Tories on the offensive

Braverman horror shows are a sorry sign of the times

Conservative party conference begins today, in Manchester, which I have successfully managed to swerve – yet again, with some flimsy excuse about the dentist.

I really don’t like it. Not Manchester – which has grown on me over the years, in spite of any cross-pennine hostility – but the Tory conference. It’s not a pleasant few days. Individually, lots of Tories are fine people and a good night out. As a group, not so much. Same with everyone, I suppose.

Last time I went, I barely left my hotel room but was tempted out by a colleague on our sister paper who gave me a decent piece of advice about getting out and about to remind ourselves why we do what we do. Pretty horrible, though.

Anyways, this year’s is going to be particularly terrible. Party on its way out of power, lots of people not turning up, general air of disappointment and menace.

Plus, it’ll probably rain. Truly the last-chance saloon.

My preoccupation lately is quite how bad they are going to be. I’ve said it here before, that the more desperate they get, the more lunatic stuff they’re going to put up as policy, or out on the airwaves.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has, in the manner of most stand-up comedians, been taking her act on the road this week to test it out before her big speech on

Tuesday and becoming increas- ingly unhinged in the process.

The warm-up was horrifying. She kicked last week off with a speech so inflammatory it got her a telling off from the UN.

The highlight was a passage where she said fearing discrimination for being gay or a woman should not be enough to qualify for refugee protection. Poisonous. Pretty much everyone complained, apart from the usual. Privately, Tories are saying that after the next election, she’ll have to go. A dozen or so Tory MPS have complained to the whips,

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Deeply divisive, damaging political game playing – unworthy of her office.

“Instead of blaming people persecuted in places like Uganda for who they love, she should sort chaos at home.”

But the Greens were better. Co-leader Adrian Ramsay said: “This is a horrifying speech from a Home Secretary that would not be out of place on a far-right conspiracy website.”

Ms Braverman followed that horror show up with an interview with Lee Anderson on GB News.

Tuesday is the main event. God knows what she’s got left to say but if the warm-up is anything to go by it’ll be spectacularly offensive.

This is what we’re dealing with now though. Lurching further to the right and spewing out increasingly venomous positions.

September next year, people keep saying, for the election. I really don’t think we can wait that long.

A speech so inflammatory it got her a telling off from the UN