Rishi Sunak has pitched himself as a force for change in a bid to win the next general election by choosing to cancel not only a major rail project, but the smoking of cigarettes and A-level exams.
In an hour-long speech before the Conservative Party conference the British Prime Minister made the much-anticipated announcement to axe the HS2 rail project.
But he also went in hard on the smoking industry, introducing legislation to raise the ban on smoking by a year annually, meaning that today’s 14 year olds will never be legally able to smoke.
He also made several references to his Indian ethnicity, arguing Britain was the “most successful multi-ethnic country on Earth”.
Wearing a blue bracelet that read ‘Dada’, the father of two, 43, took to the podium to push a string of his policies and defend his less-popular choices.
It was a speech that typified Mr Sunak’s competent, honest and capable approach to politics yet it remains to be seen if it will take the fight to Labour and inspire voters to return to Conservatives, enabling them to win next year’s election.
But with the Conservatives more than 15 points behind in the polls, Mr Sunak knows he has to create wedge issues to make an impact on the public consciousness that he is a different type of leader.
Akshata introduction
In a break from tradition, Mr Sunak was introduced by his wife Akshata Murty, 43, who began her unscripted and endearing speech by stating my “husband has no idea what I’m going to say”, to much laughter.
She lauded his “strength of character” and told the packed hall aspiration runs through her husband’s veins.
“We met when we were 24 and I was struck by two things: a deep love for his home, the UK, and his sincere desire to ensure as many people to have chances that he had.”
Part of that “chance” was the private education Mr Sunak received at Winchester College and he made a big pitch to improve Britain’s state education system.
He proposed introducing baccalaureate-style testing by ensuring that all pupils studied both maths and English to 18 in addition to three other A Levels in the new Advanced British Standard.
“Education is the closest thing we have to a silver bullet,” he declared after announcing that those who taught key subjects would receive special bonuses of £30,000 tax free over their first five years of their career.
HS2 axed
Watched by his entire cabinet, some of whom have made oblique leadership pitches during the four-day conference, the Conservative leader navigated through the tricky ground of cancelling a high-level transport project by making it sound like a win.
The HS2 rail line was meant to reduce journey times between Birmingham and Manchester by 45 minutes but with costs spiralling and the project not ready after two decades, Mr Sunak decided to take the criticism while saving £36 billion.
That cash will be spent on rail and road projects across the country that he proposed would have a much greater impact. Every region outside of London will receive the same amount of investment or more than they would have under HS2, Mr Sunak said.
But the danger remains that key Conservative supporters, including the West Midlands mayor Andy Street could heavily criticise the decision.
Mr Sunak’s is staking his position as the person who deals with realistic politics rather than unfulfilled bombastic promises.
He accepted the decision would draw criticism such as showing “a lack of ambition”.
“I say to those who backed the project in the first place, the facts have changed and the right thing to do when the facts change is to have the courage to change direction,” he said.
“So I am ending this long-running saga. I am cancelling the rest of the HS2 project and in its place, we will reinvest every single penny, £36 billion, in hundreds of new transport projects in the North and the Midlands, across the country.
“This means £36 billion of investment in the projects that will make a real difference across our nation.”
Ethnic Britain
The biggest sign of warmth from the packed hall at the Manchester Convention Centre came when he praised Britain’s multiculturalism.
“I stand before you today as the first non-white leader in Britain’s history,” he said, then related a story of taking his grandfather into Westminster Palace when he first became an MP in 2015.
Britain is not a “racist country”, the Prime Minister said, as he highlighted the diversity within the ruling Conservative Party.
“I’m proud to be the first British-Asian prime minister but even prouder that it’s not a big deal,” he added.
Stop the boats
“We will do what is necessary stop the boats,” Mr Sunak stated, hinting that he may be prepared to take Britain out of the European Convention on Human Rights if the Rwanda deportation scheme failed in the courts.
“I am confident that once flights start going regularly to Rwanda, the boats will stop coming,” he argued.
He said he wanted to deliver tax cuts but these would have to be found by instead halving inflation and easing the cost of living.
Smoking ban
Ending smoking would “tackle the single biggest preventable cause of death” in Britain, where 64,000 people die from smoke-related diseases a year.
“Thousands of children will start smoking in the coming years,” he warned, stating that raising the legal smoking age by one year, every year" means a 14 year old today will never be legally sold a cigarette.
This was met with lukewarm applause – the Conservatives are never keen on governments banning items, which their leader appeared to acknowledge.
“For a Conservative, measures that restrict choice are never easy,” he said. “But there is no safe level of smoking. None of us want our children to grow up as smokers.”
'Realistic approach to net zero'
Mr Sunak sought to defend his recent decision to push back green targets, including a 2030 ban on the sale of new diesel and petrol cars.
He said while it “was not the easiest argument to have”, Britain’s poorest households should not have to pay for measures aimed at reaching the net-zero 2050 target.
“I won’t take any lectures from countries that have done far less than us or from those for whom spending thousands of pounds means nothing,” he said.
The UK remains on track to meet domestic and international climate targets and its net-zero commitment, he said.
He chose to “take a pragmatic proportionate and realistic approach to reaching net zero”, he said.
By scaling back the green agenda, his administration has “solved a problem and offered an unapologetic defence of good Conservative common sense”, he said.
'Time for change'
Throughout the long speech, the applause was moderate without being ecstatic, a suggestion that the Conservative Party knows it is in a hard place that could only become harsher if the disunity of Boris Johnson’s era is reintroduced.
The polls in coming months – as well as the economic data – will be key in determining whether Mr Sunak has achieved the “cut-through” needed to close the gap on Labour.
Mr Sunak ended by emphasising “it is time for change and we are it”. In the press room afterwards, one commentator summed up the challenge he faced: “What he really means is ‘it’s time to change, stick with the Tories’," he said.
The years Ramadan fell in May
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
Company%C2%A0profile
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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
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Quick%20facts
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Match info
Uefa Champions League Group B
Barcelona v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight
The%20specs
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Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Messi at the Copa America
2007 – lost 3-0 to Brazil in the final
2011 – lost to Uruguay on penalties in the quarter-finals
2015 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
2016 – lost to Chile on penalties in the final
Sweet%20Tooth
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88 Video's most popular rentals
Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
Anna and the Apocalypse
Director: John McPhail
Starring: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Mark Benton
Three stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017
Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free
Fixtures - Open Men 2pm: India v New Zealand, Malaysia v UAE, Singapore v South Africa, Sri Lanka v England; 8pm: Australia v Singapore, India v Sri Lanka, England v Malaysia, New Zealand v South Africa
Fixtures - Open Women Noon: New Zealand v England, UAE v Australia; 6pm: England v South Africa, New Zealand v Australia
Global institutions: BlackRock and KKR
US-based BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with $5.98 trillion of assets under management as of the end of last year. The New York firm run by Larry Fink provides investment management services to institutional clients and retail investors including governments, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, banks and charitable foundations around the world, through a variety of investment vehicles.
KKR & Co, or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, is a global private equity and investment firm with around $195 billion of assets as of the end of last year. The New York-based firm, founded by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, invests in multiple alternative asset classes through direct or fund-to-fund investments with a particular focus on infrastructure, technology, healthcare, real estate and energy.
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20CarbonSifr%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202022%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Onur%20Elgun%2C%20Mustafa%20Bosca%20and%20Muhammed%20Yildirim%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Climate%20tech%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%241%20million%20raised%20in%20seed%20funding%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The five pillars of Islam
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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