One Conservative donor said it was the “worst” party conference he had been to in 50 years, a veteran journalist said it was the “most chaotic” in 50 that he had covered, “and that’s including Labour and the Lib Dems”.
At times it felt like the Tories had lapsed into the blood sports much loved by some, scenting prey and like hounds following it, regardless of the consequences.
That mindless chase towards impenetrable thickets was averted — temporarily at least — by Liz Truss’ conference speech, where she was emboldened by environmentalist protestors who attempted to steal her limelight.
In the end, she delivered a speech that grew in confidence, selling her vision of low tax and a booming British economy that appears to have bought her time.
Canada wipe-out
But that will not provide much solace for Conservative MPs terrified of losing their seats whenever the next general election occurs.
Some point to the wipe-out experienced by Canada’s Progressive Conservative party, whose popularity plummeted from 43 per cent to 16 per cent, losing all but two of their 156 seats previously held before the 1993 election.
Recent electoral surveys suggest MPs have good reason to be fearful, with steady polling showing the opposition Labour consistently at between 25 and 33 per cent ahead.
In the short term, at least, that favours Ms Truss, lending her the ability to exert party discipline with the threat of calling a general election in which most MPs would lose their jobs.
The risk of extinction might prove motivational and will probably tie MPs to Ms Truss’ vision for growth, no matter the consequences.
Cockpit addicts
The cause of the Conservative descent from being the self-styled “natural party of government” can be traced to the decision to call a referendum on exiting the European Union in 2016.
On the first day of Brexit they lost a sensible, centrist prime minister in David Cameron. Three prime ministers on and the party is plummeting earthwards in a spin.
“Since Brexit it’s been like a load of drug addicts are in the cockpit flying like crazy and we’re the passengers but it’s only the people in the cockpit who have ejector seats,” a respected Conservative figure told The National.
For now, it appears that Ms Truss has managed to land the plane but not exited the cockpit, surrounded by those who seem intent on self-immolation.
Snake and traitor
While the fledgling British prime minister ended the conference confident and, to a point, in command, that had not seemed possible when the man no Tory wants as an enemy, Michael Gove, fomented the first uprising of the Truss era on Sunday.
Well-intentioned headlines of fixing Britain’s economy were trounced when the former Cabinet minister, who was sacked by Boris Johnson as a final act of revenge the night before he resigned, lobbed a stun grenade.
“I don’t think it’s right,” he said, responding to whether he would vote for the five per cent cut to the 45 per cent tax rate for highest earners announced in chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s contentious mini-budget.
Mr Gove, who has variously been called a “snake” and a “traitor” by his own, is clearly exercising influence now he’s back among backbenchers.
His reach was such that Mr Kwarteng missed the main course of his dinner with reporters from The Sun newspaper on Sunday night, as Ms Truss summoned him to commit a U-turn on the tax hike.
Cabinet freelancers
That came on Monday, the humiliation was complete for Mr Kwarteng as the reversal came hours before he made his keynote conference speech. Lacking any lustre, and indeed attracting only lukewarm support, its main effect was to trigger the starting gun for a Tuesday of high drama.
MPs felt emboldened to force further concessions with ministers — including Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt, calling for social benefits to rise in line with inflation, currently around 10 per cent.
Cabinet discipline went up in smoke mid-conference, with ministers openly floating their own policies against the government position.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman criticised the tax U-turn and accused Mr Gove and other critics of Ms Truss of staging a “coup” to force the climbdown.
Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch publicly told Ms Braverman not to use such “inflammatory” language.
At one point it appeared Mr Kwarteng was blaming Queen Elizabeth II’s death for all the chaos, claiming his mini-budget had to be seen in the context of the “high pressure” period following her demise and funeral.
Grant Shapps, a former Cabinet minister renowned for his reading of the Tory mood, said MPs would not “sit on their hands” in ousting Ms Truss without improvement.
Whipping in
All eyes will be on the prime minister when MPs return to Westminster next week. MPs who vote against her tweaked financial package will probably find themselves without the whip, suspended from the party, Downing Street officials have hinted.
For now, it appears that Ms Truss’ conference speech has saved the situation. “People just need to give her a chance to deliver something and run the country,” one Conservative member told The National. “Because this is not about the party, it’s about the country.”
Battle for Britain
That hard won breathing space will not last for long. Challenging events loom for the government.
Next Wednesday, Ms Truss will come up against the official opposition, with Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer likely to be unrelenting in his criticism during Prime Minister’s Questions.
The Bank of England’s purchase of government debt, needed to restore order after the tax cutting triggered financial chaos, will end on Friday, October 14.
Before or shortly after then, the government will probably publish the Office of Budget Responsibility report, which will set out how the tax cuts will be paid. This will probably be via big cuts in public services, leading to further cries of dismay in Tory ranks.
The coming days will be a time of reflection for Ms Truss, who has undoubtedly had the most challenging apprenticeship in becoming prime minister since Winston Churchill took office in May 1940 as France fell and British forces were thrown out of Europe.
Two months later, the Battle of Britain began, when the country’s very existence was at stake.
British Prime Minister Liz Truss - in pictures
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Five personal finance podcasts from The National
To help you get started, tune into these Pocketful of Dirham episodes
·
Balance is essential to happiness, health and wealth
·
What is a portfolio stress test?
·
What are NFTs and why are auction houses interested?
·
How gamers are getting rich by earning cryptocurrencies
·
Should you buy or rent a home in the UAE?
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Scoreline:
Barcelona 2
Suarez 85', Messi 86'
Atletico Madrid 0
Red card: Diego Costa 28' (Atletico)
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
OIL PLEDGE
At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
- Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs
- Thursday 20 January: v England
- Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad:
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Company%20profile
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Results
6.30pm: Madjani Stakes Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m, Winner: RB Frynchh Dude, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m, Winner: Mnasek, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Grand Dubai, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m, Winner: Meqdam, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Thegreatcollection, Pat Cosgrave, Doug Watson.
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,900m, Winner: Sanad Libya, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,400m, Winner: Madkhal, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
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