Senior Tories Worry Leadership Hopefuls Are Ignoring The Economy
3 min read
A number of senior Conservative MPs have expressed concern that the economy has been neglected in the race to replace Rishi Sunak as party leader.
Members of the shadow cabinet, including MPs who have worked in the Treasury, have privately lamented that the Tory leadership contest has been too focused on issues like immigration, with not enough attention paid to the economy.
As Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick prepare to go head-to-head to succeed Sunak, senior Tories told PoliticsHome the debate so far has failed to reflect the significance of the economy as an issue, as well as the key role it played in the Conservative party's historic general election defeat on 4 July.
The damage done to the Tory reputation for economic competence by former prime minister Liz Truss' 2022 mini-budget was a major cause of the party's severe unpopularity heading into the election. At the same time, polls regularly found the cost-of-living to be the most important issue for the public.
One shadow cabinet minister said: “I can’t understand why a Tory leadership election is not head on entering a discussion about the economy, a core Tory issue.
“A healthy economy should be the root of our Conservatism but we’re starting to sound like the immigration party.”
Another shadow cabinet minister agreed, telling PoliticsHome “it is an issue that has been very much lacking” in the debate and the party “is much poorer for it”.
Another senior Tory felt there had been "very little discussion about the economy".
They told PoliticsHome: "Think about Sunak vs Truss: that was all about taxes, economy, future structure. We've not even really touched on that in passing. Maybe it is because it went so badly but also because we don't quite know what we will be facing in four years time.
They added: “It is quite sad because we could’ve had a really important debate.
"Not on specific taxes but on the issue of what fundamental reform we've got to deliver on the economy regarding skills, productivity and areas of fundamental change that we have got to deliver to be a more vibrant, dynamic global economy that is able to compete.”
On Wednesday, Conservative MPs voted for Badenoch and Jenrick as the final two in the contest to become Leader of the Opposition, with James Cleverly being eliminated.
The result took Westminster by surprise. Cleverly surged to finish top of the previous voting round on Tuesday, triggering claims that vote lending had led to the the shock outcome. One former minister said Conservative MPs had were "trying to be too clever", while another Tory complained: "It would be much easier if they just voted for who they thought was the best candidate, but that's too easy."
Recent polling suggests Badenoch, who learned the result in her parliamentary office alongside husband Hamish, will go into the final stage of the contest as the favourite to win.
Over the next few weeks, the two former Cabinet ministers, who are both seen as being on the right of the parliamentary Tory party, will go head-to-head to win the support of Conservative members. The result will be announced on 2 November.
Additional reporting by Adam Payne.
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