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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Peter Walker Political correspondent

Tory culture warriors at conference battle for the soul of the party

The home secretary, Suella Braverman,
The home secretary, Suella Braverman, a popular figure with Conservative culture warriors, was warmly received at the party’s annual conference in Birmingham. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

It was near the end of a fringe event entitled Are We Losing the War on Woke? when Tory MP Miriam Cates suggested drastic cuts to higher education. Why? In part to save money. But also, she said, to stop young people being “indoctrinated” with liberal ideas.

One overlooked feature of the just-ended Conservative conference was a battle waged away from the cabinet splits and the main conference hall – a concerted, if so far largely below the surface, effort to get the party fully engaged in a US-style culture war.

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