Kevin Hollinrake MP is the Chairman of the Conservative Party.
I can understand why the media were so focused on the collection of towns and villages south of Wigan that make up the Makerfield constituency over the last few weeks. The potential downfall of a Prime Minister makes for excellent bulletins, as the actual event did yesterday, and no doubt the constant sniping between Reform and Restore was good for the media too.
But Makerfield, as I am sure ConHome readers are aware, was not the only by-election to take place last Thursday. Voters also went to the polls in Aberdeen South and Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, alongside a bumper crop of council by-elections across the country.
Before I get on to the results, it is only right that we thank all our candidates who flew the Conservative flag on Thursday. Kemi and I have always been clear that, regardless of where you live, you should have the opportunity to vote for a Conservative candidate at every election.
And for the avoidance of any doubt, let me be completely clear: that means no deals, no arrangements, whatever you want to call them.
Not now, not ever.
Because, without fail, Conservative Party members will put their names forward to give their communities that choice, regardless of how much of an uphill struggle it may be. Their willingness to step up and make the Conservative case deserves our thanks.
That is why I would particularly like to pay tribute to Michael Winstanley and Jack Cruickshanks, our candidates in Makerfield and Arbroath and Broughty Ferry respectively. It is fair to say these are not areas where we are at our strongest, but nonetheless they flew the Conservative flag with distinction.
Jack fought a relentlessly positive campaign with real passion, and it clearly cut through with the people of Arbroath and Broughty Ferry. He beat Labour and Reform to claim second place, yes, we finished second, Nigel, and he increased the Conservative vote share whilst he was at it.
In Makerfield, Michael was by far and away not just the best candidate, but also the most local. You could tell from his appearance on Question Time that he was the only candidate with a positive plan for Makerfield. Knocking on doors with him in Orrell the following day, it was clear how much that performance had resonated.
Whilst I appreciate the result was not the one we wanted, we never expected to win. In fact, we have never won in Makerfield, not even when the Conservative Party secured landslide majorities under Mrs Thatcher or Boris Johnson in 2019.
Nor is it surprising that our vote share fell. Makerfield became a straight contest between Labour and Reform, with both parties squeezing voters who would traditionally have voted Conservative.
But whilst recognising our own result, we should also remember that Makerfield was a bloodbath for Reform.
The seat is their 29th most winnable in the country based on the swing required to win. Yet despite throwing seemingly every available resource from every corner of the country into the campaign, they still failed to take the seat. Even if you add the Restore vote to the Reform vote, it was not even close.
Makerfield was also the worst Liberal Democrat by-election result in their history. They polled just 0.4 per cent.
It is important to keep that context in mind. And it is worth remembering that whilst the Makerfield by-election became a story about one man’s job, the by-election in Aberdeen South was about thousands of jobs. Not just in Aberdeen, but in every corner of the United Kingdom.
And what a result Douglas Lumsden pulled off.
For me, it epitomises everything we have been working towards since Kemi became leader.
We had the team. Russell Findlay, Andrew Bowie, Harriet Cross, Alexander Burnett, James Tweedie, Douglas himself and many others besides, campaigning relentlessly day in, day out, in all weathers.
We had a clear plan. To Get Britain Drilling, open up the North Sea, and boost jobs and investment not just in Aberdeen but across the supply chain in every corner of our nation.
And yes, we had the right leader. Kemi visited Aberdeen on three separate occasions during the campaign and had the backbone to stand up for North Sea oil and gas when others would not.
Nor was Aberdeen our only success on Thursday night.
We gained two council seats in Rochford after a former Reform councillor packed it in just days after taking office. We held seats in Hillingdon, as we did in Chester. In Swansea, we fought off a tough challenge to retain a Conservative ward in Mumbles.
On Thursday, Conservatives won in England, Wales and Scotland.
Whilst we know there is still some distance to travel before we fully regain the trust of the British people, the green shoots are beginning to emerge.
So, I say once again to those who take such pleasure in predicting our extinction – Thursday night showed that reports of the demise of the Conservative Party are greatly exaggerated.
