Trust in our democracy is crumbling
Over the next few days, the Conservative Party gathers for its annual conference. For the first time in over a decade, it does so as a party of opposition.
It would be easy to pretend that nothing has changed. To engage in the same tired debates about who’s up, who’s down, left or right, old or new. To transplant Westminster’s worst habits – petty point-scoring, internal power plays, and game-playing – to the Midlands.
But that is the very behaviour that led to our worst defeat in recent memory. It’s the same behaviour that destroyed the nation’s faith in the Conservative Party.
Our mistakes were not simply ones of policy or personality, nor were they the product of a flawed political strategy alone. The infighting and factionalism of the last five years are symptoms of something much deeper – a lack of vision and a failure of leadership.
More than anything else, that is why we were rejected at the ballot box. People will weigh many issues when casting their vote – healthcare, education, immigration – but they will never place their faith in a party that has shown it is not serious about governing in their interest. They want leadership that puts the country first.
It doesn’t have to be this way. This conference offers us a chance to change course. It is an opportunity to rebuild our party – not as a vehicle of opposition, but as a future government. Not with empty slogans or superficial promises, but with the kind of leadership that doesn’t flinch in the face of adversity, but galvanizes the nation to rise above it.
Keir Starmer cannot provide that. He has already shown what his Labour government stands for – more of the same: self-serving, managerialism, more control over your life and utterly devoid of vision or purpose. In just a few months, he’s broken the promises he made during his campaign and spent more time creating jobs for his friends than delivering opportunities for the British people. As the world gets more dangerous he has shown that he doesn’t have what it takes to keep us safe at home, or abroad.
His behaviour will, sadly, continue the patterns that have caused people to lose faith in politics. They see a system focused on quick fixes and personal gain, where a few benefit at the expense of many. Trust in our democracy is crumbling, and the public is tired of sleaze and self-interest. They no longer believe that politics can change their lives for the better – and who can blame them?
So this contest is about more than choosing a new national leader, or a new policy agenda. It’s about restoring that lost trust, about gaining that permission to be heard again.
It’s about remembering what we, as Conservatives, stand for. From Churchill to Thatcher, our greatest leaders have understood that leadership is not about managing decline. It’s about confronting challenges head-on and offering a vision that inspires people to believe in their country once more.
The Conservative Party has always stood for something greater than itself. It is the party that has consistently fought to preserve the values that make this country extraordinary – freedom, opportunity, and responsibility. It led the fight against the forces of totalitarianism in the 20th century, and it should be leading the fight today against the forces of decline and division in our own country.
We, as a party, must recapture that fighting spirit once again. We need to bring back industry and jobs to Britain, energise our economy, and support businesses to grow. We need to empower families and communities and rebuild the foundations of our society, starting with education and healthcare reform. We must learn from our successes in places like Teesside, where Conservative leadership has transformed a region and attracted global investment. It’s a reminder that, when we focus on freedom and opportunity, real change happens.
But most of all, we need to restore pride in Britain. This is the most extraordinary country with an extraordinary history. We have always stood on the right side of history, and we should never apologise for who we are or for defending our values. Patriotism isn’t a dirty word – it’s the best antidote to decline.
That’s why this moment is so crucial. We cannot let complacency take hold. Our nation demands that we step up, not as critics of the past, but as champions of the future. This is our opportunity to reclaim that purpose and restore faith in our politics.
The challenges we face are real – rising inequality, failing services, and broken trust – but they can be overcome if we remember our core purpose: to serve the country, lead with conviction, and act decisively when it matters most.
If we achieve that, we won’t just be selecting the next Leader of the Opposition – we’ll be choosing the next Conservative prime minister. Britain deserves nothing less.