Kevin Hollinrake: Conference gave us back our confidence, now it’s time for every Conservative to share our message

Kevin Hollinrake is Chairman of the Conservative Party.

At Conservative Campaign Headquarters, we know very well that “self-praise is no recommendation.”

So it was very heartening to hear Conference described by attendees and observers as “outstanding”, “fabulous” and a “genuine return to core Conservative principles.”

It was good to hear the positive reception for the policy proposals from my Shadow Cabinet colleagues and, of course, for the brilliant, barnstorming finale from Kemi. It was a true tour de force and included the totemic announcement of the scrapping of Stamp Duty on primary dwellings.

It was also important to hear the encouraging words of thought leaders such as new Conservative member Matthew Syed, who said that “Kemi Badenoch is the only leader who is articulating the true nature of the challenge we face,” and “With discipline and intelligence I think it is likely that we will win the next general election and reverse the decline of a great nation.”

All tangible evidence that our plan is working.

We are all so grateful for the huge amount of effort and expertise dedicated by the team at CCHQ, and for the attendance and support of every single member who came to Manchester.

Loyalty only really counts when the chips are down.

Despite our obvious challenges, Manchester was buzzing. In conversation after conversation I had, you could feel a new sense of confidence, optimism and purpose about the Conservatives under Kemi’s leadership. We are starting to believe in ourselves again.

It’s important to remember that this year’s Conference wasn’t just about policy announcements; it was about something far more important – the values that built our Party and our country: hard work, personal responsibility, fairness and resilience. I am very grateful to all those members who contributed to our work around values and principles so ably led by my predecessor, Nigel Huddleston.

Those values drive me. I’m the son of a Yorkshire farmer and a social worker from Salford who brought me up on tough love. That tough love shaped me – and it’s exactly what Britain needs now.

Let’s be honest: our country has lost its way. For a while, so had our Party. We’ve become too used to excuses and easy promises. Labour’s answer is always more borrowing and more spending. But you can’t build a strong country on borrowed money.

Only the Conservatives, under Kemi’s leadership, will have the courage to do what’s right, not just what’s popular. That means living within our means, rewarding hard work, protecting the vulnerable, but expecting those who can work to do so. That’s what tough love looks like in government – doing the hard things because they’re the right things, not because they’re the easy ones.

Our values are lived out every day by the people who make this country work – the small business owner who keeps the lights on, the parent who skips a holiday to save for their children’s future, the young person who wants to get on through hard work and hard work alone.

That’s the Britain our values stand for – a country that rewards graft, respects personal choice and believes in aspiration. It’s the Britain Kemi speaks for.

That’s the moral heart of Conservatism – and after Conference, it feels like we’ve reconnected with who we are.

For that small business owner, we will scrap business rates. For that parent, we will reverse Labour’s education taxes.

For the young person who wants to get on, we will abolish Stamp Duty and introduce our First Jobs Bonus, so that they can experience the feeling of getting the keys to their first home.

For the veteran who’s suffering from persistent malicious prosecution, we will deliver justice and an end to vexatious prosecutions.There is only one party willing to tell the hard truths and do the hard yards. There is only one party that can deliver a Stronger Economy and Stronger Borders.

Kemi Badenoch shows what those values look like in action. She’s faced doubters all her life – and every time, she’s proved them wrong. She says what she believes and stands her ground because she cares enough to tell the truth.

I saw that first-hand in government. When I was Post Office Minister, Kemi backed me and the postmasters in Cabinet, helping to secure the billions now being paid to victims of the Horizon scandal and the overturning of 700 wrongful convictions. That’s what leadership looks like: courage, conviction and compassion in action.

Politics is about framing a simple choice in people’s minds. “Stronger Economy and Stronger Borders” will be our hill to die on, because we are now the only party with a clear plan to make the changes we need to protect our borders – and the only one still right of centre on the economy.

Now it’s our turn.

Conference was the spark – but we’re the fuel. Every one of us has a role to play in rebuilding our movement and our country.

At CCHQ, we are already building a world-class campaigning machine to make sure that voters understand our message and our choice:

•            Cutting edge campaigning tools

•            a membership recruitment strategy and members’ portal

•            a relaunched Young Conservative movement with national and regional structure

•            a new business engagement strategy and a new Conservative Business Network

•            stronger repetition and message discipline through our media and social channels

•            a revised candidate selection process tailored to recognise a proven track record in politics

What you do at the sharp end counts much more than what we do at the centre. Every doorstep conversation, every leaflet, every social media post, every donation, every phone call counts. It amplifies our message and hammers home our choice.

When times are tough, we don’t jump ship. I have no time for those who have no stomach for the battle. You’re either up for the fight for our values – or you’re not. Hard yards win the day.

As one of my predecessors, Edmund Burke, said, “No one ever made a bigger mistake than he who did nothing.”

If every single Conservative supporter puts their shoulder to the wheel and votes at the ballot box, we can and will win again.