Boris’s speech was all sunshine and no substance

Probably the most significant feature of Boris Johnson’s speech at the Tory conference is what it said about him rather than what he said.

To put it another way, the Prime Minister seemed bouncier than he has in many months, thanks — he said — to shedding 26 pounds of flab since falling seriously ill with Covid-19. But this was not a speech that will be remembered for much else, partly because Johnson wants us to set our sights on 2030 whereas millions of us are more fixated on who will be in work or in decent health tomorrow.

Only some will be offended by Boris Johnson’s 2030 country: the air clean, the people more tolerant and productive, the UK still four nations. But it was pretty much all hope rather than plan.

There were a few seemingly upgraded promises: two million long-term fixed-rate mortgages for young people; one-to-one tuition for those with learning difficulties and for young prodigies; offshore wind energy powering every device in every home; something about ‘the magic of averages’ finally providing decent affordable care to the elderly and frail.

But when his spokesperson was asked for more information on all or any of these promises, the reply each time was he did not yet have the detail. To