A plea to Conservatives.
Our country is facing its greatest challenge since the mid-20th century and it has no leadership. It doesn’t know where it is headed and its people are divided. That this was a choice taken against the will of the establishment is a testament to the bravery of the British public. That we won’t panic but are resolved to press forward is a testament to our strength of character. Yet our collective will is still contingent on purpose, momentum and unity and right now we’re depleting all three. What we need now is for those good people in a position to provide leadership to prioritise the good of the country and its people before all else. What we do not need is a drawn out battle between self-interested personalities who have been waiting in the wings to seize upon an opportunity such as this for their own aggrandisement. Such people not only fail to provide coherent direction, for they usually lack vision, but they put up roadblocks and create division. Within the Conservative parliamentary party there are both sorts and a range in between. Usually, it can afford a few mistakes; even a decade in the wilderness can be beneficial. But now we stand at one of the most profound junctures in British history, where decisions taken now will shape the world for generations. We can no longer afford the risk of allowing opportunists the chance to usurp this reformation for their benefit or for the agenda of the old guard.
On the 23rd June, despite the weight of the
establishment, including government, the BBC, and the EU, as well as all those
well regarded institutions who have received our money via the EU, the public
voted for the strength of argument and to put hope before fear, bullying and
control. It is essential that our country is taken forward by those who have
been the representatives of this new direction and who our public can trust
will carry out their demand. The fight for the referendum may be over, but the
fight for the nation’s soul and freedom is not. I would thus urge liberty’s
champions to unite once more and to lead by example. I believe that is vital
for this country’s future, for those of you who want to see the job done, to
get behind the candidate who has the best mix of qualities for the premiership
at this critical time. That candidate, by a country mile, is Boris Johnson. Yet
even Boris is not an island (at least not yet). For the country to regain its
sense of security and purpose, Boris needs to be first among equals as a part
of a team dedicated to delivering the vest best outcome possible in line with
our clearly expressed national wish. I would propose, therefore, that we place
our trust in Michael Gove to be our representative to the world as Foreign
Secretary where he will be able to continue winning in our national interest.
In the Treasury, in charge of our nation’s finances, the country deserves
someone who has the experience and level headedness needed to keep this ship
afloat. That person is the enormously capable Andrea Leadsom. Andrea is of
course, perfectly entitled to run for leadership and there is no doubt that she
would do very well, but she would maximise her positive impact on the country by
joining a unified ticket as prospective Chancellor of the Exchequer. Together,
this triumvirate would have the necessary and sufficient respect of the
parliamentary party, the overwhelming support of the membership, and the confidence
of the voting public. The decision not to adopt this strategy would take the
Vote Leave’s victory and subject it to yet another roll of the dice.
Boris Johnson (flanked by Andrea Leadsom and Michael Gove)
is the best chance this country has of avoiding rule by the old guard, now in
the guise of Theresa May. While Theresa May is a capable politician and has the
support of a large portion of the parliamentary party, particularly those who
backed Stronger In, she lacks the respect of huge sections of the membership
and were she to take the keys to Number 10, it would be taken as a betrayal by
those who want their sovereignty back. Ironically, given her probable
motivations, she has damaged her credibility during the referendum campaign.
Coming out for Remain clearly makes her unsuited to deliver on Brexit, but
worse than that, her decision to come out for Remain and then sit on the side
lines demonstrated a clear preference to put her career goals before her
beliefs at such a crucial moment. Her reputation has been tarnished by
opportunism and she cannot maintain the confidence of the people, let alone the
17.4 million who voted leave. At a time when we need someone who can bring the
country together behind a common cause, in Theresa May, we have someone whose
idea of strength is to wheel out tired authoritarian rhetoric whenever she
feels insecure. Not only does that alienate huge and increasing numbers of
Conservative voters, but it entirely loses the middle ground. By being
untrusted on the EU, untrusted on her priorities, and poor in her liberal
credentials, Theresa May is who we should elect if we want to further alienate
the political class from the vast majority of society. All it would take is for
Labour to replace Jeremy Corbyn with someone vaguely electable and our newly
independent nation’s future would be shaped by Labour and its eternal dogmas.
For the sake of the country, I implore you to not take that risk. Fight side by
side once more.
Why Boris? Simple. While he may struggle to carry the
parliamentary party on his own, he is far more loved within the party as a
whole. In fact, he’s one of the most popular politicians of our time. So much
so that he managed to win London, a major Labour stronghold, twice, largely on
his own merit. As Mayor of London, Boris gained critical experience as a
champion for London, something London needs now more than ever and so its
interests carried forward to Number 10 would be vital to our prosperity. That
experience sets Boris up as one of the best possible champions of the UK too.
He understands how to break down partisan barriers which is something the UK
needs as it heals from the referendum. The standing ovations he was given after
his speeches during the Vote Leave campaign were not merely from Conservative
voters but from Liberal and Labour voters alike. Boris has the right mix of
fiscal conservatism and social liberalism to prevent the alienation of the
middle ground. He embodies the spirit of freedom that voters have expressed
their desire for and brings with that more passion than any of MP knows how to
display.
Andrea Leadsom and Michael Gove bring with them not only the
right ideas and a commitment to an independent UK but the articulation and
clear headedness to win their case and help others understand it, as they both
did during the campaign. Both are strong leaders and would no doubt do well in
the top job in their own right and that is why their support for Boris would
create such a powerful force, but now is the time for a united front. Loss of
the premiership to the remainers and opportunists, or even to a Labour Party
after the overthrow of Corbyn, would be a loss of the future of the UK for the
people of this great country. We cannot afford any messing around. Do not waste
time negotiating the ins and outs of future careers, get the basics locked down
and drive forward.
Boris, offer Gove and Leadsom these top cabinet positions in
writing, give them all the assurances they need, make clear that you’re on the
same side and that loyalty will go both ways. Do not dither or back track. Once
the team is together, find others. Convince Liam Fox to come on board, for
example. History will remember each of you as the team who saved and defended
Britain or, if personal ambition gets in the way, those who lost control of our
future so close to victory. Those who put other priorities first by backing Theresa
May or Stephen Crabb (a man whose leadership would be untenable by his
insulting alienation of the gay community) would be making the Conservative
Party unelectable and many of them would be putting themselves out of a job in
2020, if not sooner.
None of this will be anything that hasn’t been said already
and there’s no compulsion to listen to anything I have to add. I’m merely an
ordinary voter from London, struggling to find a job; what would I know about
the world? Feel free to ignore me. But don’t ignore the fact that the public have
endorsed this team once already.
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