Conservative MP urges party to change or wither, arguing for authentic conservatism

LONDON — Sir John Hayes, a long-serving Conservative MP for Lincolnshire, issued a broad critique of his party in a column for the Daily Mail, arguing that the Conservative Party must change or risk withering. He tied Labour's tax increases, higher welfare bills funded by borrowing, and ongoing concerns about illegal migration to what he described as a drift toward liberal left orthodoxy in recent years. He also accused the current government of scrapping the deterrent aspect of the Rwanda policy, arguing that these dynamics have left the country in turmoil and the party out of step with public sentiment. Hayes stressed that the problem is not new and that the party’s last administration did not go far enough to fix it, calling for a renewal that emphasizes families, local communities, and national traditions.

In the piece, Hayes wrote alongside colleagues and described his own journey within the party, noting that he had fought for changes with fellow Conservative thinkers such as Danny Kruger. While he acknowledged disagreements on strategy, he remained convinced that the Conservative Party can offer the country the change it needs. He pointed to substantial new government commitments—he cited roughly £90 billion in total new spending, equating to more than £3,000 per family—and argued that the party must balance fiscal responsibility with credible, conservative policies on immigration and public services. Hayes credited a new generation of MPs — Robert Jenrick, Katie Lam, Neil O'Brien, Nick Timothy, Joy Morrissey, and Rebecca Paul — with bringing energy and imagination to the task of restoring public trust. He argued that these lawmakers are capable of delivering solutions, not just diagnosing problems.

The piece also delved into the leadership challenges facing the party. Hayes argued that the wicket Kemi Badenoch inherited was difficult, and he said she understands the public’s anger about past government failures. He suggested that the previous administration was not sufficiently conservative, and that the road back to government would be lengthy and hard. Citing polling data, he noted that the party’s popularity fell from about 24 percent in November, when Rishi Sunak resigned, to a range that some polls place between roughly 15 and 19 percent over the past year. He warned that facing an election with those numbers would be catastrophic, and he urged the party to present a distinctly conservative vision that directly addresses immigration, the cost of living, and the quality of public services. He argued that a year after the election, the party’s prescriptions for these issues were too vague or insufficiently resonant to attract broad public notice, and he cautioned against unity without purpose, which he warned could imperil representational democracy.

Hayes framed the moment as one requiring courage rather than caution. He urged the party to demonstrate an energy that matches the nation’s restlessness, a boldness commensurate with the desire for rapid change, and a dogged commitment to doing what is right. He invoked the enduring legacy of great Conservative figures — Shaftesbury, Disraeli, Churchill, and Thatcher — to support a program that rejects compromise with liberal orthodoxy, resists further reviews, and rejects any sense of “managed decline.” He concluded that the time has come to seize the moment and become once again the people’s party, arguing that a return to authentic conservatism is essential to making Great Britain greater in the face of economic and social challenges abroad and at home.