Ewan Cameron is an approved Conservative candidate and nationwide campaigner.
Our Leadership Candidates had the opportunity to present their propositions during the conference, so I will not attempt to critique their differences.
I firmly believe that our party urgently requires a leader who comprehends the necessity of transforming the political discourse—a leader who is capable of setting the stage and effectively resetting the framework within which the debates are conducted. This is a monumental task. However, we have numerous examples throughout our political history where we Conservatives have successfully shifted the prevailing consensus.
Unlike some, I have not been eager for the four candidates to elaborate on the policies they would pursue. This is not only because the primary advantage of being in Opposition is the time to think—good and lasting policy requires time to develop and justify—but because of the danger of our candidates simply re-running the same arguments and same failed policy ideas we advocated as we campaigned towards inevitable defeat.
Repetition where the electorate hears the same words, the same sound bites, the same tedious arguments, and the same talking heads discussing the same policy topics. The danger lies in the electorate making a superficial connection, resulting in them perceiving us as the same old Tories—the very same Tories they recently ousted from office.
Most damagingly, our reiteration of the same arguments reinforces the electorate’s belief that we have not changed, we have not reflected, and ultimately, we have not learned from our defeat. A belief that would prolong our time in Opposition. Do we not remember the years following 1997?
Our party requires a candidate who possesses the humility and strength to acknowledge our loss in the general election and move forward.
The rise of support for both the far right and far left must be taken seriously. We need to consider why the hard-right Alternative for Germany is gaining mainstream support, while Marine Le Pen’s National Rally in France and its allies now control 25 per cent of parliamentary seats (a figure that could have been higher). This is compounded by the 13 per cent held by the radical left.
In Italy, the far-right coalition of the Brothers of Italy and the League secured 35 per cent of the vote, and Hungary is currently governed by a firmly nationalist administration. Here in the UK, the Reform Party and the Green Party are also populist campaigners who have no genuine intention of improving people’s lives; however, they are exceptionally skilled at amplifying public dissatisfaction. Reform’s claim that clogged roads are the government’s fault and the Greens’ assertion that the summer riots were political violence are significant risks that we must address.
Today, with only 121 Members of Parliament, 16 seats in the Senedd, 30 Members of the Scottish Parliament, and 5,150 Councillors, our mission is to overcome the populist threat and regain the trust of the British people. The next Conservative government must commit to advancing a better quality of life. Our future leader must be adept at helping the public recognise populist politicians, such as those from Reform and the Greens, as charlatans who have no genuine intention of improving people’s lives.
At the 2024 general election, the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats effectively capitalised on a wave of dissatisfaction with the government. As the governing party, we were held responsible for water companies discharging sewage, for the 28.5 per cent increase in the cost of a 1l of milk, for landlords raising rents by 9 per cent annually, and for the Conservative Party’s failure to ensure that the NHS could meet the growing demand.
Our party’s contract with the people has been grotesquely distorted by politicians across the spectrum, including our own ministers, who behave as if they believe the government is responsible for improving every aspect of life.
The Government should not be responsible for setting the price of milk. We should not wish for the Government to run our train services. It would not be good to have a team in Whitehall overseeing our local GP’s waiting list. We need a leader who isn’t afraid to articulate that the Government shouldn’t be cleaning water around the country.
Yes, the Government did become massive, both in terms of expenditure and control during the pandemic. Unfortunately, our last three Prime Ministers catastrophically failed to engage the electorate on why big government can so easily become a bad government.
As we elect a new leader, I will be looking for a candidate who can effectively articulate why the Government should not employ 1 in 5 of the working population. A leader who can explain why we should not accept public debt anywhere near 100 per cent of our GDP. A leader who possesses the compassion and honesty to discuss how social care and other community services should not be funded solely through general taxation. A leader who can change how we transform our diplomatic and international aid missions to achieve greater results. How our nation’s leadership needs new strategies to defend our interests at home and abroad.
There are many difficult conversations to be had across the country. Today, our party has a vacancy for a leadership team that can genuinely engage with the electorate on the importance of making alternative choices. Only by truly engaging will we, as Conservatives, once again govern with purpose.
By challenging the prevailing consensus, we can dislodge our opponents and earn the trust of the people, demonstrating that the Conservatives can empower the citizens of the United Kingdom to achieve a higher quality of life. We can take reassurance from our history that the right leader for the time can guide our nation’s ascent.
Margaret Thatcher led us through trade union reforms. Harold Macmillan shifted the consensus to facilitate a major increase in social housing. David Cameron championed the UK’s commitment to renewable energy, changing perceptions both at home and around the world.
As a nation, we have a history of electing leaders to Downing Street who can effectively communicate the means and implications of these changes for people’s lives. Great leadership allows the discomfort of change to give way to hope and the belief that the future will be better.
