Time for a serious period of humble reflection to consider why we lost so badly
Early today I spoke briefly to Justin Webb on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme about what the Conservative Party needs to do to rebuild after we lost the General Election so badly - we must be honest about what happened: our voters stayed at home or moved to Reform. They did not go to Labour. The future for the Party does not lie in liberalism or progressivism; we must be firmly conservative if we want to win back our base.
Interview on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme | July 6 2024
We first speak to Miriam Cates, former MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, she lost her seat in the election she's been a senior voice in the New Conservatives Group, Good Morning to you.
Good morning Justin.
Tell us first about the foundations I suppose that need to be built what policy-wise and tone wise are the foundations do you think of the rebuilding of the party?
Well firstly I think we need to take time I don't think we should choose a new leader or new policies straight away but I think there needs to be a serious period of humble reflection really as to what went wrong why we lost so drastically. And I think we need to start by looking at what actually happened, our vote didn't go to Labour, in fact the vote for Labour went down since last time. There's no great enthusiasm for Labour, but our voters were lost to Reform and then lots of Conservative voters staying at home.
And I think my experience on the doorstep will probably be very similar to many of my colleagues and former colleagues which was that lots of people said to us as individual MPS we like what you've done we're proud of your record in our area but we just can't for your party. And I think that's what we need to look at.
I think the most obvious mistake was on immigration that was the topic that came up most frequently on my doorsteps but there were a whole load of other issues the economy particularly inflation interest rates and also anger that we hadn't been conservative enough. And I think what people mean by that was that despite there being a Conservative government for the last 14 years there has still been this long march of progressive ideology through our institutions that people are just not happy with Conservatives.
Are just not happy with - interesting you say Conservatives are not happy with you because what's really striking is that there are a lot of other people who also aren't happy with you. I just wonder whether you think you can build - you know it's really noticeable that you've been a fighter for what you regard as the rights of women and girls in particular - and it's quite striking that some of those who were distressed at you losing your seat were people I think are probably on the left in our politics do you believe there is a kind of constituency there to be fostered by the party now?
I do, but I think we need to be very realistic about how possible it is to win back uh some of those small c conservative voters because of course Reform are on the on the march now. They've done extraordinarily well in terms of the number of votes that they've got. And I think yes, there is a there is a constituency of perhaps small c conservatives who are particularly concerned about the women's rights issue who are going to find themselves very disappointed and perhaps frightened by a Keir Starmer government. But I think there's an even bigger constituency of people who would just see themselves as small c conservatives they don't like rapid change they're distressed about the level of immigration, and they have gone to Reform because they no longer trust us on those issues. And I do think we need to win those people back and I think we can win people back.
But the bigger issue is that no political party is really talking about the root causes of the problems that we have in our society particularly the economic problems and the demographic problems.
When it comes to the economy, what's interesting about the economy though is you're you've got another split haven't you between the free market wing of the Party, the Thatcherite Wing of the party if you like, and those who believe in community and all the rest of it, and have this kind of sense that actually the free market isn't necessarily our Saviour. Has the Party got to make up its mind about that?
Yes absolutely, and I think that's very astute that is going to be the key difference on the economy and we can't just offer a kind of reheated Thatcherism. That's not going to solve anything.
And actually many of our problems, inflation, house prices, we can trace back to the astounding levels of debt that we have but also that free market liberalism that may have enriched London and the southeast but has left the north poorer and without industry so yes we have got to make up our minds on that may and
Miriam Cates thank you very much for talking to us this morning.
