Cleverly Faces Tory Members’ Questions
Now it’s James Cleverly’s turn to take 30 minutes of questions from Chris Hope and then 30 minutes from members. The last one…
Summary below:
- Cleverly says after election loss he realised the wrong leader could condemn the party to many more losses.
- Snipes at rivals: he fought to win election, he didn’t daydream about leadership and start preparing bid.
- On Jenrick resigning: I didn’t run away.
- Says Rwanda was working. High court judges didn’t see facts on the grounds.
- Same principle as Albania would have worked with Rwanda.
- Stop the Boats slogan was inherited, wasn’t great.
- Labour wants us to have the row.
- “Whoever said that” about SAS forces killing terrorists needs to back the comments up.
- Tories allowed legal migration to get much too high – when Cleverly personally was responsible it was reduced by 300,000 people per year.
- Says taxes were too low.
- Says Tories should be “best version of us” not “pale imitation of Reform.”
- Says Farage is not a Tory. “This is my family, this is my clan. These are the people I serve.”
- No to elected chairman because “your voice at the top table will be me.”
- Says he was a Brexiteer before it was cool.
- Wants to bring taxes down in as many different ways as possible.
- BBC licence fee on the way out. Sound…
- Says new leader should be able to respond to the budget.
- No need to build housing near the green belt.
- Standing full square by Ukraine forever.
- Says he is the most experienced candidate.