Ewan Cameron is an approved Conservative candidate and nationwide campaigner.
Our Leadership Candidates had the opportunity to present their propositions during the conference, so I will not attempt to critique their differences.
I firmly believe that our party urgently requires a leader who comprehends the necessity of transforming the political discourse—a leader who is capable of setting the stage and effectively resetting the framework within which the debates are conducted. This is a monumental task. However, we have numerous examples throughout our political history where we Conservatives have successfully shifted the prevailing consensus.
Unlike some, I have not been eager for the four candidates to elaborate on the policies they would pursue. This is not only because the primary advantage of being in Opposition is the time to think—good and lasting policy requires time to develop and justify—but because of the danger of our candidates simply re-running the same arguments and same failed policy ideas we advocated as we campaigned towards inevitable defeat.
Repetition where the electorate hears the same words, the same sound bites, the same tedious arguments, and the same talking heads discussing the same policy topics. The danger lies in the electorate making a superficial connection, resulting in them perceiving us as the same old Tories—the very same Tories they recently ousted from office.
Most damagingly, our reiteration of the same arguments reinforces the electorate’s belief that we have not changed, we have not reflected, and ultimately, we have not learned from our defeat. A belief that would prolong our time in Opposition. Do we not remember the years following 1997?
Our party requires a candidate who possesses the humility and strength to acknowledge our loss in the general election and move forward.
The rise of support for both the far right and far left must be taken seriously. We need to consider why the hard-right Alternative for Germany is gaining mainstream support, while Marine Le Pen’s National Rally in France and its allies now control 25 per cent of parliamentary seats (a figure that could have been higher). This is compounded by the 13 per cent held by the radical left.
In Italy, the far-right coalition of the Brothers of Italy and the League secured 35 per cent of the vote, and Hungary is currently governed by a firmly nationalist administration. Here in the UK, the Reform Party and the Green Party are also populist campaigners who have no genuine intention of improving people’s lives; however, they are exceptionally skilled at amplifying public dissatisfaction. Reform’s claim that clogged roads are the government’s fault and the Greens’ assertion that the summer riots were political violence are significant risks that we must address.
Today, with only 121 Members of Parliament, 16 seats in the Senedd, 30 Members of the Scottish Parliament, and 5,150 Councillors, our mission is to overcome the populist threat and regain the trust of the British people. The next Conservative government must commit to advancing a better quality of life. Our future leader must be adept at helping the public recognise populist politicians, such as those from Reform and the Greens, as charlatans who have no genuine intention of improving people’s lives.
At the 2024 general election, the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats effectively capitalised on a wave of dissatisfaction with the government. As the governing party, we were held responsible for water companies discharging sewage, for the 28.5 per cent increase in the cost of a 1l of milk, for landlords raising rents by 9 per cent annually, and for the Conservative Party’s failure to ensure that the NHS could meet the growing demand.
Our party’s contract with the people has been grotesquely distorted by politicians across the spectrum, including our own ministers, who behave as if they believe the government is responsible for improving every aspect of life.
The Government should not be responsible for setting the price of milk. We should not wish for the Government to run our train services. It would not be good to have a team in Whitehall overseeing our local GP’s waiting list. We need a leader who isn’t afraid to articulate that the Government shouldn’t be cleaning water around the country.
Yes, the Government did become massive, both in terms of expenditure and control during the pandemic. Unfortunately, our last three Prime Ministers catastrophically failed to engage the electorate on why big government can so easily become a bad government.
As we elect a new leader, I will be looking for a candidate who can effectively articulate why the Government should not employ 1 in 5 of the working population. A leader who can explain why we should not accept public debt anywhere near 100 per cent of our GDP. A leader who possesses the compassion and honesty to discuss how social care and other community services should not be funded solely through general taxation. A leader who can change how we transform our diplomatic and international aid missions to achieve greater results. How our nation’s leadership needs new strategies to defend our interests at home and abroad.
There are many difficult conversations to be had across the country. Today, our party has a vacancy for a leadership team that can genuinely engage with the electorate on the importance of making alternative choices. Only by truly engaging will we, as Conservatives, once again govern with purpose.
By challenging the prevailing consensus, we can dislodge our opponents and earn the trust of the people, demonstrating that the Conservatives can empower the citizens of the United Kingdom to achieve a higher quality of life. We can take reassurance from our history that the right leader for the time can guide our nation’s ascent.
Margaret Thatcher led us through trade union reforms. Harold Macmillan shifted the consensus to facilitate a major increase in social housing. David Cameron championed the UK’s commitment to renewable energy, changing perceptions both at home and around the world.
As a nation, we have a history of electing leaders to Downing Street who can effectively communicate the means and implications of these changes for people’s lives. Great leadership allows the discomfort of change to give way to hope and the belief that the future will be better.