The Tories are meant to be the party that tells the truth to the voters. And retreating to knee-jerk Nimbyism is the opposite of truth-telling.
When it comes to getting planners out of the way of people who want to build homes, this should apply everywhere in England, not just in Chipping Barnet or Orpington.
We need a new planning deal for rural Britain. One that supports gentle density, enables business-led development, and recognises that real countryside isn’t a disused car park in Zone 6, immortalised by the CPRE as if it were the Garden of the Hesperides.
Either we take inspiration from a time when Britain could actually build things, or we condemn ourselves to spending the future living in smaller, ever more expensive houses, and watching the conservative dream of a home-owning democracy slip away.
The Government must show ambition that matches the scale of the problem. And we Conservatives must find our mettle again, and reclaim our identity as the party of homeownership, prosperity, and growth.
We need to face up to the hard truth that every planning rejection in a high-demand area is not just a lost home—it is a lost voter, a lost future, and a fraying thread in the Conservative social contract. This is not about abandoning our principles. It is about applying them.
Kemi went into conference looking weak and lacking substance. She left with much of the membership reassured about her conservative values and behind her. Stamp duty was the red meat that the Tory faithful were hoping to see in Manchester.