The Tory conference in Manchester will be Rishi Sunak's first conference as prime minister. Photo: OLI SCARFF/AFP
Rishi Sunak will arrive at the Tory conference on Saturday hoping his party can show unity a year before the next general election.
Since taking office last September, In chaotic circumstances, the Prime Minister has gone to great lengths to try to restore unity in the ranks.
But underneath the calmer exterior, the Conservatives remain riven by the same divisions that contributed to the downfall of his two predecessors.
Here the Telegraph looks at five simmering controversies. Sunak hopes to keep the situation under control while party members and MPs gather together in Manchester.
Tax
One of the biggest ideological divisions running between the Tories is whether taxes should be cut, and if so. then how quickly and for how much.
So far, Mr Sunak and his chancellor Jeremy Hunt have largely managed to curb calls from MPs for tax cuts.
But with the party still trailing Labor heavily in the polls, calls for action from MPs and cabinet ministers are likely to grow louder.
They will be led by Liz Truss, the former prime minister who is set to lead ” The Great British Growth Rally. » conference event.
HS2
The most awkward topic for the Prime Minister when he arrives in Manchester will be questions about the future of HS2.
Downing Street is prepared to abandon the northern section of the railway, which would have ended in the city, due to concerns over rising costs.
The decision has sharply divided Tory MPs. , with some Red Wall MPs warning it would amount to a betrayal of their 2019 constituents.
But it will be a crowd pleaser among those who want the government to plow the billions saved into improving other transport links.
Immigration
Mr Sunak also risks causing another rift within the Conservatives after allowing Suella Braverman to discuss the idea of Britain leaving the European Convention on Human Rights.
During a speech in the US, the Home Secretary said, with the support of No 10, that the UK could withdraw from the convention if necessary to combat illegal migration.
This is exactly what the right is calling for party members to convey to voters that the government is serious about stopping the boats.
But this will attract huge opposition from the One Nation group. MPs, numbering up to 100, who will fiercely fight such plans.
Net zero
The Prime Minister plans to hit back at Labor with a series of major policy announcements, the first of which was on net zero last week.
Mr Sunak announced he was delaying or easing some goals, including a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and the phasing out of gas boilers.
The move pleased right-wing Tory MPs, who have been pushing Downing Street to ease the cost of the transition to a green economy for voters.
But it sparked a backlash from environmentalists, including Boris Johnson, who argued the prime minister lacked ambition for Britain's future.
Benefits
And the prime minister The minister and the chancellor have made reducing unemployment a priority and putting Britons back to work at the heart of their push for economic growth.
But while all Tory MPs agree that the huge toll of economic inactivity needs to be radically reduced, they were divided as to the means.
The most controversial issue is whether to cut unemployment benefits and tighten penalties for claimants who don't try to find work.
Some experts believe tough measures will be popular among voters, but others argue that punishment is not an effective way to incentivize work.
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