Thread by @lewis_goodall

Boris Johnson repeats assertion which has been commonplace all this week, that the govt has “cleared up the debt”.

Current UK debt?

Around £1.8 trillion. #cpc19

Johnson says if Parliament were a school “it would be shut down by ofsted”

Not sure the analogy works. On that basis he’s the about to be sacked headmaster. #cpc19

Boris Johnson says Jeremy Corbyn would hold a Scottish referendum in 2020.

That seems highly unlikely. #CPC19

Boris Johnson reveals that his mother, unlike the rest of his family, voted to leave #cpc19

Boris Johnson’s speech is littered with reference to “one nation”, it’s clearly how he wishes to be seen.

The trouble is, his government seems so willing to alienate one of the nations of the UK, in flirting with no deal, that it’s very difficult to sustain. #CPC19

That and one nation means virtually nothing. Every single Conservative Leader (including Thatcher) has cloaked themselves in it for the last half century or more, all with vastly different personalities, politics and policies.

It’s also quite difficult to sustain the idea of one nation when you’re willing to embrace the most extreme version of your own policy without much regard to all those who can’t stand it. There’s been a lot of doublethink this week.

Very interesting that the tougher rhetoric on this being the “final offer”, which was briefed yesterday, seems absent from the speech...#CPC19

The final line betrays the problems with the Johnson premiership and this conference:

“Let’s get Brexit done and bring the country together.”

But that’s the thing. The way the PM has gone about getting the first done so far, makes the latter (already v hard) impossible. #CPC19

In many ways, that speech showed the best and worst of the Boris Johnson premiership. Funny, unpredictable but he hasn’t quite found a prime ministerial voice. It’s just his old one.

Also there’s a rhetorical difference between being London Mayor and Prime Minister. You can’t just excitedly list all the things which are progressing (electric planes, genetic research etc) whilst you happen to be in office. You have to communicate a reason to govern.

But as #cpc19 draws to a close, the Tory grassroots are in fine cheer. For the first time in 15 years (longer?) they have the leader they really want, rather than one they felt they had to tolerate. The party is united, partly because those who disagree have left/been kicked out.

But this conference was bathed in unreality. Summed up best by the strap line “get Brexit done” a sentiment about which all here agreed but after three and a bit years, no one here could actually categorically tell you how.