From Left to Centre: How Tory Leadership Hopefuls Might Emulate Starmer’s Strategic Shift for Political Revival

Why Conservative contenders for leadership might consider adopting Starmer's strategy for rising to power

During his campaign for leadership, Starmer collaborated with the left-wing faction, later shifting to a more central position and, as Starmer himself stated, chose to "prioritize national interests over party interests" upon securing the leadership position.

Political correspondent @BethRigby

Tuesday, September 3, 2024, 4:

The Conservative Party faces a fresh chapter and a new set of challenges as the remaining members convene in Westminster to select their next leader.

On Monday, Kemi Badenoch and James Cleverly each kicked off their campaign efforts as they prepared for the initial elimination round on Wednesday.

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Their differing perspectives on the party's future provide insight into how the contest will unfold.

Insiders indicate that the decision made by Conservative MPs and party members will be crucial in deciding if the party can recover from its significant electoral defeat and return to power after just one term.

Observing Labour's substantial working majority of 181, it appears clear that any reconstruction effort would, at minimum, span two terms.

At the launch event today, supporters of both Badenoch and Cleverly shared with me that while Starmer has a broad base of support, it lacks depth. They noted that the Labour leader has secured the backing of 34% of voters, in contrast to the 43% that Tony Blair achieved in the 1997 election.

On Monday, the two potential leaders presented distinctly different proposals.

Badenoch is campaigning under the theme of "renewal" and during her speech, she emphasized her core values—personal accountability, civic duty, family, and honesty—instead of detailing specific policies.

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She committed to revealing "difficult realities," criticizing her previous administration for "speaking like Conservatives but governing like Labour," despite their right-leaning rhetoric.

"She argued that the government ought to undertake fewer tasks, but excel at the ones it does handle."

"We must move beyond the recurring policy debates of the previous legislature. We were defeated. We're not the ones making decisions… it’s time to concentrate on rejuvenation. This includes the rejuvenation of our party, our political approach, and our mindset."

Cleverly, on the other hand, embraced a set of policy proposals.

He discussed allocating at least 3% of GDP to defense spending, reinstating the Rwanda policy, reducing taxes, and downsizing government functions. Presenting himself as the devoted ex-cabinet member capable of consolidating the party, he emphasized his governmental background as essential for preparing the Conservatives for future leadership.

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Discover More: Who are the candidates in the Conservative leadership contest? Highlighting Labour's flaws won't regain trust, asserts Badenoch.

Central to the discussion, and crucial for the future of the Conservative party, is the choice of a leader who can not only reclaim supporters who have shifted to Reform by adopting harder stances on immigration – (Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugenhadt are committed to exiting the ECHR to address the issue of small boats, a step James Cleverly believes is unnecessary, and Kemi Badenoch considers not a priority), but also attract back the numerous voters who have moved to Labour, the Lib Dems, or chose not to vote at all.

Badenoch leads the betting odds, yet experienced political strategists around Westminster argue that the race is too close to predict.

At her campaign kickoff today, Badenoch was backed by several prominent Members of Parliament, including former cabinet member Claire Coutinho and former Treasury minister Laura Trott.

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Cleverly's gathering featured just four Members of Parliament, but was predominantly attended by party members. Activists present expressed to me that his steadfast commitment to the party through challenging periods had garnered significant backing from the grassroots.

This Wednesday, one of the six contenders will be knocked out of the competition, with another participant being eliminated the next week.

The final four candidates will compete at the party conference later this month, after which MPs will narrow the field to two for the party membership to decide upon.

After suffering a significant defeat in the previous general election, the party can find some solace in the fact that the new occupant of No10, who succeeded Jeremy Corbyn as the Labour leader in 2020, was initially dismissed as incapable of overcoming Johnson's substantial 80-seat majority within a single term.

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Numerous factors contribute to this situation, ranging from external challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine, to internal missteps and leadership shortcomings, including the "Partygate" scandal, Conservative Party strife, and Liz Truss's tumultuous term in office.

The shift was also influenced by a leader who initially aligned with the left during the leadership contest, but who later positioned himself more centrally and, as Starmer put it, chose to "put country before party" upon securing the leadership position.

Having absorbed the lessons from the election defeat, the upcoming Conservative leader could consider examining Starmer's strategies for steering their party back to a position of power.

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