As the Conservative Party gathers in Birmingham for its annual conference, the four remaining leadership candidates—Robert Jenrick, Kemi Badenoch, Tom Tugendhat, and James Cleverly—are pushing a narrative that embracing 'core Tory values' will win back voters. But a new analysis suggests this strategy is fundamentally flawed.
Mel Stride, now out of the race, set the tone by arguing the party needs to put conservative values 'front and centre'. However, critics say the election result showed voters recognise those values clearly—and reject them. The public wants more state intervention, not less, in areas like healthcare, policing, and infrastructure.
Jenrick's mantra that 'the state is too big' and Badenoch's call for 'the state to do fewer things' clash with public demand for more doctors, nurses, and police. Similarly, the love of markets, as championed by Jenrick, ignores voter anger over private water companies polluting rivers and private rail firms failing to run trains on time.
The party's 'core vote strategy' in the last election, including pledges to return to Thatcherite economics and conscription, failed spectacularly. A report by Lord Ashcroft, 'Losing It', shows that voters are not yearning for old-school Tory leadership but instead want effective public services.
One Tory MP admitted the party had a 'near-death experience' but expressed belief that Starmer is beatable within five years. However, this optimism is based on a misreading of the electorate, according to analysts. The party must confront the reality that its traditional values are toxic to many voters.
