{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/9475d117-fcd4-4915-a6f3-923941e7aa0d/66fac53dfdb2501b6bf2daf2?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Tory party conference: leadership rivals battle with free merch","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/61ba05fc1a8cbed4343cf0e6/1727710216528-60c37d5e-e842-4f03-9c93-aa13e8320247.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>The Conservative Party conference kicks off in Birmingham - <a href=\"https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/tory-conference-leadership-race-kemi-badenoch-robert-jenrick-james-cleverly-tom-tugendhat-b1184953.html\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">throwing the race to become the next opposition leader wide open.</a>&nbsp;</p><p>And as the hopefuls promote themselves to the Tory membership, there’s an <a href=\"https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/freebies-conservative-leadership-contest-robert-jenrick-kemi-badenoch-b1185043.html\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">unusual array of candidate promotional ‘merch’ being offered.</a></p><p>The Standard’s chief political correspondent, Rachael Burford, has the details.</p><p>But is it actually helping convince members that they should back James Cleverly, Tom Tugendhat, Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick?</p><p>The jury’s out, but there’s also been some <a href=\"https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage-tory-reform-leader-badenoch-cleverly-jenrick-tugendhat-b1184893.html\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">very interesting polling</a> on who the public’s thinks has what it takes to become a future prime minister.</p><p>In part two, as the UK’s last remaining coal-fired power station shuts down, is it possible to ensure clean energy while cutting consumer bills - and how would this power grid of the future operate?</p><p>We’re joined by climate scientist Simon Lewis, professor of global change science at UCL.</p>","author_name":"The Evening Standard"}