Daily Express: We need a Leader who will fiercely defend our British way of life!
“I believe that Robert Jenrick, with Priti Patel at his side, will prove to be a truly dynamic team that will reinvigorate our party and win back the trust of the British people.”
by Andrew Rosindell M.P., Member of Parliament for Romford
The General Election result has made it crystal clear what a perilous state the Conservative Party is in. Not only have we just suffered the worst defeat ever, but the conservative family across Britain is bitterly divided. For my party to ever win again, we must heal that rift and bring the right of centre in British politics back together again. Only then can we focus on defeating the real enemy: Socialism.
I was first elected in 2001, when Romford was the first ‘gain’ from Blair’s new Labour. Romford recorded the biggest swing in the United Kingdom towards the Conservatives on election night. The road to recovery then was long; but when we eventually won power again, we failed to govern like conservatives should, gradually losing touch with our natural voters and not delivering on the promises we made. Personally, it has been devastating to watch from the back benches, as our party lost that clear sense of purpose that we took for granted when Margaret Thatcher was in charge. As a result, we have been decimated at the polls and have handed power over to what is demonstrably the most left-wing government of my lifetime.
At the next General Election, due by 2029, the scale of the task will be even greater than that following Blair’s 1997 victory. That is why the Conservative Party must now change radically. If we don’t, we risk allowing these socialists to remain government for the next two decades. No, no, no! For Britain’s sake, our objective must be to ensure that this is a one term Labour government, just as Mrs Thatcher achieved in the 1970s, when she defeated Labour with a renewed Conservative mission for our nation.
To begin this process of restoring trust, we must listen to the British people with humility, accept our shortcomings and show the country we have genuinely changed.
It is only when we offer bold, radical solutions to the country’s problems that the Conservatives are successful. That’s exactly the vision Mrs. Thatcher offered in securing her two landslide victories in 1983 and 1987. We did it once more under Boris in 2019, securing the largest Conservative majority for 32 years with a cast iron promise to “get Brexit done”. The Conservatives can, and must, do this again in five year’s time!
Now, in opposition, it is vital that my party reconnects with its core values again and rediscovers what it means to be a Conservative in twenty-first century Britain, by electing a leader who will fiercely defend our British way of life; who will not shirk from defending our cherished freedoms; put defence of the realm and the safety and security of the British people first; who believes in a fully sovereign nation; and a leader who is prepared to stand-up for our culture, traditions and the proud heritage of these islands.
They must also restore the Conservatives back to being the party of free enterprise, low taxation, economic competence, smaller government; and one where public services and local government actually serve the public, but in a cost-effective way. The phrase “nothing works in Britain today” is what so many people I met on the doorstep believe is true. So, after five years of Labour, they will be crying out for a government who has the determination to put Britain firmly back on the right track, just as Mrs Thatcher started to do in 1979.
I have lived through countless leadership elections during my time in Parliament. To be frank, we have had too many of these elections and too many leaders who come and go, which is a key reason so many people have lost faith in us. I usually make up my mind about who I am backing very quickly, but this time, I have taken my time to decide, as so much rests on getting it right. It has been a very hard decision. We are fortunate in having many good people who could lead our party, but for me, in the end, there were only two people in the race that I felt demonstrated the vision and determination that is required, along with sound political judgement.
Priti Patel has shown that she really does understand the Conservative Party grassroots and membership. Her loyalty, friendship and courage as a fellow “Spartan” in standing up for the right principles over the years, has always made me feel that one day she might lead our party. I still believe that she could. Throughout this campaign, Priti has demonstrated what an amazing asset she is to the Conservative Party and in government, she always stood firm for British interests at home and abroad. I know she has a huge part to play in our Party’s recovery and will always do her duty to our party and nation.
Robert Jenrick, is however, the candidate I believe is best placed to lead our Party in a new and exciting direction, giving us real hope that next time, we can restore the Conservatives to being a winning party again, remove this socialist regime from power and lead us back into government. As Robert has said, we cannot simply ‘unite’ or ‘renew’. Instead, we need a radical break from the past 14 years and offer real change and genuine reform. We need to fix what is broken and have a clear plan for doing so, immediately after the next election.
There is no issue more important to communicate our changed position than immigration. At the Home Office, Robert not only secured the largest reduction in legal migration – but was prepared to resign over a matter of principle when legislation was not tough enough to stop the illegal boat crossings. He understands that the current levels of immigration are simply unsustainable and is prepared to take the decisive action that is needed to put an end to this unacceptable level of mass immigration we have endured in recent years.
It is Robert Jenrick, too, who has been clear on the need to break free from control of the ECHR. For too long, judges have been able to use the elastic concepts of the ECHR to effectively invalidate statute. Law has now become the continuation of politics by other means. It is only by breaking free from the ECHR that we can finally “take back control” and restore full Parliamentary sovereignty. This will enable us to solve the immigration issue, as well as protecting our armed servicemen and stop foreign criminals from entering our country. Then, we can focus properly on so many other challenges our nation faces today.
Robert means what he says, he speaks with conviction and language that the people of our country will understand and resonate with. He has shown to me that he wishes to be Leader of our Party for a purpose, not just to hold office and wield power and patronage. I believe Robert to be a patriot, someone who loves his country as do I, and will be prepared to resolutely do what must be done in the best interests of our nation.
Robert Jenrick has the ability to unite the Conservative Party because he has a clear sense of purpose, and with Priti Patel at his side, I believe together, they will prove to be a truly dynamic team that will reinvigorate our party and win back the trust of the British people.
