Axing, Banning, Changing: Rishi Sunak’s Speech at Tory Conference Made Simple
Updated: Aug 27
On Wednesday 4th October, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a speech in the annual Conservative Party conference that left many people confused on the future of England due to the radical new changes he announced. All you need to know is in this article.
Rishi Sunak made his first appearance and speech as Prime Minister of England at the Conservative Party conference and announced big changes. His speech is a persuasive tactic to win over the public before the next general election – which will be announced no later than 17th December 2024.
Sunak announces the axing of HS2 route
HS2, the full title being High Speed 2, is a planned modern and advanced railway network which connects the south of England to the north. The railway line starts in London and goes to Birmingham – completing the journey in an estimated 50 minutes with a top speed of 225 miles-per-hour.
But that’s not all, the flagship train will be carbon free and environmentally friendly once built. The project is the largest infrastructure in Europe and will lead Britain’s transport network.
HS2 is the successor of High Speed 1 – another ground-breaking railway line which connects London to the Channel Tunnel and through to Calais, France. HS2 was announced in 2013 after HS1 was completed in 2007. The completion of the current High Speed project was due for 2026, but due to the current circumstances it will not be running until around 2030.
HS2 was designed into two phases – phase 1 between London and Birmingham, and phase 2 being two separate legs of the railway starting from Birmingham and splitting to Leeds and Manchester. The Leeds and East Midlands leg was cancelled in 2021 and in his speech, Sunak has announced the cancellation of the Manchester leg.
This ground-breaking project has been axed massively and has left MPs and the public unsure about the prospects. The cancellations have significantly damaged the northern countryside as construction work for these extra railways have already begun. As a result, purchased farmers’ land and precious environments in an eco-friendlier culture have been destroyed for a now cancelled project.
The reason behind the Manchester line being axed was due to the rising costs: originally being estimated as £33bn in 2010 but has since risen dramatically to £71bn in 2019. The Manchester leg itself was estimated to cost £26bn and Sunak has pledged that ‘every penny’ will be reinvested into northern public transport. In nearly a month since this speech services have been affected positively – England’s buses have already gotten a £150m boost as a result.
A gradual smoking ban for a healthier generation
The biggest story to come from Sunak’s speech is one that could be his legacy as Prime Minister. The PM has announced that from every year onwards, the legal age to purchase a cigarette will rise.
That means that anyone aged 14 in 2023 will not legally be able to buy tobacco - therefore phasing out smoking. Sunak spoke passionately about this subject, saying that there is ‘no safe level of smoking’ after being asked by the BBC about people's rights to make their own decisions. New Zealand is the only other country to attempt this radical movement.
The intentions are clear and positive – smoking is one of the largest issues that plague the NHS as it is the leading cause of preventable ill-health. As science has improved in recent decades, life-threatening diseases such as lung cancer have been connected to smoking. Phasing out cigarettes should put an end to these issues which would in turn relieve pressure off the NHS so that their work can be focused on un-preventable diseases.
Although sounding shocking, a smoking ban is not too dissimilar to the current normal – only 5% of the English population smoke and only one in nine 18–24-year-olds smoke. These figures are the results of dropping stats since the 1970s which suggests that cigarette sales have decreased on its own.
Anyone over the age limit of smoking currently will not experience radical change as they will still be legally allowed to purchase a cigarette. The smoking ban will tackle the issue for the younger generation – meaning that Sunak is aiming for England to be smoke free by 2030.
No new rules have been announced regarding vaping, which is another point of confusion on the announcements. People who are quitting smoking may be prescribed a vape by a doctor and that will not change. However, the effects of vaping have not been fully discovered yet and if it is anything like cigarettes and tobacco products, then they too could see a ban like this.
Many people, including fellow Tories, have criticised this stance due to the threat of a black market revolving around tobacco products. This will create similar problems to that of drugs – leading to pressure on police rather than health services.
It will be difficult for younger generations to avoid cigarettes for other reasons. For example, older family members may smoke and may disagree with the idea that their relatives cannot join in. Previous iconic TV shows like ‘Only Fools and Horses’ film characters smoking often and future parents showing these shows to their children may lead to upset and rebellion.
Although having contrasting feedback from the public’s opinions, the PM’s intentions of a smoking ban is nothing but positive but in time will include drastic changes from how we live today. In terms of Peter Symonds College, the cage may get a lot quieter!
Changes to A-Levels and education at ages 16-19
The final main change Sunak has announced also links directly to Symonds as he is changing the A-level education system. His goals are to boost the prospects of students aged 16 to 19 to keep young people fully educated while they are still in full time education.
A-levels and T-levels will be merged into a new qualification only available in England – the Advanced British Standard qualification. This is yet another example of Sunak changing a previous policy made by his party which in this case is the T-level.
This new qualification reduces the wide variety of subjects on offer to current A-level students to a few broad subjects. The PM has also announced that students this age will also continue to study English and Maths until they have finished full time education.
This new pledge contrasts massively to the education system now and feels, if anything, like a step backwards. Subjects such as Psychology and Film Studies may be seen as too ‘specific’ for students in this age category – leaving them only to be studied at university. Broader subject areas under the Advanced British Standard like ‘social studies’ and ‘creative arts’ may replace current A-level subjects we have today.
Although again having positive intentions to enhance Britain’s literacy and numeracy levels to better perceptions from other countries, this new education system has its flaws already. Students may find studying English and Maths, the two biggest and main subjects there are, and other broader subjects which tackle multiple areas of study very challenging.
Another demographic that will feel the effects of this change are teachers for this age group. Teachers who already specialise in specific subjects (like the ones suggested) may suffer a decrease in work which will lead to more economic troubles. Sunak has promised a cash bonus of £30,000 for teachers due to this inconvenience. A new force of English and Maths teachers will also be recruited to follow his new plan, and finding these specialist teachers are already proving difficult.
Current students and teachers should not worry yet as the new system will be implemented for students starting Year R in 2024 – meaning the Advanced British Standard and the continuation of English and Maths will not start until 17 years’ time.
Rishi Sunak’s speech also included other key statements like wanting to be seen as the heir to Margaret Thatcher and having his wife Akshata Murty open the speech. Overall, there is a lot to discuss and what is considered normal will change. Has Sunak made the right pledges?
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