The Conservative Party do not want to be in Opposition. But we recognise that if we can effectively hold the Government to account, we can begin to rebuild trust with an electorate who have stopped listening to us. I am standing to be Leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party because I want voters to listen to us again, to see us as a united force who can hold Labour to account and get us back into Government.
To do this, it is essential we unite. We have seen that when the Conservatives fight each other, we lose General Elections. We should reflect honestly on what went wrong but avoid spending the coming weeks pointing the blame. We have a responsibility to come together and hold Keir Starmer’s Labour Party to account. People’s lives are at stake and our party’s reputation is on the line. From this moment and for every moment thereafter, we to unite and show discipline.
I firmly believe that conservatism hasn’t failed, and our Party’s heroic members and activists have been steadfast in their service. Instead, politicians who fell out and fell short have let us down. Conservative values and principles remain as true as ever. They are still shared by a majority of the electorate, including young people. Our instincts to defend freedom, promote enterprise, keep people safe, and spread opportunity remain sound and popular. We love this country, our union of four nations. Conservatives believe in meritocracy, not patronage. We want to see people succeed and provide for their families. But we were defeated because we lost sight of our conservative values and spent more time fighting each other than putting conservative values to the electorate.
To introduce instinctively conservative policies, we have to confront law and order. As Britain’s first female Asian Home Secretary, I worked so hard to build up the police again, toughened legislation for criminals, deported 12,000 foreign offenders, ended free movement and helped bolster our national security.
Voters want to see this, and that is how we win them back. They do not care about whether we are left or right. They want to see effective government, with experienced politicians putting strong conservative values into practice.
This is how we win back voters, no matter which party they voted for, or if they stayed at home. It isn’t about tacking left or right. It’s about competent, grown-up and experienced politicians putting authentic conservative values into practice.
One silver lining of opposition is we have time to consider and evaluate fresh policies on the issues that confront us. As we move into a more uncertain world, issues like energy security, community cohesion, immigration, social care, education, housing and defence will all cause voter’s deep concern. We need to harness the talents of our new batch of MPs and ensure we get these policies right.
Having served the Conservative Party for over thirty years, I have seen the hard work, dedication and sense of duty of Conservative Party Members. They are an inspiration, and should be used to take on Labour and Reform. For that reason, I would give them a greater voice and role – in policy, on the Party Board, and with a democratically elected Party Chairman.
The Conservative Party is a grassroots movement, or it is nothing. We need to work from the bottom up, keeping local activists connected with MPs and CCHQ.
I know we can win the next General Election if we come together and unite, put the national interest first and prioritise delivery over self-interest.
I have done this throughout my 30 years volunteering and working for our Party – in both Opposition and Government. I can unite our Party and get us match fit for the next general election. If we unite, we can win.
Voters want to see effective government, says Conservative leadership contender Priti Patel
