Mr Gove argues the Tories have a lot to show for the last 14 years (Image: Getty)
Michael Gove has sparked a debate after suggesting the Tories need to spend more time promoting their achievements from their last 14 years in power.
Against a backdrop of constant infighting, and Conservative MPs and former ministers carping about the country’s problems, Mr Gove has begun a fightback to change the narrative about his party’s successes after a decade-and-a-half in power.
He argues that, despite the economic crisis inherited from New Labour, a global pandemic, war in Europe and social media spreading hatred, disunity and misinformation, the Conservatives have a record to be proud of.
His lengthy piece, published on the Conservative Home website, also parodies an infamous speech given by Gordon Brown at the 2009 Labour conference, in which he reeled off Labour’s achievements since 1997.
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Michael Gove has written an essay on the Tories' achievements (Image: Getty)
“Look what we’ve achieved together since 1997: the winter fuel allowance, the shortest waiting times in history, crime down by a third, the creation of Surestart, the Cancer Guarantee, record results in schools, more students than ever, the Disability Discrimination Act, devolution, civil partnerships, peace in Northern Ireland, the social chapter, half a million children out of poverty, maternity pay, paternity leave, child benefit at record levels, the minimum wage, the ban on cluster bombs, the cancelling of debt, the trebling of aid, the first ever Climate Change Act; that’s the Britain we’ve been building together, that’s the change we choose”.
In response, Mr Gove penned his own version of such a speech, suggesting that a Tory minister seeking to emulate Gordon Brown could tell the Tory Party conference that ministers have delivered a raft of successes, from education and welfare reform, to the Brexit and the fastest Covid vaccine rollout in the world.
Gordon Brown delivered an impassioned speech about Labour's achievements in 2009 (Image: Getty)
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“Better state schools than ever before, more students from state schools at our best universities, more students securing top grades in maths, physics and chemistry, our universities the best in Europe and growing, record numbers in employment, welfare simpler, fairer and better targeted, many more hours of free childcare, a national living wage, same-sex marriage, stronger defence with two new aircraft carriers, new nuclear submarines on the way and a stronger NATO, the fastest decarbonisation of any major economy, world leaders in offshore wind, farm subsidies reformed to increase production and enhance the environment, world leadership in protecting our oceans, Brexit delivered and membership of the world’s fastest growing trade bloc secured, more than ￡350 million extra a week for the NHS, leadership extended in life sciences, quantum computing and AI and gene technology, crime falling, over 2.5 million new homes delivered and the number of non-decent homes down by over 2 million, the Union strengthened, devolution delivered across much of England, nationalism in retreat in Scotland, the fastest vaccine rollout in the world, democracy’s strongest supporter in Ukraine” and that a Labour Government would risk sending all that back to square one.”
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Concluding his piece, he argues the Tories do have “much to be proud of in the last 14 years” and says they can look forward to “achieving much more in the years ahead under Rishi Sunak’s leadership”.
Echoing Mr Sunak’s recent catchphrase, the top Tory asks: “Our plan is working. Do we really want to go back to square one?”
Now you can have your say on what the Tories’ biggest achievement since 2010 has been in our poll above.
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