Boris Johnson: Tories must embrace traditional Conservative values to beat Jeremy Corbyn
2 min read
The Tory party must "believe in Conservative values" of low taxes, and law and order if it is to beat Jeremy Corbyn at the next election, according to Boris Johnson.
The former Foreign Secretary will say the party must make the case for capitalism in the face of Labour's left-wing pitch to voters.
Speaking at an eagerly-anticipated fringe event at the Conservative conference on Tuesday, Mr Johnson will accuse Mr Corbyn of having "absolutely nothing to say about the wealth creating sector of the economy - the people who get up at the crack of dawn to prepare their shops the grafters and the grifters, the innovators, the entrepreneurs".
In what will be seen as a clear challenge to Theresa May's leadership, the Uxbridge MP will say: "We Conservatives know that it is only a strong private sector economy that can pay for superb public services and that is the central symmetry of our one nation toryism."
He will add: "We must on no account follow Corbyn, and start to treat capitalism as a kind of boo word.
"We can’t lose our faith in competition and choice and markets, but we should restate the truth that there is simply no other system that is so miraculously successful in satisfying human wants and needs.
"We should set our taxes to stimulate investment and growth. We should be constantly aiming not to increase but to cut taxes. It is the Conservative approach that gets things done so let’s follow our Conservative instincts."
Mr Johnson has been attacked by several Tory big-hitters in the wake of a pre-confefrence interview he gave the Sunday Times in which he described Theresa May's Brexit blueprint as "deranged".
He appeared to take a fresh swipe at the Prime Minister in a picture showing him running through a field of wheat - a reference to what Mrs May famously said was the naughtiest thing she had ever done in her life.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
