The Conservative Party is the most effective and successful political organisation in the world. We have formed the government more than any other party in the UK, and we have consistently delivered for the British people thanks to a reputation for good governance, pragmatism and competence.
On 4 July, the British public sent us a clear message though. We had lost the trust of voters and become synonymous with infighting, division and self-interest. That must change if we are to stand any chance of winning at the next possible opportunity.
I love the Conservative Party. Margaret Thatcher showed us that it was the Conservatives who believe in aspiration, and that people who work hard and do the right thing should be able to get on in life.
I first ran for elected office in 2002 in Lewisham; I was elected to City Hall in 2008 and became MP for Braintree in 2015. I was Party Chairman in 2019, when I helped Boris Johnson deliver an 80 seat majority that allowed us to break the deadlock, get Brexit done and keep Jeremy Corbyn well away from Number Ten.
In this contest, I am the only person to have served as both Home and Foreign Secretary and Party Chairman. I have been responsible for MI5, MI6, GCHQ and CCHQ.
As Foreign Secretary, I lobbied internationally to boost support to Ukraine and I led the UK’s response to Hamas’ brutal terrorist attack on Israel, supporting our ally when voices on the Left told us to abandon them. As Home Secretary, I cut migration after years of increases.
We need to rediscover confidence that our core values are shared by the British public and present an offer of unity, security and prosperity. That is our offer and what sets us apart from Labour, who are ravaged with ideological incoherence – just look at what they’ve done to dismantle our Rwanda partnership with no plan of their own to stop the boats.
When it comes to the Party machine, we need to realise the value of our members and supporters. More than just the troops on the ground, they are the lifeblood of our party. Delivering leaflets, knocking on doors, hosting events, raising money and making the case for Conservatism in their local communities and online.
I want to recognise the value of our members and empower them. It should be easier and more attractive to get involved with the party. We must do more to tell people that we are out there and we want them to be involved. When I was Party Chairman, I said that anyone coming out to campaign should have a positive experience. I stand by that.
We also need to fix the centre. I have seen under the bonnet of CCHQ as chairman. I know what works, and what doesn’t, and I know how to fix it. I successfully got our campaigning machine into shape ahead of the 2019 election.
We need a leader that is going to get out there and make the positive case for Conservatism. I have a military background and believe in duty and service above all else. Those are the qualities that have helped us deliver the economic and social reforms that have driven the UK’s world-leader status in so many areas today.
And it’s right that we keep striving for more. Aspiration is what we are all about; for our families, our communities and our country. We believe in personal responsibility, enabling people to spend more of their hard-earned money as they see fit and lowering taxes to do so.
Sadly, we left office with little credit for leaving Labour with the fastest growing economy in the G7 because people associated us with Partygate instead. I want to get us back on course, and remind people why voting Conservative is a good thing.
Voters are already starting to see that Labour don’t share their values or have a plan to tackle the issues they care about. Their landslide is nothing but a sandcastle, built from our failures rather than any enthusiasm for their policy platform.
We cannot chase after one set of voters at the expense of another, though. The Conservative Party is a broad church and it must remain so. We must appeal to all of those voters that we lost, whether to Reform, Labour or the Liberal Democrats.
A leader has to be in a position to reach across all of the viewpoints within the Conservative family. I can do that.
We must stand for aspiration “for our families, our communities and our country” says Conservative leadership candidate James Cleverly
