Craig Smith, is Deputy Chairman of Leicestershire Conservatives Area Executive and a County Councillor for Coalville North
Politics in Britain has changed, and it’s time the Conservative Party changed with it.
That isn’t an admission of defeat; it’s a recognition of reality. Figures like Nigel Farage aren’t just appealing to the politically disengaged anymore, they’re mobilising people who’ve never voted before, and in large numbers. They’ve tapped into something raw: anger, frustration, and a sense that politics has stopped listening to ordinary people.
For too long, some in our ranks have comforted themselves with the same old clichés, “the polls will narrow,” or “we’ve still got years to turn it around.” I heard that throughout the last General Election, and we all know how that turned out. The electorate has shifted dramatically in just two years. The sensible, thoughtful middle ground has been overtaken by a louder, angrier section of the public who feel ignored, overtaxed, and underrepresented.
And yet, despite all that frustration, there’s still real hope. People want to believe in something again. I saw it when Kemi Badenoch spoke at the Conservative Party Conference, she reminded people what strong leadership looks like, unapologetic, grounded, and patriotic. The reaction was extraordinary. There were those at conference who’d started to drift away, no one actually said it but you could feel it with the conversations had, but after ‘that’ speech the belief that we can be the party of governance once more returned.
That tells me something important: people want to be Conservatives. They still share our values of hard work, responsibility, and community. But to win them back, we have to start acting like Conservatives again.
That means change, and that includes me. The childish bickering and personality feuds, the personal attacks must stop. The public doesn’t want to see politicians trading insults online or on TV. They want adults who get on with the job. They want grown-ups who care more about delivery than division.
Across North West Leicestershire, people care about the basics: safe streets, decent roads, reliable services, and opportunities for their children. They want the chance to own a home, build a business, and take pride in their community. When politics focuses on those things, people respond. When it doesn’t, they tune out.
That’s why the policies set out at this year’s Conservative Party Conference are so important. They show a renewed sense of purpose and a serious plan for what we’ll do when the Conservatives return to government.
The next Conservative Government will be built on a simple principle, the Golden Rule: every pound saved by a Conservative government will be split equally, half to clear up Labour’s mess, and half to invest in growing our economy. It’s a return to responsible financial management and sound Conservative values.
There’s also a renewed focus on helping people achieve the dream of home ownership, with stamp duty scrapped for first-time buyers, giving young families here in Coalville, Ashby, and Castle Donington a fair shot at getting onto the housing ladder. Alongside that, 100 per cent business rates relief for small businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors will back the entrepreneurs and shopkeepers who keep our high streets alive.
Law and order will once again be a priority. The next Conservative Government will recruit 10,000 extra police officers and scrap the Sentencing Council, ending the soft justice culture and putting common sense back into the courts. People deserve to feel safe, and they deserve a justice system that delivers real consequences for crime.
We’ll also leave the European Court of Human Rights, finally taking back full control of Britain’s borders and ending years of interference that has stopped us from enforcing immigration laws properly.
And crucially, we’ll stand with farmers and families by rejecting the proposed Family Farm Tax and Education Tax, because the people who feed, teach, and build this country should be supported, not punished.
Taken together, these policies represent a reset, a real Conservative plan to rebuild Britain: a stronger economy, secure borders, and a brighter future for North West Leicestershire and beyond.
But policy alone isn’t enough. We need a change in tone and attitude too. The public aren’t looking for slogans; they’re looking for seriousness. They’re not asking for miracles, they just want competence. They want politicians who roll up their sleeves, listen, and deliver.
Locally, we’ve shown what that looks like. When we focus on what matters, cleaner streets, better services, more jobs, and stronger communities, people notice. They reward delivery. That same approach must now define our national recovery.
Because while the challenges facing Britain are serious, from the cost of living to the pressures on public services, the opportunity before us is greater still. The Conservative Party has rebuilt Britain before, from the turmoil of the 1970s to the financial crash of the 2000s. We can do it again, but only if we remember who we are.
We are the party of practical patriotism. We believe in this country and in the people who make it work. We believe in responsibility, reward, and self-reliance. We believe in supporting those who strive to do the right thing, not punishing them for it.
The public hasn’t turned its back on those values, they’re simply waiting for us to live up to them again.
If we can rediscover that sense of purpose, stop the infighting, and start delivering, then we can absolutely rebuild trust in the Conservative Party and in British politics itself.
The next election isn’t just a contest of policies, it’s a test of seriousness. A test of who the public believes will and can actually do the job.
When the Conservatives return to government, we will do what we have always done at our best: take responsibility, fix what’s broken, and restore pride in Britain.
Because, in the end, the country hasn’t given up on us, it’s simply waiting for us to give them something worth believing in again.
It’s time to stop talking, start listening, and start acting like Conservatives once more.
