Fiona Nanna, ForeMedia News

5 minutes read. Updated 4:00PM GMT Mon, 9 July, 2024

Suella Braverman, a prominent figure in the Conservative Party, has launched a fierce critique of current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, accusing the party leadership of sidelining grassroots members and mimicking Labour policies. Speaking at the Popular Conservatives conference, Braverman appealed to Tory members as she positioned herself as a frontrunner in the upcoming Conservative leadership campaign.

Braverman, who was re-elected to her Fareham and Waterlooville seat, expressed her frustration with how the Conservative Party has handled its leadership transitions. She pointed out that while grassroots members elected Boris Johnson, who led the party to a significant victory in the 2019 general election, it was the MPs who ousted him and installed Rishi Sunak without consulting the wider party membership.

“It was members who chose an election-winning prime minister in the form of Boris Johnson that led us to our success in 2019,” Braverman stated. “And yet it was MPs who ousted him and replaced him with Rishi Sunak, leading us to our greatest defeat. This was a way of robbing members of their right, of their voice, of their say. It cannot be allowed to happen again” (BBC News).

Braverman emphasized the need for the Conservative Party to restore trust not only with the electorate but also within its ranks. She highlighted the sidelining and disenfranchisement of grassroots members, which she believes has damaged the party’s integrity.

“The integrity of the Conservative Party has broken down for too long,” she said. “Grassroots members have been sidelined, disenfranchised, and treated pretty badly, to be honest” (The Guardian).

Braverman was particularly critical of the selection process for candidates, accusing the leadership of ignoring local associations and parachuting in unsuitable candidates based on personal connections within the party leadership.

In her speech, Braverman called for a return to core conservative policies, particularly on immigration, which she feels the party has been too weak and squeamish to address effectively. She argued that the Conservatives have been mimicking Labour, making it difficult to distinguish between the two parties.

“We need to be the party that makes it clear we’re on the side of the grafters, of the strivers, of the people who take a risk to make their lives and the lives of their families and their communities better,” Braverman asserted. “We want to be the party that says it doesn’t matter where you come from, it’s where you’re going” (Sky News).

Braverman also made headlines for her speech at the National Conservatism conference in Washington DC. There, she criticized Tory politicians who support progressive policies, particularly the flying of the Progress Pride flag, which represents the LGBTQ+ community, on government buildings.

“The Progress flag says to me one monstrous thing: That I was a member of a government that presided over the mutilation of children in our hospitals and from our schools,” she claimed, sparking controversy and debate (Daily Mail).

As the Conservative Party faces internal challenges and prepares for future elections, Braverman’s strong stance and calls for reform are likely to resonate with many grassroots members. Her appeal to restore traditional conservative values and her criticism of current leadership decisions position her as a significant player in the ongoing political discourse within the party.

For more on this topic, visit our detailed analysis of the Conservative Party’s leadership challenges and future prospects (Political Analysis).

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