James Cleverly sends brutal Brexit dig at Nigel Farage and vows to crush his Reform party
Tory leadership hopefuls will make their final pitches to members at the Party's Conference tomorrow before two contenders get voted out next week.
James Cleverly will use the final day of the Conservative Party conference to send a swipe at Nigel Farage's Reform.
The former Home Secretary will remind the Tory faithful that it was their party who delivered Brexit and it was under his spell as Home Secretary that immigration numbers were cut.
Mr Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, Kemi Badneoch and Tom Tugendhat will each give 20-minute speeches on the final day of the Conservative Party Conference tomorrow.
They are hoping to replace Rishi Sunak as leader of the Tories on November 2.
Speaking in Birmingham, Mr Cleverly is set to say: “Everyone running needs to ask themselves do they want to be the leader or do they want to lead? I know what I want to do.
“I want to get the heel of the state off your neck, get their noses out of your business, and their hands out of your pocket.”
He is hoping to set out his vision for a “positive and optimistic Conservatism” following the bruising Tory defeat at the general election on July 4.
Mr Cleverly plans to “talk up” Conservative values and add that the only way for the Conservatives to beat Reform is to be the “best version of the Conservative Party”.
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The former Foreign Secretary will say: “Let’s be enthusiastic; relatable; positive; optimistic.
“Let’s sell the benefits of a Conservative government with a smile. We will not win back voters by pretending to be something we’re not. We win back voters by being honest, by being professional, by being Conservative.
“Never forget - Reform didn’t deliver Brexit, we did. Reform didn’t cut immigration, I did. And mark my words, we will beat Reform by being the best version of ourselves.
“If we are the best version of ourselves, if we sell Conservative values, are proud of our record and confident in our future, we will win the country.”
A poll of Tory members shows that Mr Jenrick is within touching distance of Mrs Badenoch after a surge in his support.
The latest YouGov survey suggested there is a path to victory for all four candidates, although Mr Tugendhat faces a bigger hurdle than the rest.
Members would choose Mrs Badenoch by 52% to Mr Jenrick's 48%, only a four-point lead, according to the poll of 802 Tory members conducted over nine days to Sunday night.
Mrs Badenoch and Mr Jenrick came out as the top two in the contest after the early rounds of voting.
Next week, MPs will reduce the number of contenders to two.
Taking to the main stage in Birmingham tomorrow, Mr Jenrick will say: “The truth is this.
If we’re to tackle the immense challenges we face, if we're to restore the public’s trust, we must build something new. A new Conservative Party. That is what I call for today. Nothing less than, A New Conservative Party built on the rock of our oldest values and best traditions.”
He will call for a rejection of mass migration, focus on cheap, reliable energy, public sector reform and to build a more united country.
Mr Tugendhat will use his leadership speech to promise the nation that he will make them proud to vote Conservative again at the next election.
In a pitch to the party and nation, he is expected to say: “The Conservative Party’s brand is significantly damaged and the general election saw record levels of Conservative voters staying at home.”
He will add: I’ve had enough of Westminster’s political games, petty point scoring, and self-service. It’s not becoming of our great party or our great nation. We can do better. I am standing because what we need is leadership. I am standing to lead not just this party but to be the next Conservative prime minister of this great country.”
Meanwhile Mrs Badenoch will talk about her plans to dismantle the Tony Blair and Gordon Brown framework of increasing social, economic and legal control.
She will say that “the truth is the left never left”.
The former Business Secretary is expected to add: “The Conservatives have to be the party of wealth creation. Wealth is not a dirty word. It supports jobs and families. It pays for our schools, for our health service. We should encourage it.”
