With the Conservative Party showing open divisions, its right emboldened to hold separate conferences, and many Tory MPs already announcing their plans to stand down at the next election, Zoë Grünewald takes a look at what’s happening to moderates in the party.   She’s joined by the writer and commentator Benedict Spence, and Ryan Shorthouse, the chief executive of the liberal conservative think tank Bright Blue. They discuss why centrist voters are turning away from the Conservatives, whether the party has much to show for the last 13 years in government, and which wing might take control after the next election.
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Is there a future for moderates in the Conservative Party?

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Thursdays: host Anoosh Chakelian is joined by the New Statesman politics team to help you understand the week in politics, in Westminster and beyond. Featuring Andrew Marr, Rachel Cunliffe, Freddie Hayward and more.
Saturdays: the New Statesman team answer your questions in "You Ask Us".
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News & Politics

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Politics

Are any Tories desperate enough to take over as Prime Minister?
In our listener questions episode, You Ask Us, Rachel Cunliffe, George Eaton and Freddie Hayward answer your questions on whether any Conservative MPs would really want to take over as PM before the next election, and how on earth they will explain Britain's failing economy during the election campaign.
To submit a question, visit www.newstatesman.com/youaskus
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Who would want Rishi Sunak's job now?

The longer the Conservatives hang on, the worse it gets. Last week Rishi Sunak lost 474 councillors, the constituency of Blackpool south, and Andy Street’s West Midlands mayoral. And yesterday things went from bad to worse for Sunak with a surprise defection to Labour from Natalie Elphicke MP for Dover and Deal.
The Conservatives can’t seem to escape this endless decline in support and popularity. So when did it all start to go wrong, and can they stop the train before it completely derails?
Freddie Hayward, political correspondent, is joined in the studio by Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor, and George Eaton, senior editor.
Read: The Tory doomscroll Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Defeat and defection: Tories are down bad

The UK is on course for a huge rise in preventable illness. The Health Foundation charity predicts that by 2040, one in five adults will be living with a serious condition, such as cancer, dementia or heart disease. Meanwhile, economic activity is stagnating, with roughly 2.8 million people currently out of work due to ill health, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.
Our world-leading life sciences sector has the capacity to help reverse this trend. In 2021 alone, it contributed £43.3bn to the UK economy, and supported 646,000 jobs. With the right investment, it could add an additional £68bn to GDP over the next 30 years, create 85,000 more jobs and result in a 40 per cent decrease in disease burden across the UK.
This episode, in partnership with professional services firm PwC, explores how greater investment into vital disease areas such as cancer, obesity and immunology could make British society physically and financially healthier.
Emma Haslett is joined by Chi Onwurah, the shadow minister for science, research and innovation; Dr Dan Mahony, chair of the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) and the government’s life sciences investment envoy; and Stephen Aherne, pharmaceutical and life sciences leader at PwC UK.
If you enjoyed this podcast you can find more of Spotlight's policy reporting in our standalone Spotlight podcast feed, or at newstatesman.com/spotlight   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How can life sciences investment make the UK healthier? | Sponsored

Keir Starmer is the man poised to be the next leader of the UK. But he is also a man of whom many - including those in his own party - have asked: what does he stand for? 
Four years after Starmer became leader of the Labour party we know a little more about him. We’ve heard about his childhood, the pebble-dashed semi and his time at the Crown Prosecution Service.
But what are the principles behind the man and his project ? What do we really know about ‘Starmerism’? 
Freddie Hayward, political correspondent, is joined by George Eaton, senior editor, who has written this week's cover story.
Read: What is Starmerism? 
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What do we really know about ‘Starmerism’?

It has been a terrible night for the Conservatives who have lost councillors, constituencies, and new Mayoral positions to Labour. Keir Starmer has called this result a sign to move on and for Rishi Sunak to call a general election.
So far the Tories have held onto the Tees Valley mayoral position but Labour have won in Rishi Sunak's backyard. So as the rest of the results continue to trickle in, Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor, and Ben Walker, senior data journalist, as they analyse what yesterday's elections, and today’s results, tell us about the UK wants from its leadership.

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Is there a future for moderates in the Conservative Party?

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