The Mayor of London’s conference speech was a rallying cry to Conservative party members – ahead of both next week’s by-election in Clacton and the 2015 election.
Boris Johnson, also standing as a Parliamentary Candidate in Uxbridge South Ruislip at the General Election, told delegates that he would: “see you at the barricades.”
If the Conservatives were to lose in 2015, then the Mayor of London would likely be a candidate for the leadership of the party, as would the Home Secretary Theresa May, who spoke immediately before him.
Ms May told delegates that “While we still have the chance, we must act to destroy Isil”, having struck a more compassionate tone in the opening of her speech, calling for the reform of stop-and-search.
Michael Deacon, Telegraph Sketchwriter, who says that Ms May has previously seemed like “the white witch of Narnia”, assesses whether she could beat Mr Johnson, “the party’s cheerleader,” in a leadership contest.
Read more: Boris Johnson and Theresa May are the only candidates for the next Conservative leader, argues Robert Colvile, Senior Comment Editor
