Wednesday, October 2, 2024 James Cleverly's moment?  James Cleverly exceeded expectations most with his well-written, well-delivered speech in the Conservative leadership beauty contest in Birmingham.    Personally, I found Kemi Badenoch's speech more interesting, but Cleverly was good enough for him to take over as second favourite on the betting markets.    The puzzle remains that Robert Jenrick, whose speech I thought was wooden and unconvincing, is still the favourite. If it ends up being Jenrick vs Cleverly, the YouGov poll of Tory members going into the conference put Jenrick on 52 per cent and Cleverly (who came fourth on first preferences) on 48 per cent in a head-to-head.     Tory MPs vote on Wednesday and Thursday next week to whittle the four candidates down to two – in the last ballot on 10 September, Jenrick had 33 votes, Badenoch 28 and Cleverly and Tugendhat were tied on 21, with Mel Stride's 16 votes yet to be redistributed.    The contest is wide open.  Written by John Rentoul Quiz question How is light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation better known? Answer at the bottom of today's email Support The Independent At The Independent, nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own mind and aren't afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.   With your support, we challenge the status quo, uncover crucial stories, and amplify unheard voices. If you like what we do, do take out a subscription and help support the best quality online-only journalism. SUBSCRIBE: 6 MONTHS FOR £66 £1 SUBSCRIBE: 6 MONTHS FOR £66 £1 Daily briefing Kemi Badenoch puts Tory leadership bid back on track in final round of speeches James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, Tom Tugendhat and Kemi Badenoch make their final pitches at the conference in Birmingham Labour peer Waheed Alli under investigation over alleged non-registration of interests The donor who paid for Keir Starmer's suits and glasses is being investigated by a House of Lords standards commissioner  Keir Starmer pays back £6,000 in gifts and hospitality The prime minister has repaid the cost of six Taylor Swift tickets, four races tickets and a designer clothing deal for his wife What else you need to know today Mary Dejevsky asks if JD Vance's debate performance – polls suggest viewers thought it was a draw – will help swing the pendulum back to Donald Trump Ian Bond, of the Centre for European Reform, suggests how Keir Starmer could overcome the legacy of mistrust between the UK and the EU I hosted an Ask Me Anything session yesterday about the Conservative conference – an edited version is here The Independent View A toxic tinge of Trumpism has infected the Tories in Birmingham Politics explained The latest poll gives Kemi Badenoch a narrow lead – is it reliable? YouGov put her four points ahead of Robert Jenrick among Tory party members before the conference/beauty pageant began...   Read more MOST COMMENTED Starmer facing EU demands on youth mobility as he begins Brexit reset talks A look back at the Tory conference  A mysteriously cheerful gathering of the fallen The Conservative conference was strange, in that the mood, if agglomerations such as these can have a mood, was generally cheerful. The contrast with last year's gloom was striking.    Many Tories were gleeful that Keir Starmer's government seems to be tripping over itself – and no doubt will be even more pleased that today's story about Starmer repaying £6,000 of donations puts the gifts row back in the headlines.    But I thought there was an air of complacency verging on denial, especially in Tories' attitudes towards the Liberal Democrats. They have 72 seats and they are not going to be easy for the Tories to win back. If the Tories fail to decontaminate their brand, it is perfectly possible that the Lib Dems could come close or overtake them in the next parliament.    None of the four leadership candidates had much to say about that.  QUOTATION OF THE DAY "I am very sorry to have to say it, but that speech of Robert Jenrick's was lazy, mendacious, simplistic tripe"   Jesse Norman, Conservative MP for Hereford Quiz answer: Laser, from the initials The Independent proudly partners with Refuge and the National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247 Join the conversation or follow us Download the free Independent app Please do not reply directly to this email   You are currently registered to receive The Independent's View From Westminster newsletter.   To unsubscribe from The Independent's View From Westminster newsletter, or to manage your email preferences please click here.   This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345 Read our privacy notice and cookie policy