Rishi Sunak will vow to end 30 years of the status quo in politics as he tries to position himself as the change candidate for the next general election.

In his first speech to the Conservative Party conference as leader, Mr Sunak will seek to paint Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, as the continuity choice for voters.

The Prime Minister is set to announce that the second leg of HS2, from Birmingham to Manchester, will be scrapped – ending weeks of speculation as he scales back a flagship Tory building project.

But in turn, he will promise billions of pounds for other transport schemes, arguing that he is a political leader who is honest with the public and willing to take big calls ahead of an election being planned for autumn 2024.

Other announcements will be signalled. Moves considered in recent weeks include scrapping A-levels, further action to crack down on poor-quality university degrees, and new anti-smoking measures.