Going into this year’s Conservative Party conference in Manchester, I was sceptical I would see any apparent shift in tone from the party that has seemed to be stuck in first gear ever since the new leadership took over – what I saw instead was the first signs that true Conservatism has found its way back into the party.
The feeling in the conference hall and the venue more widely was one of real optimism, and it was clear the party was more willing to listen to its members at a deeper level than it had done previously.
Those in the shadow cabinet know the job they have on their hands and what it is going to take to have any chance of turning the tide – and the membership is a big part of this. Being a party that has recently been kicked out of office makes it difficult to get its message out, so those activists become even more critical in opposition, where groundwork is absolutely essential.
Katie Lam – the MP for the Weald of Kent – was especially on point, frantically darting from fringe event to fringe event with strong and coherent Conservative messaging; something that the party has needed as it attempts to renew itself. It is safe to say that new faces like Lam have injected a newfound hope into the membership and the party more widely.
Looking back at my thought process through the conference, I struggle to remember a moment that was overshadowed by talk of a potential leadership coup or instability at the top of the party. The shadow cabinet appeared unified and coordinated, presenting a united front brilliantly. The message I received was “this is our team, and this is what we are about”.
Each main stage speech captured the issues of the day effectively, with the standouts being Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp and Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, who both engaged with the conference hall well, and delivered their central messages effectively.
Then we get to the pinnacle of the conference, the leader’s speech. Ahead of the speech, shadow cabinet members were teasing that a substantial policy agenda would be set – and it is safe to say we got just that. The highlight of the policies announced was the pledge to abolish stamp duty altogether. There is no such thing as a silver bullet when it comes to pledges that change your political fortunes – but this is as close as you can get to one.
The cry for a measure such as this to ease the strain on the housing market means this announcement comes right on time – a perfectly Conservative measure for a renewed Conservative Party.
This is a strong foundation for the party to finally leave its dilapidated state it has been frozen in ever since the general election. It shows real intent to reinvigorate the party to what it once was and rebuild the strong vision for the future.
The mistake now would be not to build on the momentum. The reason Reform has been able to pull away in the polls is due to its relentless push to get its message across, building on press conferences and other publicity.
The Conservatives haven’t been able to steal the spotlight in the same way, so they must push on with their messaging while the press is interested. The real test of any party conference’s effectiveness is whether its message reaches the wider country – the last thing you want, especially in opposition, is to be a party talking only to itself.
We are still a few years out from a general election, meaning things can change very quickly. If the government can sort out the immigration crisis in that time or at least show steady progress, the main bullet will be out of Reform UK’s chamber. This will no doubt shift the next election onto an economic footing, which at the end of the day is what most elections go back to – it’s the economy, stupid.
This means laying the groundwork for a strong economic agenda and reclaiming that title as the obvious choice for economic security, should be at the forefront of the Tories’ focus. Listening to Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride yesterday at a Centre for Policy Studies fringe event, where he displayed strong knowledge of how he would manage the nation’s finances, has led me to believe he has what it takes to be the Conservative candidate for chancellor going into the election.
The main takeaway from the conference is that before members got to Manchester, they had partly forgotten why they voted for Badenoch as party leader, and the truth is they left being reminded why they did so: a strong set of bold policies, delivered with conviction by the messenger.
If anyone thought the Conservatives were dead, think again.
Featured Image via The Conservative Party – Edward Massey
