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The Conservative Party conference last week was the first in-person conference for two years. During the conference, Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised the vaccine rollout and encouraged Britons to get back to offices.
Keith Rowe, political commentator and Birmingham Conservative activist spoke to Express.co.uk about the conference, after attending last week.
He told Express.co.uk: “The Party appeared to me to be united behind Boris and clear that his leadership is solid. I saw him speaking twice, first at close hand at the West Midlands reception where he was inspiring and in fine form.
“At the main leader’s speech, he gave a clear vision of how he felt the Country should progress.”
Mr Rowe also praised Boris Johnson’s speech further, he said: “There was genuine support for what the PM said and his delivery was second to none.”
The Prime Minister articulated his “levelling-up” agenda on the final day of the Tory conference and announced a new £3,000 “levelling up premium” for talented maths, physics and chemistry teachers to go and work in areas most in need.
The Prime Minister also set his sights on driving up skills and productivity to build a high-wage, low-tax future with prosperity and jobs spread more equally around UK regions.
Conservative activist, Keith Rowe said Boris’ ‘levelling up’ agenda was made clear during the conference, he said: “Party members who were at the Conference are in no doubt now (if they ever were) what levelling up means.
Mr Rowe added: “It is clear to me that carrying this out and investing widely across the country is not only happening in practice but is seen in the Party as vital to both our economic recovery after the pandemic and the Party’s future success.”
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However, the Conservative Party have recently been criticised for removing the temporary £20 universal credit uplift and rising national insurance to fund social care.
Mr Rowe admits this was among the most contentious topics discussed at the party conference, he said: “I do have the opinion that in the main, members realise that the necessary increased spending over the pandemic was an emergency measure which necessitated a move away from the tight financial control we would normally expect.
“Businesses needed to be supported and jobs protected as well as the vulnerable looked after and the NHS given the funds it needed – all huge expenses.
“Now that we are through the pandemic the borrowing will need to be carefully repaid and the only way to do this is through some form of taxation. This goes against the grain and Conservatives would like to not have to do this, but for now it is a reality.”
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During the conference Iain Duncan Smith and Graham Brady used fringe events to urge the Prime Minister to rule out further tax rises.
Mr Rowe admitted there could be opposition to tax rises in the future, he said: “Other future tax increases will I suspect come against stiffer opposition if they are proposed.”
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