Like the 2005 Conservative Party Conference which saw a fresh-faced David Cameron stake his claim for Party leader, this year’s edition provided the candidates to replace Rishi Sunak with an opportunity to advertise themselves to members, who will make the final decision in the next month. The agenda was dominated by the leadership contest, with supporters and candidates out in force across the ICC.
Kemi Badenoch
Badenoch struggled to recover from a shaky start to Conference, facing criticism over controversial comments on maternity pay and the Civil Service. Her keynote speech was well received by party members. She championed economic conservatism, suggesting Government’s role was to be “the servant of the market” through free enterprise and reduced regulation.
This underpinned her vision for the NHS. Badenoch suggested that, while the NHS should remain free at the point of use, the Government need not be involved in every aspect of delivering care, indicating support for a free market approach to commissioning and providing. She also predicted that public attitudes to the NHS funding model could shift if the service offering continues to decline.
James Cleverly
Cleverly has been hailed as the biggest ‘winner’ from Conference, impressing with his speech and winning praise from all corners of the membership.
He’s been quieter than other candidates on the NHS. Cleverly praised NHS doctors and nurses, following his wife’s recent battle with breast cancer, but offered no specific policies regarding his vision for the future of healthcare in the UK.
Instead, he sought to redefine conservatism as a force for hope, and for good: small state, lower taxes and support for enterprise. Cleverly framed himself as the candidate with the senior Government experience required to lead the party into the next General Election.
Robert Jenrick
Despite ill-advised remarks regarding the European Convention on Human Rights and its impact on Special Forces operations, Jenrick is still considered the frontrunner. His keynote speech focused heavily on his ambitions for immigration, infrastructure, low tax, and growth.
Surprisingly, Jenrick threw his support behind Labour’s plans for NHS reform. Agreeing with Wes Streeting’s damning diagnosis, Jenrick stated his desire to see a genuine overhaul to improve productivity. His speech made clear that, as leader, he would be looking for more efficiency and greater returns on the Government’s substantial healthcare investment.
Tom Tugendhat
Tugendhat looks the least likely to make the final two. However, his status as the lone candidate from the ‘One Nation’ group of centrist MPs means his perspectives could be influential in shaping Opposition policy regardless of the election result; all branches of the Party are keen to drive compromise and rid the party of the division that undermined them during their time in Government.
Tugendhat has teased ambitions for a “Conservative Revolution” in health policy and beyond, involving major reforms akin to those implemented on the education sector under Michael Gove; while details are scarce, Tugendhat would prioritise easier GP access and reduced NHS bureaucracy.
After criticism from members that the Parliamentary Party had failed to listen properly to members, the 1922 committee elongated this leadership contest, allowing ample time for debate and deliberation.
Candidates will be whittled down to two in the week commencing 7 October, before a final leader is voted on by the membership and announced on Saturday 2 November. We would expect to see a clearer picture of policy positions over the course of the next month as the final two make their final pitches to be the Leader of the Opposition.