Former Tory MP says Conservatives 'failed' the North West as he backs leadership hopeful
A former Tory MP in Greater Manchester has accused the last Conservative government of 'failing' to deliver for the North West.
Chris Green, who lost his seat in the Bolton West constituency in July, has said his party 'never led with the conviction' needed. It comes as the ousted Conservative parliamentarian reveals who he will be backing to replace Rishi Sunak as the Tory party leader.
Endorsing Tom Tugendhat, Mr Green said 'there is only one person for the job'. Mr Tugendhat, who is one of the five candidates left in the leadership contest, came fourth in the first round of voting this week when MPs knocked out former Home Secretary Priti Patel.
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Now serving as the Shadow Security Minister, Mr Tugendhat held onto his seat of Tonbridge in Kent at the general election but saw his majority drop by 15,775 votes under new constituency boundaries. The ex-armed forces man is one 121 Tory MPs left in Parliament.
Mr Green, who was first elected in 2015, was defending a record majority of nearly 9,000 in Bolton West but lost his seat to Labour. The bellwether constituency was one of nine that the Conservatives lost since 2019, leaving Greater Manchester with no Tory MPs.
The ousted MP had been dropping hints of his support for Mr Tugendhat on social media during the summer by sharing endorsements of the leadership hopeful on X, formerly Twitter. Former Northern Powerhouse minister Jake Berry has also endorsed Mr Tugendhat.
Announcing his endorsement on Friday (September 6), Mr Green said: "At the last election we forgot to lead with a conservative vision and act on these principles. Although we promised lower taxes, greater opportunity, and empower people to make choices about their own lives, we never led with the conviction our country expected and ultimately failed to deliver on these principles.
"If we are going to end this period of managed decline, we need real leadership. My former constituents want someone who will serve the British people, not their personal ambition. Who will lead with conviction and conservative principles and will act on them.
"With this leader, we can rebuild our party, win in 2029 and give our nation the leadership it needs.
"And there is only one person for the job. The next Leader of our Party must be Tom Tugendhat. He always keeps his promises, leads with conviction and clarity, and act on the conservative principles the North West believe in, to deliver real economic change for all.”
Welcoming the endorsement, Mr Tugendhat said: "It is an honour to have Chris Green endorsing me for leader of the Conservative Party.
"Chris is right - in the previous government we failed to deliver for not just the North West, but for everyone. Now, our country and our nation needs real leadership and to change.
"Twenty five years ago, I promised to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to serve his country faithfully. And as Leader of the Conservative Party, this will not change. I will lead with conviction and act on the conservative principles the British people believe in and drive forward change; not just the change the North West expects from our Party, but the whole nation needs."
Mr Tugendhat received 17 votes in the first round of the leadership contest. The 51-year-old beat former Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride by one vote and only three more than Ms Patel who was knocked out. He finished in fourth place, coming behind ex-Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick, Shadow Housing Secretary Kemi Badenoch and Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverley.
Another round of voting will take place next week before the final four take their campaigns to the Tory party conference which starts on September 29. After that, MPs will carry out further rounds of voting to select two final candidates for the party’s grassroots to choose between, with the result of the members’ ballot set to be announced on November 2.