A case for faith in the Tory party

I have had recent conversations with two old friends, both tribal Tories to a greater extent than they would admit, both serious and senior figures. Neither is at ease with the current state of the Party. They are almost tempted to claim that the next election will not matter. It will merely be a choice between two competing versions of social democracy. There are others like them, including Tories who are unhappy with the slow pace of Euro deregulation. Although I feel tempted to brush aside all these complaints with “damn your principles: stick to your party,” that will not do. In one of le Carre’s books, a character is described as having “loyalty, without faith”. For these friends, that will not do either. So how can one make the case for faith?

There are two routes to an answer. The first is the economy. What is actually happening out there? On the one hand, the UK has an outstanding record in setting up new unicorns – recently established companies worth over $1billion. The same is true of SMEs, especially in high-tech, life sciences and other new areas which leave this writer excited, and uncomprehending. This would all offer grounds for faith. The Thatcherite crusade to revive the animal spirits of the British economy is not dead. 

Yet that is not the whole picture. At various stages since the mid-Nineties, there were reasons to believe that the UK had beaten inflation. We now know that this was over-optimistic. The next phase of the Thatcherite crusade must involve counter-inflation and, following on, low interest-rates. That all seems some way off. That said, when it comes to the Government’s fiscal position, there does appear to be cautious grounds for hope. It might be possible to permit some calibrated tax cuts which would stimulate the supply-side without breaking the bank. But as Liz Truss discovered, you cannot ignore the Bank.

Even so, enthusiastic Brexiteers are complaining that the Sunak/ Hunt regime in Nos.10 and 11 is too risk averse. They claim that Kemi Badenoch is not receiving the same backing on de-regulation that Boris Johnson and Liz Truss gave to Jacob Rees-Mogg. But that raises the obvious question. Had either of those bizarre Prime Ministerial intruders thought anything through? Did either of them have any understanding of what “thinking through” would mean? Boris threw away a great electoral opportunity because his colleagues realised that he could not be trusted, Liz Truss did not last long enough for the obvious slogan to be coined: “You can’t trust Truss”.

So when Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt took over, the first priority was to stabilise the ship. They have succeeded. In so doing, they should take credit for a further achievement, which was by no means easy. They have ensured that the Government is receiving a hearing and has won back the markets’ trust. 

That leads to a further point, with which my doubting friends would concur. They may be getting a hearing. But is there anything worth saying? Roger Bootle is as able an economic commentator and practitioner as anyone in these islands. On his keyboard, he can make the dismal science sing. With especial reference to corporation tax, he now argues that the Government is not doing enough to boost business. This depresses animal spirits, as does the fear of a Labour Government. No wise businessman would wish to encounter Keir Starmer’s version of social democracy.

We can only hope that the residents of Downing Street are listening. There is an argument for waiting until after the local elections. But thereafter, Sunak ought to be embarking on a gradual, cogent account of who he is, what he stands for, and where he wants to lead his country. Vital though that task was, it is not enough to steady the ship. You have to tell people where you are going. A Tory must also make the case for free enterprise, reassuring both my old friends – and Roger Bootle – that the Party has not lost contact with the Thatcherite verities. As Lord Patten – now and so deservedly SIr Christopher, KG – once wrote: “The facts of life are Conservative.”

When it comes to Europe, and deregulation, there are a number of problems. As we were in the EU for more than forty years, it was inevitable that much of our regulatory apparatus became enmeshed with Brussels. Moreover, some of the damaging rules were invented in London. There needs to be a concerted move to work out which regulations we need and why. It is more important to get this right than to do it quickly. But the Government ought to reassure everyone that the damaging regulations will go. The power of Brussels has diminished, is diminishing and needs to diminish further.

Progress is achievable, even though perfection takes time. That takes us to the second ground for faith, taking in Lord Patten’s point. Conservatives are eupeptic pessimists. Whatever their religious beliefs, they might well conclude that “original sin” is the best short summary of the human condition. The Tory wing of the Conservative creed is not averse to romanticism. Far from it: we all hope that it will move us to the depths of our soul this Saturday. But the party has worked so well for so long because it has been a coalition between romantics and realists. “Tory”: those two slashing syllables, like a cavalryman in a charge. “Conservative”: four crisp syllables, redolent of half-moon glasses in the counting-house.

Iain Macleod once concluded his Party Conference speech with an abiding truth. “The Socialists may dream their dreams. The Liberals may scheme their schemes. [pause} We have work to do.”

That is as true as ever. We live in a world full of uncertainty and risk, beset by weak leadership. Although – alas – the UK cannot solve every problem, Conservative tough-mindedness has never been more needed. Our new young Leader has made a sound start, and as Mrs Thatcher would have reminded us, “There is no alternative”.

So this is no time for faith to falter. As Alfred the Great is supposed to have said: “If you have a trouble, tell it not to the weakling. Tell it to your saddle-bow and ride forth singing. “Finally, if that sounds too high-falutin”, there is nothing wrong with a bit of damn your principles, stick to your Party.

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