Paul Bristow: The Tory Party needs a strong dose of boosterism

No government has become so unpopular, so quickly. Sir Keir Starmer’s approval ratings are dismal. Long term, his premiership is very much on thin ice.

But my Party also has considerable problems. Whilst I unseated a Labour Mayor in May in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough on a very disappointing night for the Conservatives, I won on a lower share of the vote than in 2021 – and was fortunate to have a divided opposition.

However, I did do certain things that could help my Party. I ran a campaign that smashed every other Party in my old constituency of Peterborough and the surrounding wards that make up the rest of the City. I topped the poll in every single ward. We won in Huntingdonshire, contained the Reform surge in Fenland, and gave Labour and the Lib Dems something to think about in their heartlands of Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire.

I did this through simple positive messaging and relentless energy. I promised to improve our roads, get faster trains, build light rail, freeze the Mayor’s precept, deliver the Fens reservoir and end the war on the motorist. I was positive and promised to get stuff done. Boosterism.

Many say Boris Johnson succeeded in 2019 because the country was tired of Brexit and feared a Corbyn Government. This is true.

But Boris also wanted to build things. He talked about levelling up, forty new hospitals and told us that Britain’s best days were ahead. This hope and optimism got a thoroughly fed-up nation through Covid.

Then the Conservative Party went bananas. Whatever you think of the reason for Boris’ departure, we replaced positivity and hope with declinist managerialism and technocracy – and the British people hated it.

As an MP in a marginal seat, I cringed when Rishi announced flagship policies of compulsory maths until 18, conscription for young people, and the phasing out of smoking. Whatever the merits of these ideas, collectively they would be enough to make even Joe Wicks depressed.

And then we got Sir Keir Starmer. Even if we ignore the tedium and managerial approach, the language around tough choices, talking down the country and constant U-turns have turned us all into Private Fraser in Dad’s Army. We’re doomed!

Nigel Farage has tapped into this disillusionment. Reform do anger – and people are angry. When it comes to politics and politicians, the mood of many is sulphurous. They feel let down. They think nothing works. They feel depressed about the future.

But while Reform do anger, the Conservatives must do hope. We need to show solutions. Promise to build things. We need homes for young people, capital spending on infrastructure, and to be doing fewer things better.

We need to be optimistic and tell the British people that things can and will be better. Let’s stop saying sorry for fourteen years, particularly when we got many things right – including preventing the disaster that would have been a Jeremy Corbyn premiership.

We can’t hope to win when we are on our knees.

Being positive is more difficult than being angry. But it is the best way for the Conservatives to recover, and ultimately the best way for British people to be ourselves again.