Tom Tugendhat (Image: Getty)
Over the General Election campaign, I had countless conversations with people who were rightly angry with the Tory Party and felt unable to support us.
That anger with the Conservative brand led to our worst electoral defeat in Parliamentary history. Voters chose to punish us at the ballot box by voting for any other party, and that’s why I am no longer the MP for Rossendale and Darwen.
In 2019, the Red Wall gave us a clear mandate with our largest victory since Thatcher and many people lent us their vote for the first time.
We promised to improve lives, public services, and keep taxes and immigration low, but we failed to deliver and we let people down.
Instead of focusing on their priorities, we spent years attacking each other and dividing our party. Reform appealed because they promised to do something about immigration, an issue people rightly care about.
Sir Jake Berry (Image: Getty)
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We should protect our borders, but our Conservative government didn’t act swiftly or explain the complexities. By the time we began to address it, it was too late for many voters.
And it was too late to rebuild their trust in our Party. They took their vote back at the first opportunity, and now it is our job to regain it. We need to win back the trust of the British people. We need a Leader who has a clear plan to do just that.
That is why I believe there is only one man for the job - Tom Tugendhat.
Tom is a true Conservative. He understands that we must return to core Conservative values if we are to return to power in five years.
We must move away from personality politics and focus on why we became Conservatives: robust measures on immigration, lower taxes, and less state intervention.
Tom commands trust and respect across the Party. In Parliament, he warned about threats from Russia and China early on.
As National Security Minister, he delivered results and wasn't afraid to share hard truths. He voted with his natural Conservative instincts on vaccine passports, lockdowns, and tax rises, choosing for the Government to play a minimal role in people’s lives.
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He avoided political games, worked diligently, earning quiet admiration and respect from across the Party.
Voters might not always agree with him, but they know he means what he says and keeps his promises. He is the candidate who can put an end to the game-playing, and unite our party.
That is how we rebuild trust with voters, and defeat Labour. That’s why I’m backing him as the next Leader of the Conservative Party.
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