Many Conservative voters have lost faith in us – Downing Street needs to act boldly to reverse the damage done.
OUR minds have turned to 2023 – and it will be a crunch year for the Conservative Party.
Today’s poll by Policy Exchange is a must read for all politicians – but its findings are grim.
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The past year has witnessed perhaps the biggest fall from grace of any Government in modern times.
We, the Conservative Party and Government, need to reverse the damage done.
The public are united on the need to bring an end to inflation and end the NHS waiting list crisis.
But those who voted Tory in 2019 had a different top concern – reducing immigration by stopping the small boats. Conservative voters from the last election would be a good start.
But many have lost faith in us.
Constant promises of getting tough on illegal immigration with little action has left them furious and wondering if we can be trusted.
Seeing flights filled with illegal immigrants take off to Rwanda would be a good start.
When it comes to spending cuts the public is also clear.
They want to cancel the eye-wateringly expensive HS2 rail link, cut spending on international aid and slash spending on equality and diversity initiatives.
They want the Government to make the cuts to free cash for their real priorities.
Ministers should take this call seriously.
This poll is a harsh read because it shows that while voters think we have got lots of big things right since 2019 – Covid, the vaccine rollout, Brexit and our support for Ukraine – this is not enough to keep their vote.
Any attempt to rely on a positive record will not work.
Our economy has hit the buffers.
Downing Street needs to act boldly to show it has a grip.
We must get growth going in the early spring, cut taxes and bring down inflation.
The public wants us to sort out the health care waiting list problem.
Yet the UK is already spending more than most EU countries with worse results.
Reform of social care and GP services must be priorities – not yet more spending.
Most of all, this analysis shows that getting back 2019 Conservative voters is still possible.
To do this, the Government must be seen to act.
The public doesn’t think the Government has a clear sense of purpose or stands up for British values such as free speech or is willing to take tough decisions for the long-term.
THE GOVERNMENT’S PRIORITY MUST BE TO DO WHAT IS NECESSARY TO CHANGE THOSE VIEWS BY ACTION, PUTTING THEM BACK ON THE SIDE OF MOST OF THE VOTING PUBLIC.
- Iain Duncan Smith is a Tory MP and former leader of the Conservatives. The Sun.
