FORMER home secretary and leading candidate for Tory leadership, Priti Patel, has outlined her vision for restoring the party's core values and defeating Reform UK.
Having served as home secretary under Boris Johnson, Patel resigned when Liz Truss became prime minister and has spent the past two years on the back benches. Now, she is determined to make a comeback and steer the Tories back to its traditional values.
One of Patel’s key messages is the need to tackle Reform UK head-on. She dismisses any idea of aligning with Nigel Farage or his party, insisting that Reform UK’s mission to undermine the Conservative Party must be countered by a return to traditional conservative values.
“Reform UK impacted our election results, so it's not something I consider worth discussing,” Patel told the Telegraph in an interview.
While acknowledging that she has been friends with Farage for years, she said, “There’s a difference between personal friendship and his goal of undermining the Conservative Party. I won't let that happen.”
Despite being ranked fifth among six candidates by bookmakers, Patel is confident she will advance to the final stages of the leadership contest. She believes her extensive experience, including her roles in the Treasury and as home secretary, gives her an edge in addressing the party’s current challenges.
Patel’s campaign stresses the need for the party to rediscover its core principles and reconnect with the electorate.
She argues that the party has lost public trust due to its recent failures and internal conflicts, which have overshadowed its achievements and promises. Patel insisted that the party must demonstrate professionalism, integrity, and a commitment to addressing the issues that matter to voters.
“There’s a generation out there like us, and I’ve noticed this with the younger generation, they do love their country. They care about our place in the world. They’re very proud of our nation. It’s also a whole generation wondering where the hell their prospects are going," she told the newspaper.
“When I joined our amazing party back in 1990, we were a go-getting party. We were excited. We were about opportunity. If you were a young person, you wanted to get on the property ladder, own your own home. You wanted the freedom to succeed, you wanted to get on, to think about how you brought up your family. We have to be the party of aspiration, we need to give them that hope and opportunity that fits with our values, British values."
Patel, a mother of one, was born to Ugandan-Indian parents who arrived in the UK in the 1960s and established a newsagent business. Educated in Watford, she was motivated to join theparty by Margaret Thatcher and began her career in public relations. She was elected MP for Witham in Essex in 2010 and successfully defended her seat in July with a reduced majority of 5,145, the second-largest majority among the leadership contenders.
Drawing on her experiences from her early career and her time in government, Patel stresses the importance of resilience and effective leadership. She recalls the difficult opposition years after 1997 and believes that the current situation presents an opportunity for strong leadership to emerge.
Patel is critical of the current Labour government, accusing it of pursuing policies that she believes are damaging to the country. She condemns recent measures, such as VAT on school fees, as “vindictive” and argues that Labour’s plans are misguided.
The British Indian leader advocates for policies that she feels will support job creation and economic growth, including tax reforms and measures to address housing shortages.
With a background in public relations and a long-standing connection to the Tories, Patel has been a vocal advocate for the party's traditional values. She believes that addressing the party’s current issues requires a return to a meritocratic approach and greater engagement with local party members and councillors.
Patel’s leadership bid is driven by her belief that the Conservative Party must focus on the issues that matter to voters and restore its reputation as a reliable and effective political force. She remains hopeful that, by the time the final leadership contenders are chosen, she will be able to persuade the party and its members of her vision for a revitalised Tory party.
Patel revealed that she is committed to reaching out to constituencies across the country, determined to prove her dedication and capability.
Karan Johar and Smriti Irani