Robert Jenrick is battling to become the next Conservative leader (Image: Getty)
It is barely two months since the Conservative Party suffered the worst defeat in our Parliamentary history.
As a result, next Wednesday, the 121 surviving Conservative MPs will commence the process of voting to select a new Leader, to hopefully begin the long haul back to power.
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Fortunately, we already have six good candidates, all of whom have now been in Parliament for some time and all of whom have a variety of strengths – but which one should it be?
After a much-needed holiday to recuperate and a lot of subsequent thought, I have decided to vote for Robert Jenrick.
As an avowed Brexiteer, some might think it curious that I should choose to support someone who voted Remain in 2016 but perhaps I could try and articulate why?
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Robert Jenrick wants to be the next Tory leader (Image: Getty)
Like Robert, I was also one of 11 Conservative MPs who voted against the Second Reading of the Rwanda Bill because, having carefully examined the legislation, I did not think that it would work effectively, in practice.
However, Robert went further than that. Being very familiar with the Bill, he did what was constitutionally correct – he argued his case within Government, to try and toughen it up but, when push came to shove and he was faced with having to take legislation through the House of Commons which he believed would not work properly, he resigned from the Government, on a point of honour.
I hardly need stress how rare in modern politics that action now is.
In a post-election interview, Robert explained that his experience as Immigration Minister in the Home Office had materially changed his opinion, on matters such as the influence of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and its increasing interference in our everyday lives – including in impeding our ability to control our own borders.
We do not need to publish our detailed 2028/9 manifesto next week but we do, before too long, need to start staking out clear and principled positions, on key issues, so that we can begin to win back lost Conservative voters, not least from Reform.
Based on experience, Robert has now taken one such position – that we will need to withdraw from the ECHR if we are to regain our territorial integrity and I think he is probably right.
Having resigned from Government, essentially over this issue, I think he now has the moral force to make that argument ring true and, crucially, to perhaps persuade now deeply sceptical former Conservative voters, that we are actually serious about doing it.
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Moreover, I have heard Robert talk about the need to rebuild our position, over time, such that when a Tory Canvasser knocks on a door in future – be they an MP or a member of the Voluntary Party – the blue rosette which they are wearing instinctively resonates with the elector who sees it – in essence, just as it did back in the days of Margaret Thatcher.
I completely agree.
If we want people to vote for us again, we need to rediscover our sense of self-belief, to adopt clear and principled policies and then passionately argue our case, in Parliament, in the TV studios and then back on the doorsteps as well.
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I think that Robert is now best placed to lead that process of both intellectual and organisational revival.
In summary, we have six good candidates to choose from but, for the reasons given above, I believe that Robert Jenrick is the best one to unite our Party and lead us back into Government.
So, right across the Conservative family, from MP to Councillor and Volunteer, and from left to right, I hope people will give him their vote – as I now will.