The motto of Sandhurst, from which I received my commission as an Army officer 55 years ago, is ‘Serve to Lead’. This motto might initially sound strange to the uninitiated. But to be accorded the great honour of being an officer in the British Army, to be a leader of any stripe in any context, requires putting the interests of those one is leading first. This motto exists to disabuse officer cadets of the notion that leadership is a function of giving orders. It is in the service of others that we become leaders. The Army and this ethos are foundational to my life and character, and informed every decision I made during my professional life.
Because of these experiences, I am pleased that Tom Tugendhat, an ex-army officer, is trying to lead the Conservative Party.
Truly, Tom risked his life serving our country. I believe his decade of service speaks for that. Those who lack faith in this country do not often volunteer to be shot at in defence of it.
It was the time we spent together as colleagues in the Commons which allowed me to see his credentials as a politician. As a backbencher Tom spoke out when he believed the Government’s policies to be wrong. We did not always agree but I always trusted him to speak his mind.
This is the sort of leadership we need, to counter the fundamental dishonesty of Labour’s legislative programme. Our country deserves real and effective opposition to this Labour Government and its dangerous ideas. And Conservatives need a leader who can transform the party and rebuild its credibility with the public. One can hardly turn around in Westminster without bumping into someone capable of generating headlines or retweets. But real leaders are rare. They can shape the culture of the organisations they lead, and change the way members of those organisations operate on a day-to-day basis. I know Tom is a leader.
Tom has stated he will never ask the British people to do that which he would be unwilling to do himself. He understands that leadership is based on consistency and mutual respect.
The Conservative Party indulged backbiting over the past five years to its great peril, as we saw in July’s election. If we choose a new leader enmeshed in this failed past we cannot expect a bright future. In Northern Ireland and in Bosnia, I saw the very real costs of failed leadership and ideology run amok. Make no mistake: careless political talk can cost lives. Politics is deadly sometimes – as I know.
Twenty-five years ago Tom made a promise to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to serve his country faithfully. He says he will always put his personal interest last. And I believe him. We should expect no less of the leader of the Conservative Party, nor of our Prime Ministers. It is precisely because I expect more that I am proud to support Tom today. We must take the fight to Labour and never concede defeat to their belief that the United Kingdom exists in inexorable decline. We cannot afford to choose wrongly. I believe Tom to be an excellent candidate to lead the future Conservative Party.
