Tory MP Jesse Norman has strongly criticised Robert Jenrick’s bid for party leadership. He called Jenrick’s speech at the Conservative Party conference “lazy, mendacious, and simplistic tripe.”
Norman’s comments highlight the deep divisions within the party. The Conservatives are still trying to recover from their historic election defeat in July.
Jenrick, the former immigration minister, used his speech to call for a “new Conservative Party.” He urged the party to rebuild after the heavy losses in the election. He also praised former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, revealing he had given his daughter the middle name “Thatcher” in her honour.
Jenrick admitted the scale of the party’s defeat, saying, “We’ve just suffered our worst-ever electoral loss. We lost more seats and won fewer votes than any government before. It was a comprehensive defeat, and it needs a comprehensive rethink.”
He called for a fresh approach, combining the party’s core values with new ideas. However, his speech received only lukewarm applause from the audience. In contrast, his rival, James Cleverly, received a standing ovation after his address.
Cleverly, the former home secretary, appeared to take indirect shots at Jenrick. He said, “I’m a signpost, not a weather vane – it’s what I’ve always believed in and always will believe in.” Cleverly also pointed out that during his time as home secretary, he managed to reduce net migration by 300,000 people a year.
These contrasting reactions show the ongoing ideological split within the party as it prepares to challenge Labour in the next election.
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