John Stevenson is Chairman of the Northern Research Group, and Conservative MP for Carlisle.
As recently outlined by the Prime Minister and Chancellor, a dynamic and growing economy is integral to the UK’s future success and security. It is this vision, combined with the lessons we can learn from Ben Houchen’s winning strategy in the Tees Valley, built around his record of conservative delivery, which will guarantee electoral success for the Conservatives at the coming election.
In the Tees Valley, people were given a simple choice: back a Conservative candidate with a proven track record of delivering jobs, prosperity, and record regional economic growth, or vote for Labour, with no credible alternative plan. A Conservative Mayor won in historically Labour heartlands. He did so through a laser-focused programme of delivery, which has transformed the everyday lives of people in Tees Valley.
Houchen’s record should focus minds in Westminster. When we deliver, we can win. The local elections were clearly disappointing, not least for the fantastic Conservative councillors who lost their seats, but this general election will be closer than people think. As we head into the campaign, we must embody Houchen’s winning combination of conservative values and delivery.
I won my seat in Carlisle from Labour in 2010, standing proudly on a platform of the type of conservatism that unites us all as Tories: economic competency and sound money. Labour left the country in financial ruin in 2010 and the British people trusted the Conservatives to rebuild – and we did.
I know that voters value a strong economy over anything else. Over 50 per cent of people consistently rank ‘the economy’ as their number one priority. For our voters, having a coherent economic plan matters above all else.
Economic security was the core theme throughout the Prime Minister’s recent speech. His message was simple: without the solid foundations of a strong economy, delivery on anything, whether it be defence, the NHS and schools, or transport and infrastructure, is impossible. The only way forward is to stick to the plan, and we must all unite around doing so.
The Prime Minister has demonstrated time and again that our plan for the economy is working. It was Sunak as Chancellor who stepped in during the pandemic to save lives and livelihoods through the furlough scheme, protecting 11.6 million jobs, and it was Sunak as Prime Minister who delivered an unprecedented £400 billion package of cost-of-living support as households struggled with the cost of energy following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
When times are tough, a compassionate, One Nation Conservative government steps in to support hardworking people.
Today, as a result of sound economic management from the Chancellor and Prime Minister, inflation is falling, and the financial burden on millions of people across the country is easing. A cut to interest rates feels close. Office for National Statistics data has shown impressive economic growth, with the economy growing at its fastest rate for 2 years, and the joint strongest growth in the G7. Complementing this, wages have been rising faster than inflation almost a year, delivering higher living standards for hardworking people.
With an economy growing, wages rising, and inflation under control, the plan is working. It is right that the second part of our plan focuses on relieving the tax burden for working people. After all, if we do not stand for low taxes, why on earth are we Conservatives?
Our Party has delivered a cut to National Insurance Contributions for 27 million people, not once, but twice. My own constituents in Carlisle felt this in their pay packet at the beginning of this month – worth an extra £900 every year for an average worker. This is what One Nation Conservative delivery looks like – sound economic management in difficult times, resulting in fiscally responsible tax cuts and making hard work pay.
In this election campaign, the message will be clear. This Conservative Party has been there for people in the most difficult times, and as the economy now turns a corner, working people are reaping the rewards through lower taxes and our investment in public services. The choice people face is to stick with us on that clear plan to prosperity, or risk all of the progress we have made with a vote for Keir Starmer and a Labour Party who have so few plans that they all fit on a credit card-sized leaflet.
We need to be loud and proud as a Party about our Conservative record of delivery on the things that matter to the people we represent. It is no coincidence that Houchen was elected on ‘a record of delivery, a promise of more.’ This is the message that should resonate with colleagues in Westminster. As we go into an election as a united, pragmatic Conservative Party, with a clear programme of delivery, we can win.
