'James Cleverly knows how to win an election and is the person to rebuild our party'

Having been elected as the Conservative MP for Bridlington and the Wolds on 4 July, the last couple of weeks have been something of a whirlwind.

It is the privilege of a lifetime to have been elected, but I am very conscious that we have also lost almost 250 Conservative colleagues.

The circumstances in which we find ourselves are very trying. We need to come together because, ultimately, a lack of unity has been a very significant part of our downfall. At the last election we allowed ourselves to become synonymous with infighting and division and the British people sent us a very clear message – they don’t want to vote for a divided Party.

With humility and hard work we must now recover our reputation for competence and integrity. We need to prove that we can take the fight to Keir Starmer, provide an effective opposition and prepare to win the next general election. I fully believe that with the right leader in place, we can win at the next opportunity.

For me, that leader must be James Cleverly. James is a unifier. He is the one that can bring every wing of our Party together. Without a doubt, he has proven himself to be one of the most effective communicators in the Conservative Party with the ability to get out there and sell our Conservative vision for the country.

As Party Chairman, James oversaw the biggest election victory the Conservatives have witnessed in a generation. An 80 seat majority allowed Boris Johnson to break the deadlock and get Brexit done. He knows how to win an election and he is the person to rebuild our Party to become the election-winning machine that we have traditionally been.

I am also reassured by James’ experience as both Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary. He has a record of delivery and as we find ourselves living in an increasingly uncertain world, I think that experience will be essential. James has cut illegal migration, led the UK’s response to Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel and passed the Rwanda Bill despite numerous briefings that it would be an impossibility.

James knows what the priorities of the British public are, as demonstrated by his pledge to raise defence spending to 3% of GDP. Our Conservative values of security, prosperity and patriotism need to guide us in the weeks, months and years ahead and James gets that. He understands the importance of duty and service without drama, which is exactly what we need.

James will unite us to deliver. He will stick to our Conservative principles and hold the Labour government to account. No one strives to be the leader of the opposition – but we have an opportunity to rebuild and get our Party into the best possible position to win. Together, under James, we can expose Labour and send them back to the opposition benches at the next election.