list of “illustrious women” who will have squares, streets and buildings named after them as part of the city’s plans for female and male equality.
She had worked in the Belgian capital for two years as an assistant to the former MEP Glenys Kinnock.
The clocks may not have gone back yet but – in news that will be greeted with either delight or horror depending on your feelings towards the festive season – retailers are definitely already turning their thoughts towards Christmas.
On Wednesday, with slightly less than three months to go until the big day, expert buyers from Hamleys will announce their Christmas top toy list for the presents that will be finding their way under the tree in homes across the country.
Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker and Happy Monday star Bez have taken part in a special edition of antiques show
which is to be shown on Friday for BBC Music Day.
The episode, in which the Sheffield singer and his Pulp bandmate Candida Doyle went up against Happy Mondays stars Bez and Rowetta, has already caused some controversy after it was revealed the ending of the show had to be reshot after the Mondays team indulged in ‘underhand tactics’ and ‘foul play.’
Show presenter Charlie Ross told the latest issue of “Suffice to say I had to refer to the Bargain Hunt rulebook.
“I think it’s the first time in history that we’ve had to look at it.”