One Conservative donor said it was the “worst” party conference he had been to in 50 years, a veteran journalist said it was the “most chaotic” in 50 that he had covered, “and that’s including Labour and the Lib Dems”.
At times it felt like the Tories had lapsed into the blood sports much loved by some, scenting prey and like hounds following it, regardless of the consequences.
That mindless chase towards impenetrable thickets was averted — temporarily at least — by Liz Truss’ conference speech, where she was emboldened by environmentalist protestors who attempted to steal her limelight.
In the end, she delivered a speech that grew in confidence, selling her vision of low tax and a booming British economy that appears to have bought her time.
Canada wipe-out
But that will not provide much solace for Conservative MPs terrified of losing their seats whenever the next general election occurs.
Some point to the wipe-out experienced by Canada’s Progressive Conservative party, whose popularity plummeted from 43 per cent to 16 per cent, losing all but two of their 156 seats previously held before the 1993 election.
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British Prime Minister Liz Truss speaks at the ruling Conservative Party's annual conference in Birmingham. Reuters -
Attendees take their seats before the keynote speech by Ms Truss. Bloomberg -
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Nadhim Zahawi speaks. PA -
Prime Minister Truss and her husband Hugh O'Leary arrive for day four of the Conservative Party conference. Getty Images -
A delegate wears a red 'Make Britain Great Again' cap. Getty Images -
A member of the audience wears socks with Union Jack colours. Reuters -
Liz Truss and Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng visit the construction site of a medical innovation campus during day three of the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham. Getty Images -
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly arrives at the conference. Reuters -
Former home secretary Priti Patel speaks in Birmingham. Getty Images -
A delegate is pictured with a bag displaying pictures of former Conservative prime ministers Benjamin Disraeli, Winston Churchill, Boris Johnson and Margaret Thatcher. AFP -
Mr Kwarteng delivers a speech on day two of the annual Conservative Party conference in Birmingham. Getty Images -
Liz Truss, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Nadhim Zahawi and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Therese Coffey listen to Mr Kwarteng speak. Reuters -
Ms Truss arrives for the Conservative Party Conference. EPA -
Leaflets with Ms Truss on the cover are seen on the second day of the conference. Getty Images -
A person attending the conference carries a bag from the Taxpayers' Alliance. EPA -
Refugees present Tory delegates with 'one-way tickets' to Rwanda during a protest outside the Conservative Party annual conference. PA -
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg laughs as he arrives. EPA -
Ms Truss and Mr Kwarteng chat at the opening session of Conservative Party conference in Birmingham. EPA -
A protester demonstrates outside the annual autumn conference. Bloomberg -
Mr Kwarteng gives a TV interview. Reuters -
Protesters march with placards at a demonstration in Birmingham against the Conservative government as the party's conference started in the city. Bloomberg -
The prime minister and members of her Cabinet sing the national anthem at the opening session. EPA -
Penny Mordaunt, Leader of the House of Commons, pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. PA -
Protesters and police clash in Birmingham city centre. Getty Images -
Former British prime minister Boris Johnson is reflected in Mr Kwarteng's glasses. Reuters -
A protester holds a placard condemning the chancellor. Bloomberg -
Ms Truss arrives at the conference. Bloomberg -
Delegates take a break outside the venue on the opening day. AFP
Recent electoral surveys suggest MPs have good reason to be fearful, with steady polling showing the opposition Labour consistently at between 25 and 33 per cent ahead.
In the short term, at least, that favours Ms Truss, lending her the ability to exert party discipline with the threat of calling a general election in which most MPs would lose their jobs.
The risk of extinction might prove motivational and will probably tie MPs to Ms Truss’ vision for growth, no matter the consequences.
Cockpit addicts
The cause of the Conservative descent from being the self-styled “natural party of government” can be traced to the decision to call a referendum on exiting the European Union in 2016.
On the first day of Brexit they lost a sensible, centrist prime minister in David Cameron. Three prime ministers on and the party is plummeting earthwards in a spin.
“Since Brexit it’s been like a load of drug addicts are in the cockpit flying like crazy and we’re the passengers but it’s only the people in the cockpit who have ejector seats,” a respected Conservative figure told The National.
For now, it appears that Ms Truss has managed to land the plane but not exited the cockpit, surrounded by those who seem intent on self-immolation.
Snake and traitor
While the fledgling British prime minister ended the conference confident and, to a point, in command, that had not seemed possible when the man no Tory wants as an enemy, Michael Gove, fomented the first uprising of the Truss era on Sunday.
Well-intentioned headlines of fixing Britain’s economy were trounced when the former Cabinet minister, who was sacked by Boris Johnson as a final act of revenge the night before he resigned, lobbed a stun grenade.
“I don’t think it’s right,” he said, responding to whether he would vote for the five per cent cut to the 45 per cent tax rate for highest earners announced in chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s contentious mini-budget.
Mr Gove, who has variously been called a “snake” and a “traitor” by his own, is clearly exercising influence now he’s back among backbenchers.
His reach was such that Mr Kwarteng missed the main course of his dinner with reporters from The Sun newspaper on Sunday night, as Ms Truss summoned him to commit a U-turn on the tax hike.
Cabinet freelancers
That came on Monday, the humiliation was complete for Mr Kwarteng as the reversal came hours before he made his keynote conference speech. Lacking any lustre, and indeed attracting only lukewarm support, its main effect was to trigger the starting gun for a Tuesday of high drama.
MPs felt emboldened to force further concessions with ministers — including Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt, calling for social benefits to rise in line with inflation, currently around 10 per cent.
Cabinet discipline went up in smoke mid-conference, with ministers openly floating their own policies against the government position.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman criticised the tax U-turn and accused Mr Gove and other critics of Ms Truss of staging a “coup” to force the climbdown.
Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch publicly told Ms Braverman not to use such “inflammatory” language.
At one point it appeared Mr Kwarteng was blaming Queen Elizabeth II’s death for all the chaos, claiming his mini-budget had to be seen in the context of the “high pressure” period following her demise and funeral.
Grant Shapps, a former Cabinet minister renowned for his reading of the Tory mood, said MPs would not “sit on their hands” in ousting Ms Truss without improvement.
Whipping in
All eyes will be on the prime minister when MPs return to Westminster next week. MPs who vote against her tweaked financial package will probably find themselves without the whip, suspended from the party, Downing Street officials have hinted.
For now, it appears that Ms Truss’ conference speech has saved the situation. “People just need to give her a chance to deliver something and run the country,” one Conservative member told The National. “Because this is not about the party, it’s about the country.”
Battle for Britain
That hard won breathing space will not last for long. Challenging events loom for the government.
Next Wednesday, Ms Truss will come up against the official opposition, with Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer likely to be unrelenting in his criticism during Prime Minister’s Questions.
The Bank of England’s purchase of government debt, needed to restore order after the tax cutting triggered financial chaos, will end on Friday, October 14.
Before or shortly after then, the government will probably publish the Office of Budget Responsibility report, which will set out how the tax cuts will be paid. This will probably be via big cuts in public services, leading to further cries of dismay in Tory ranks.
The coming days will be a time of reflection for Ms Truss, who has undoubtedly had the most challenging apprenticeship in becoming prime minister since Winston Churchill took office in May 1940 as France fell and British forces were thrown out of Europe.
Two months later, the Battle of Britain began, when the country’s very existence was at stake.
British Prime Minister Liz Truss - in pictures
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Britain's Prime Minister Liz Truss during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons in London, addressing Parliament for the first time since abandoning her disastrous tax-slashing economic policies. Here, 'The National' looks at her time in power so far. AFP -
Liz Truss speaks to Grant Shapps at Downing Street as he is appointed Home Secretary, after the resignation of Suella Braverman. Photo: Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street -
A mural by artist Ciaran Gallagher in Belfast is updated to reflect Liz Truss's current political troubles. PA -
Britain's new Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt announcing tax and spending measures at the House of Commons in London, with Liz Truss sitting on the bench behind him. AFP -
Liz Truss gives a speech after sacking Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor of the exchequer. Reuters -
A protest by climate change group Extinction Rebellion in central London. Ms Truss has said the group is part of an 'anti-growth coalition' with trade unions and the main opposition Labour Party. AFP -
Ms Truss has come under increasing pressure during her short time as prime minister. AFP -
An Extinction Rebellion protest outside Downing Street on the day Mr Kwarteng was removed from the government. AP -
Ms Truss with members of the England women's football team and the European Championship trophy in Teddington, south-west London. Getty -
Ms Truss arrives for a meeting of the European Political Community at Prague Castle in the Czech Republic. AP -
Ms Truss and her husband Hugh O'Leary wave after her keynote speech at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham. AP -
Liz Truss gives a speech at the Conservative Party Conference. EPA -
Ms Truss meets with Mr Kwarteng, chancellor of the exchequer at the time. Photo: Andrew Parsons / CCHQ -
Ms Truss and Mr Kwarteng visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham. AFP -
Ms Truss meets US President Joe Biden for talks at the UN headquarters in New York. PA -
Ms Truss delivers a speech at the 77th session of the General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York. AP -
The British prime minister holds a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in New York. Reuters -
Ms Truss meets French President Emmanuel Macron at the UN headquarters in New York. Reuters -
Ms Truss speaks to the media during her visit to the Empire State building in New York. AP -
Britain's new leader speaks during the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey, London. PA -
Ms Truss and her husband Hugh O'Leary observe a minute's silence at Number 10 Downing Street following the death of the queen. Reuters -
Britain's Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer and Ms Truss leave after a service for the reception of Queen Elizabeth's coffin at Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster. AFP -
Ms Truss joins the Speaker Lindsay Hoyle and selected MPs to take the oath and swear allegiance to King Charles III in the House of Commons chamber. PA -
King Charles during his first audience with Ms Truss at Buckingham Palace, London, following the death of Queen Elizabeth. Getty Images -
Ms Truss gives a reading during a service of prayer and reflection, following the passing of Queen Elizabeth, at St Paul's Cathedral in London. Getty Images -
The British prime minister makes a statement outside 10 Downing Street in London following the queen's death. Bloomberg -
Ms Truss speaking during her first weekly Prime Minister's Questions session at the House of Commons in London. AFP -
Front pages of a selection of British national newspapers, each leading with a story about Ms Truss becoming Britain's new prime minister. AFP -
People walk past an image in central London of Ms Truss on the side of a protest bus calling for a citizens' assembly. Reuters -
Ms Truss holds her first Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street. Reuters -
Ms Truss speaks at Downing Street on the day she took over as prime minister from Boris Johnson. EPA -
Ms Truss poses with her husband Hugh O'Leary at Downing Street before entering as prime minister for the first time. EPA -
Ms Truss is welcomed by staff in Downing Street as she enters the famous prime ministerial offices for the first time. Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street -
New Health Secretary Therese Coffey and Number 10 staff shelter from a downpour as they wait for Ms Truss to arrive in Downing Street. PA -
Liz Truss makes a speech outside 10 Downing Street, London, after meeting Queen Elizabeth II and accepting her invitation to become prime minister and form a new government. PA -
Queen Elizabeth II greets the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party, Ms Truss, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The queen invited Ms Truss to become prime minister and form a new government. Getty Images
