Vrushika Valand is the chairman of the Leicester Conservatives.
We’re approaching a full year since the worst Tory defeat in modern history. Our core voters sent a clear message. Yet, during the collapse, there was one extraordinary flicker of hope: Leicester East – the only Conservative gain in the country.
As Charles Walker said live on-air that night, “That is extraordinary.” I can vouch for it. As the political agent behind the Leicester East campaign, I saw what it took, despite CCHQ’s doubts.
Since then, however, we’ve seen no engagement with our local team. That’s hugely frustrating and, I believe, a strategic failure from the party in learning from success. It reflects the kind of misjudgement that led to our defeat in the first place.
Before the election, we had 36 Conservative MPs here in the East Midlands – more than the North West, and not far off London. Yet activists and councillors continue to feel the region is overlooked. The reality is that the road back to No 10 runs directly through the East Midlands. The region doesn’t just need to be visited, like all regions; it needs a decision-making seat at the table.
The victory that came from the East Midlands must not be forgotten. The numbers tell the story.
In 2024, Labour swept Derbyshire and much of Nottinghamshire, unseating longstanding Conservatives like Ben Bradley, Mark Spencer and Lee Rowley. Robert Jenrick now stands as the survivor in Nottinghamshire. Leicestershire is our only foothold in the area – and that is no accident.
We still have fifteen Conservative MPs in our region. But a year on, Reform is dominating us here. These aren’t all voters that didn’t vote before, and they’re not all former Labour voters. They were once ours: voters who believe we stopped listening to them, voters who stopped hearing from us. So, they responded in the only way they could: voting us out.
Right now, it doesn’t feel like we’re learning lessons because CCHQ hasn’t yet built the structures to learn from our failure. That must change.
Structural renewal is long overdue and a series of reforms are needed:
- We need regional directors with real vision, embedded in local party networks, reporting back to the leader’s office
- We need peacetime campaigning from all elected officials as the norm, no exception
- And, above all, we need leadership that understands every region – and values what the East Midlands has to offer
Personal changes in leadership won’t solve this. We need serious investment in capability, communication and data.
As Chairman of Leicester Conservatives, I’ve been working with my team on our 2027 strategy, including targeting Sir Peter Soulsby’s long Labour grip on the city. Across Leicester, especially in areas like Leicester West, we keep hearing the same message: “I used to vote Tory, but not anymore.”
Why? Immigration. Law and order. Cost of living. These are the issues we’ve lost control of, not just in government, but in the way we talk about them. And yet, voters are still open to us – if they know we’re listening. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, recognises this too, and we’re looking forward to welcoming him to Leicester soon to discuss these concerns with local members and residents.
This year we’re launching a new business task force, co-chaired by two respected business leaders. It will put business at the heart of shaping our city’s future. That’s the kind of partnership we need more of across the region. We don’t always have the answers, but we must be ready to listen to the people who do.
The East Midlands is home to thousands of entrepreneurs and business owners who feel completely unrepresented under Labour. We’re meant to be the party of business, growth, and of low taxes. It’s time we acted like it again.
Jenrick has shown what’s possible. A proud Midlander, he connects to traditional Conservatives while holding ground with ‘Red Wall’ voters. He doesn’t mimic Reform; he speaks clearly, consistently, and with conviction. He’s proof of what the East Midlands offers: principled, rooted, regional leadership.
To win nationally, we must first rebuild in places like Bolsover, Newark, and Leicester. That starts by recognising the East Midlands not as a secondary region, but as the heart of our political future. The road back to power doesn’t just pass through the East Midlands. It starts here.
Vrushika Valand is the chairman of the Leicester Conservatives.
We’re approaching a full year since the worst Tory defeat in modern history. Our core voters sent a clear message. Yet, during the collapse, there was one extraordinary flicker of hope: Leicester East – the only Conservative gain in the country.
As Charles Walker said live on-air that night, “That is extraordinary.” I can vouch for it. As the political agent behind the Leicester East campaign, I saw what it took, despite CCHQ’s doubts.
Since then, however, we’ve seen no engagement with our local team. That’s hugely frustrating and, I believe, a strategic failure from the party in learning from success. It reflects the kind of misjudgement that led to our defeat in the first place.
Before the election, we had 36 Conservative MPs here in the East Midlands – more than the North West, and not far off London. Yet activists and councillors continue to feel the region is overlooked. The reality is that the road back to No 10 runs directly through the East Midlands. The region doesn’t just need to be visited, like all regions; it needs a decision-making seat at the table.
The victory that came from the East Midlands must not be forgotten. The numbers tell the story.
In 2024, Labour swept Derbyshire and much of Nottinghamshire, unseating longstanding Conservatives like Ben Bradley, Mark Spencer and Lee Rowley. Robert Jenrick now stands as the survivor in Nottinghamshire. Leicestershire is our only foothold in the area – and that is no accident.
We still have fifteen Conservative MPs in our region. But a year on, Reform is dominating us here. These aren’t all voters that didn’t vote before, and they’re not all former Labour voters. They were once ours: voters who believe we stopped listening to them, voters who stopped hearing from us. So, they responded in the only way they could: voting us out.
Right now, it doesn’t feel like we’re learning lessons because CCHQ hasn’t yet built the structures to learn from our failure. That must change.
Structural renewal is long overdue and a series of reforms are needed:
Personal changes in leadership won’t solve this. We need serious investment in capability, communication and data.
As Chairman of Leicester Conservatives, I’ve been working with my team on our 2027 strategy, including targeting Sir Peter Soulsby’s long Labour grip on the city. Across Leicester, especially in areas like Leicester West, we keep hearing the same message: “I used to vote Tory, but not anymore.”
Why? Immigration. Law and order. Cost of living. These are the issues we’ve lost control of, not just in government, but in the way we talk about them. And yet, voters are still open to us – if they know we’re listening. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, recognises this too, and we’re looking forward to welcoming him to Leicester soon to discuss these concerns with local members and residents.
This year we’re launching a new business task force, co-chaired by two respected business leaders. It will put business at the heart of shaping our city’s future. That’s the kind of partnership we need more of across the region. We don’t always have the answers, but we must be ready to listen to the people who do.
The East Midlands is home to thousands of entrepreneurs and business owners who feel completely unrepresented under Labour. We’re meant to be the party of business, growth, and of low taxes. It’s time we acted like it again.
Jenrick has shown what’s possible. A proud Midlander, he connects to traditional Conservatives while holding ground with ‘Red Wall’ voters. He doesn’t mimic Reform; he speaks clearly, consistently, and with conviction. He’s proof of what the East Midlands offers: principled, rooted, regional leadership.
To win nationally, we must first rebuild in places like Bolsover, Newark, and Leicester. That starts by recognising the East Midlands not as a secondary region, but as the heart of our political future. The road back to power doesn’t just pass through the East Midlands. It starts here.