Shifting Strategies: How Tory Leadership Hopefuls Could Learn from Starmer’s Centrist Pivot to Reclaim Power

Aspiring leaders of the Conservative Party might consider adopting strategies from Starmer's approach to leadership. During his campaign, Starmer initially aligned with left-wing factions, but shifted towards a more centrist position upon securing leadership, prioritizing national interests over party politics, according to his own statements.

Political correspondent @BethRigby

Tuesday, September 3, 2024, at 4

The Conservative Party faces a fresh chapter and a transformed landscape as the remaining members convene in Westminster to begin the process of selecting a new leader.

On Monday, Kemi Badenoch and James Cleverly each kicked off their campaign efforts, leading up to the initial elimination round scheduled for Wednesday.

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Their differing plans for the party offer insight into how the contest will develop.

Insiders suggest that the decision made by Conservative MPs and party members is crucial in deciding if the party can recover from its significant electoral defeat and limit their time out of power to just one term.

Observing the Labour Party's substantial working majority of 181, it becomes clear that reconstructing it could, at minimum, be a project spanning two terms.

Supporters of both Badenoch and Cleverly mentioned during their campaign kickoff today that while Starmer has a broad base of support, it lacks depth, with the Labour leader attracting 34% of voter support, in comparison to the 43% Tony Blair secured in the 1997 election.

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

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

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She vowed to speak candidly about difficult realities as she proclaimed that her previous administration "spoke in a conservative manner but acted in a liberal one, echoing the rhetoric of the Conservatives while behaving like the Labour Party".

"She emphasized that the government should undertake fewer tasks, but excel at those it does take on," she stated.

"We must move beyond the repetitive policy debates of the previous legislature. We were defeated; we are not in control. Our priority should be rejuvenation—rejuvenating our party, our political approach, and our ideas."

Cleverly, meanwhile, embraced a set of policy proposals.

He discussed dedicating at least 3% of GDP to defense, reinstating the Rwanda plan, reducing taxes, and minimizing government size. He presented himself as the devoted ex-cabinet minister capable of consolidating the party and leveraging his governmental experience to prepare the Tories for governance again.

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Further Reading: Who are the candidates in the Conservative leadership contest? Highlighting Labour's flaws won't regain trust, Badenoch states.

Central to the discussions, and crucial for the future success of the Conservative party, is the choice of a leader who can not only reclaim voters who have shifted to the Reform party by adopting stricter immigration policies – (Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugenhadt have committed to exiting the ECHR as a solution to the small boat issue, a move James Cleverly believes is unnecessary, and Kemi Badenoch considers non-essential), but also attract back those millions who have moved towards Labour, the Lib Dems, or chose not to vote at all.

Badenoch leads the odds according to betting agencies, yet experienced political insiders around Westminster suggest that predicting the outcome of the contest is extremely challenging.

Today at her campaign launch, Badenoch was backed by several prominent MPs including former cabinet minister Claire Coutinho and former Treasury minister Laura Trott.

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At Cleverly's gathering, there were merely four Members of Parliament in attendance, the crowd primarily composed of party members. Activists at the event shared with me that his steadfast dedication to the party through challenging periods had garnered significant favor among the base.

On Wednesday, one of the six contenders will be removed from the competition, with another participant facing elimination the next week.

The final four candidates will compete at the upcoming party conference at the month's end, after which MPs will narrow the field to two, leaving the final decision to the party members.

After suffering a significant defeat in the previous general election, the party can find some solace in the fact that the current occupant of 10 Downing Street, who succeeded Jeremy Corbyn as 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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This situation can be attributed to a variety of factors, including external stresses such as the COVID-19 outbreak and the conflict in Ukraine, as well as internal missteps like the "Partygate" scandal, Conservative Party instability, and Liz Truss's tumultuous term in office.

The success was also aided by a leader who initially connected with the left-wing factions during the leadership contest, but shifted to a more central position once in power. In the words of Starmer, he chose to "put country before party" upon securing the leadership role.

Following the election defeat, the upcoming Conservative leader could consider adopting strategies from Starmer's approach to help their party regain control.

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