Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the second day of the Conservative party conference in Manchester. Today’s keynote speeches are focused on “building a strong economy” and will feature the Chancellor Philip Hammond and David Gauke, the Work and Pensions Secretary.
It comes after the Chancellor warned Boris Johnson he could be fired if he keeps trying to push Theresa May towards a harder Brexit, saying: “Everyone is sackable.”
Philip Hammond also slapped down the Foreign Secretary’s insistence that a transitional period must last “not a second more” than two years – calling it a “rhetorical flourish”.
And he warned Cabinet divisions were damaging the chances of success in the Brexit talks, saying: “The more we can show unity, the stronger our negotiating position.”
Mr Hammond insisted the Cabinet had agreed a united position that the transition now being sought by the Prime Minister should last “around two years” – while admitting he had pushed for up to four years.
The Chancellor’s comments come after senior Tories rounded on Mr Johnson’s open challenge to Brexit policy. One told The Independenthe was “incredibly disloyal”.
Meanwhile, the British Chambers of Commerce launched an outspoken attack on the Cabinet squabbling, demanding the Tories pull themselves together and show “competence and coherence”
