Tory Party conference latest RECAP: Liz Truss warns of ‘tough times’ during conference speech

That’s it for today for the live blog.

See our summary story: Liz Truss vows to get UK ‘through the tempest’ of rising energy and mortgage bills

The UK Government is engaging “seriously” in efforts to resolve the impasse over the Northern Ireland Protocol, according to Ireland’s foreign minister.

Simon Coveney said that reports of protocol negotiations between the EU and UK restarting on Thursday are “positive news”, adding the “mood music has changed quite fundamentally”.

The European Commission earlier this week confirmed the two sides will meet for technical level talks, adding the EU will approach them “constructively” and it remains “committed to finding joint solutions”.

Mr Coveney told reporters in Co Donegal: “Both sides have agreed to engage this week for the first time since mid-February.

“So this is a very welcome change of course that the British Government is engaging now seriously, as opposed to moving ahead with unilateral action which would certainly have caused a lot more problems than it would have solved.”

Reports on ITV have suggested there have been instances of homophobic abuse at the conference.

A party at Birmingham’s Reflex nightclub was organised by LGBT Conservatives and open to anyone with a conference pass.

One told reporters: "We kicked someone out who was blind drunk and called me a dirty l***** and that I needed to watch my back.

“I don’t feel like I morally fit in anymore.”

The Conservative Party has been contacted.

The pound has wiped out its gains from earlier in the day, falling in value against the US dollar following the Prime Minister’s speech at the Conservative Party conference.

Sterling dipped by 1.4 per cent to 1.1312 dollars shortly after Liz Truss’s speech.

The pound had hit a three-week high against the dollar in early session trading, taking it to around 1.147 dollars.

The Chancellor’s fiscal measures are expected to cost around £45 billion, with just £2 billion of that knocked off after the Government’s U-turn on scrapping the 45p tax rate for high earners.

Concerns over how that deficit will be funded has prompted the costs of government borrowing, known as gilt yields, to rise.

Ten-year gilt yields rose by nearly 4 per cent on Wednesday afternoon after Ms Truss’s speech.

The prime minister has arrived at No10 Downing St following her speech at the Conservative Party Conference.

The shadow chancellor has said: “Liz Truss has been a government minister for the last 10 years.

“She has been at the heart of building a Conservative economy that has led to the flat wages and low growth she highlighted today.

“Labour knows real growth comes from the contribution of millions of working people and thousands of businesses.

“The most important thing the prime minister can do right now to stabilise the economy is to immediately reverse her government’s kamikaze Budget when parliament returns next week.”

Levelling up minister Paul Scully said he was not sure who was being referred to by the Prime Minister as "vested interests dressed up as think tanks".

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's World At One programme, Mr Scully was asked about the Prime Minister's comments who she was referring to as "vested interests".

"I'm not too sure to be honest, yeah I wasn't sure," Mr Scully said.

Asked what Liz Truss meant by suggesting there were further changes and disruption to come, Mr Scully said: "You'll see in the next few weeks a number of statements, discussions... and then the Chancellor will set out what we're talking about in terms of migration, childcare, about planning, about regulation for businesses, digital take-up, agriculture and farming and these kind of things."

Referencing a plan for new "investment zones", Mr Scully said: "We'll be able to strip away some of the planning rules and regulations and alike in exchange for tax benefits for the companies that are locating there, if it's an economic thing rather than housebuilding, and significant tax incentives for the councils themselves."

He also said "we'll have wider planning reforms as well coming as I say in the Chancellor's next statement".

The CBI (Confederation of British Industry) said that the government now needs to deliver on growth, following the Prime Minister’s speech at the Tory Party conference in Birmingham.

CBI president Brian McBride said: “The Prime Minister has reasserted the Government’s commitment to growth and to a pro-enterprise agenda. The 2.5% target is the right ambition, it’s now down to delivery.

“The need to remove genuine barriers to growth is right and delivering supply-side reforms is now essential.

“Improving the planning system, a pragmatic approach to immigration and unlocking green investment, will be key.

“Businesses will be looking to the upcoming medium-term fiscal plan to deliver a credible route to growth and demonstrate fiscal responsibility.

“The CBI will continue working with the Government to boost investment in UK plc.”

Liz Truss will attempt to impose iron discipline in the Tory ranks as MPs return to Westminster following a fractious Conservative Party conference.

The gathering in Birmingham saw Cabinet collective responsibility pushed to breaking point and the threat of a rebellion over tax measures by senior backbenchers.

Downing Street suggested Tory whips will seek to restore order.

The Prime Minister’s press secretary said: “There’s always going to be differences of opinion between people, people are entitled to their personal opinions. But they should be raised in a more constructive manner.

“Collective responsibility is the same as it always has been.”

Asked if that will be rammed home in Westminster next week, he said: “You will have to speak to the whips about that, but that should answer your question.”

Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt called for benefits to be increased in line with soaring inflation at the conference, something which the Government has not yet decided on, with speculation welfare spending could be linked to earnings instead to save money.

Asked if Ms Mordaunt could lose the whip, he said: “That’s one for the whips but I don’t imagine that to be the case.”

He acknowledged “there have been some difficulties” during the conference.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman also stepped out of line, calling for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights - something which is not Government policy.

But Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg defended Ms Braverman, telling the PA news agency: “I think at a party conference, it’s really important that ministers discuss things.”

He added that he had taken part in discussions about ideas that were not Government policy and “may never become Government policy”.

Boris Johnson’s administration removed the whip from 21 MPs in a show of force against critics of Brexit.

Mr Johnson’s former aide Dominic Cummings suggested there was no hope of Ms Truss being able to exert similar authority and attempting to do so would increase the chances of her being forced out of No 10.

“Anybody who thinks the Vote Leave approach to a once-a-century constitutional crisis amid Sep 2019 mayhem is a) the right approach now and b) actually executable by the Truss team is ... wrong,” he said on Twitter.

“This will accelerate her removal.”