Jenrick, Cleverly, Badenoch and Tugendhat to all get 20 minutes to pitch their vision to members

Good morning. There are plenty of more important things in politics than who becomes the next Conservative leader – two thirds of voters don’t even care, according to Ipsos polling, including almost a third of people who backed the party at the election – but if you are interested in the outcome, today is the most important day in the contest so far. Over the past century most people elected Conservative leader have also been prime minister at some point, so it is normally a consequential choice.

Although the four-day conference has, in effect, been a long husting, this morning we’re getting the key face-off. All four candidates are delivering a 20-minute speech in the conference hall. A platform speech to a big audience is always a challenge, but the candidates face two particular difficulties this morning.

The truth is this. If we’re to tackle the immense challenges we face, if we’re to restore the public’s trust, we must build something new.

A new Conservative party. That is what I call for today. Nothing less than a new Conservative Party built on the rock of our oldest values and best traditions. If I become our leader, this is what – together – we will build.

The Conservatives have to be the party of wealth creation. Wealth is not a dirty word. It supports jobs and families. It pays for our schools, for our health service. We should encourage it.

Let’s be enthusiastic; relatable; positive; optimistic.

Let’s sell the benefits of a Conservative government with a smile. We will not win back voters by pretending to be something we’re not. We win back voters by being honest, by being professional, by being Conservative.