We do not have a divine right to govern; we have to earn it as our forebears did. We have been here before and it means doubling down and working harder.
Open application followed by shortlisting and an interview is the transparent, fairest and the right way from now on, to find the best person for this role – which requires an exceptional individual.
I always open regional conferences by saying that whenever we Tories get together, we solve problems together…a process which one senior activist imaginatively describes as “cross-wobbling”
Burke, the great Conservative, said “a state without the means of some change is without the means of its conservation”. He might just as well have been referring to a political party.
Our members can once again feel proud to be part of a self-respecting Party – one with a strong leader and the discipline to match its ambition. Our strength lies in our unity: not just within the grassroots, but between them and our councillors, MPs, peers and mayors , and our professional staff, both local and at CCHQ.