Kevin Hollinrake MP is the Chairman of the Conservative Party.
I can understand why the media were so focused on the collection of towns and villages south of Wigan that make up the Makerfield constituency over the last few weeks. The potential downfall of a Prime Minister makes for excellent bulletins, as the actual event did yesterday, and no doubt the constant sniping between Reform and Restore was good for the media too.
But Makerfield, as I am sure ConHome readers are aware, was not the only by-election to take place last Thursday. Voters also went to the polls in Aberdeen South and Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, alongside a bumper crop of council by-elections across the country.
Before I get on to the results, it is only right that we thank all our candidates who flew the Conservative flag on Thursday. Kemi and I have always been clear that, regardless of where you live, you should have the opportunity to vote for a Conservative candidate at every election.
And for the avoidance of any doubt, let me be completely clear: that means no deals, no arrangements, whatever you want to call them.
Not now, not ever.
Because, without fail, Conservative Party members will put their names forward to give their communities that choice, regardless of how much of an uphill struggle it may be. Their willingness to step up and make the Conservative case deserves our thanks.
That is why I would particularly like to pay tribute to Michael Winstanley and Jack Cruickshanks, our candidates in Makerfield and Arbroath and Broughty Ferry respectively. It is fair to say these are not areas where we are at our strongest, but nonetheless they flew the Conservative flag with distinction.
Jack fought a relentlessly positive campaign with real passion, and it clearly cut through with the people of Arbroath and Broughty Ferry. He beat Labour and Reform to claim second place, yes, we finished second, Nigel, and he increased the Conservative vote share whilst he was at it.
In Makerfield, Michael was by far and away not just the best candidate, but also the most local. You could tell from his appearance on Question Time that he was the only candidate with a positive plan for Makerfield. Knocking on doors with him in Orrell the following day, it was clear how much that performance had resonated.
Whilst I appreciate the result was not the one we wanted, we never expected to win. In fact, we have never won in Makerfield, not even when the Conservative Party secured landslide majorities under Mrs Thatcher or Boris Johnson in 2019.
Nor is it surprising that our vote share fell. Makerfield became a straight contest between Labour and Reform, with both parties squeezing voters who would traditionally have voted Conservative.
But whilst recognising our own result, we should also remember that Makerfield was a bloodbath for Reform.
The seat is their 29th most winnable in the country based on the swing required to win. Yet despite throwing seemingly every available resource from every corner of the country into the campaign, they still failed to take the seat. Even if you add the Restore vote to the Reform vote, it was not even close.
Makerfield was also the worst Liberal Democrat by-election result in their history. They polled just 0.4 per cent.
It is important to keep that context in mind. And it is worth remembering that whilst the Makerfield by-election became a story about one man’s job, the by-election in Aberdeen South was about thousands of jobs. Not just in Aberdeen, but in every corner of the United Kingdom.
And what a result Douglas Lumsden pulled off.
For me, it epitomises everything we have been working towards since Kemi became leader.
We had the team. Russell Findlay, Andrew Bowie, Harriet Cross, Alexander Burnett, James Tweedie, Douglas himself and many others besides, campaigning relentlessly day in, day out, in all weathers.
We had a clear plan. To Get Britain Drilling, open up the North Sea, and boost jobs and investment not just in Aberdeen but across the supply chain in every corner of our nation.
And yes, we had the right leader. Kemi visited Aberdeen on three separate occasions during the campaign and had the backbone to stand up for North Sea oil and gas when others would not.
Nor was Aberdeen our only success on Thursday night.
We gained two council seats in Rochford after a former Reform councillor packed it in just days after taking office. We held seats in Hillingdon, as we did in Chester. In Swansea, we fought off a tough challenge to retain a Conservative ward in Mumbles.
On Thursday, Conservatives won in England, Wales and Scotland.
Whilst we know there is still some distance to travel before we fully regain the trust of the British people, the green shoots are beginning to emerge.
So, I say once again to those who take such pleasure in predicting our extinction – Thursday night showed that reports of the demise of the Conservative Party are greatly exaggerated.