Benedict Rogers is a human rights activist and writer, Deputy Chair of the UK Conservative Party Human Rights Commission and author of The China Nexus: Thirty Years In and Around the Chinese Communist Party’s Tyranny.
Britain faces a multitude of challenges in coming years. To confront these challenges, we need both a strong government and a robust opposition.
Among the threats we face, none are greater than those of security – coming from both external and internal sources.
As all our intelligence agencies are on record as saying, the biggest of these is China. But of course Vladimir Putin’s Russia, and radical Islamism – both from outside incubation such as Iran and from domestic dissemination – are high up on the list. And, as this summer’s shocking riots showed, the dangers of the far right rearing its ugly head are not as far away as we might wish.
To confront these challenges, the country needs a Leader of the Opposition who can hold Sir Keir Starmer to account and press for action. The Conservative Party needs to elect a leader with a profound understanding of both the global foreign policy and defence challenges and the domestic security threats. It needs a leader with international, military and intelligence nous.
Among the four candidates still in the race to be Leader of the Conservative Party, all have great attributes. But only two, arguably, have experience of the global and security challenges described above. James Cleverly as a former Foreign and Home Secretary and Tom Tugendhat as a former Security Minister are the only candidates who will have engaged first-hand with these issues.
And while both have admirable qualities, only one has been truly tested in all arenas: on the military battlefield, in Westminster holding government to account, and in government protecting our security. That one man is Tom Tugendhat, and that is why I am passionately backing his bid to become Leader of the Conservative Party.
I have had the privilege of knowing Tom for the best part of a decade. I got to know him not long after he was first elected to Parliament, and worked closely with him as Chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. Since he was appointed Security Minister I remained in touch with him, and he was one of the very few government ministers who remained accessible despite being on the front-benches. That is one of his greatest qualities – despite holding one of the most confidential of briefs, he was among the most accessible of ministers. And he was always ready to help.
For reasons of confidentiality which readers would understand, I cannot go into too much detail. But the number of times I needed help, Tom was always ready and willing. As long as I provided the facts and details, concisely but clearly, and made clear the ‘ask’, I found a receptive ear and a willing friend in Tom. Not always when it was convenient; not always when it was expedient; but because it was the right thing to do.
Whether it was on Hong Kong, the genocide of the Uyghurs, the defence of Taiwan or the human rights crisis in Myanmar, Tom was always a willing ally. He played a leading role in advocating for a lifeline for Hong Kongers to come to the United Kingdom and a key role in holding China to account – and ended up being sanctioned by Beijing as a result. Personally, for me, a leadership candidate who has been sanctioned by Beijing is likely to win my vote, having myself been denied entry to Hong Kong, threatened with jail, named as a collaborator in the trial of Jimmy Lai and removed from the party’s Candidates List following a call from the Chinese Ambassador to the then Party Chairman in 2017. I would always rather vote for a leader who stands up to the tyrants in Beijing – and elsewhere – than kowtows to them.
There’s a lot of debate about the Conservative Party not being “Conservative” enough. Some believe that’s why we lost the election. What does being a “Conservative” mean?
For me, it means defending the freedom of the individual but also recognising the common good for the community and society.
It means upholding the rule of law. It means a strong national defence, to defend our liberties. It means a small State, at the service of the people and not as their master. It means celebrating what Edmund Burke called the “little platoons” of civil society – recognising that people, coming together, in local communities, churches, faith groups, charities, campaign groups, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) can often achieve more than the long arm of the State.
Having known Tom for over eight years, I am in no doubt that he believes in these values too. And so I am certain that he is a very authentic Conservative.
And most importantly, Tom is a Conservative who can unite all wings of our party – and, even more importantly, appeal to all parts of our country.
He is both an experienced hand and a fresh face. He served in one of the most sensitive portfolios in government, as Security Minister, and yet is not associated with the old guard of the past 14 years. Granted, he did not vote for Brexit, but nor has he been a ‘Remoaner’ – he accepted the result of the referendum eight years ago, and sought to make Brexit work. He voted against National Insurance increases and Covid vaccine passports, and his Catholic faith – which I share – gives him a profound belief in the family.
There are many words I could use to sum up my friend Tom Tugendhat and why I believe he is best placed to unite, lead and win for the Conservative Party. But if I could only use one, it would be ‘duty’. You only need to watch his remarkable speech in the House of Commons two years ago, on Afghanistan. If you doubt Tom’s courage, moral fibre, conviction and principle, just go back and watch that speech.
And then, if you are a Conservative, join his campaign and vote for him.
