News Hub Group

News Menu

The Conservatives Can Win the Battle of the Right

Charles Martin argues that the Conservatives need to be patient with Kemi Badenoch, as instability at the top of the party was partly why they were soundly rejected at last year's election
02/11/24 - Westminster, London. Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch is elected as the Leader of the Conservative Party. Picture by Edward Massey / CCHQ
02/11/24 - Westminster, London. Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch is elected as the Leader of the Conservative Party. Picture by Edward Massey / CCHQ

Want to be notified of stories we publish? Enter your email below

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

In recent months there has been a real optimistic picture growing in the mind of Nigel Farage and Reform UK that they can actually win the next General Election in 2029. This has been followed by concern in the Conservative camp that their loyal voter base may actually switch allegiances when the time comes. Whether or not this optimistic picture is a feasible one for Farage to actually achieve there is no denying that as of present, the momentum is with Reform UK which has left the Tories and Labour on red alert.

When it comes to Reform UK, many pundits have been caught in the trap of underestimating them – however I do have my doubts about them keeping up this momentum. In December last year, writing in ConservativeHome, I set out exactly what the Tories need to do: be patient with Badenoch. It may seem frustrating that no vision or outright policy commitments can be seen, but context in this instance must be found. The Tories have just suffered the worst election defeat in the modern day, leading to a Labour supermajority. This can be denoted to many reasons, however the key contributors were evidently the Conservative Party losing its way and therefore trust of the electorate, as well as the rapid rise of Reform UK. We now find ourselves at the start of a Parliament with many years to go until the next election. As frustrating as it may be that there are no weekly “gotcha” moments by Badenoch at PMQs or no speech by a shadow cabinet minister highlighting a particular policy pledge, it must be acknowledged that there is a long way to go and a process to comply with.

This is not like 2010 when Labour were still on the Conservatives’ tail in terms of number of seats, it was a complete rejection of the Conservative Party. This means time must be taken to ensure the necessary steps are taken to gain the electorates’ trust once more. There is no point in going all guns blazing at Labour at the start of a Parliament like Reform are doing; there is a long time to go, and all momentum will be lost by the time it comes to the next general election. Patience is a virtue, and here it must be applied. A key factor which is making many characters associated within the Tory Party anxious is the rise of Reform UK, with good reason too. It may be an overly simplistic stance to take that if Reform simply didn’t exist the Tories would have performed a lot better in the general election, but there is definitely an aspect of truth in that statement. Now at first instinct it may seem to be in the Conservatives’ best interest to make some sort of deal with Reform UK, which would lead to some type of merger between the two parties. This is not the remedy to undertake. Even if we’re ignoring the fact that Nigel Farage has said he wants to destroy the Conservative Party, therefore squashing any chances of a merger being created, there is a clash of values between the two parties.

A major issue the Conservatives have faced in recent years is the lack of identity in the party, growing out of its basis as a centre- right party and gravitating towards the centre of the political spectrum. All merging with Reform would do is hinder this sense of identity the Tories’ are struggling with regardless. The Conservative Party cannot stand for the entirety of the right wing of the political spectrum. This will of course be seen as a sure-fire way of getting back into government, however issues which will arise in government due to the lack of identity on policy would make the whole thing a calamity. The Conservative Party must find its own way out of this political hole on their own devices. This means the members and Members of Parliament alike getting behind the leader which was elected; a major issue within the party as of late has been the instability at the top. The Tories must show conviction in everything that they do, as trust between them and the electorate has been lost because of this, and showing support behind Badenoch will reinforce this when the time does come to make substantial policy announcements. This is a fundamental step in the process to defeat Reform and the Liberal Democrats who have been taking seats away from the Tories, as well as Labour at the next general election.

Follow Politics UK

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments