In July my party suffered a terrible defeat at the polls.
We lost votes in multiple directions - to Labour, obviously, but also to other parties including Reform UK, the LibDems and the Greens.
Here in East Hampshire the majority was massively reduced, to two and a half percentage points.
In our regular local opinion surveying since the election we’ve been asking about current political issues of course, from higher house-building targets, to tax, to the removal of the Winter Fuel Payment. But we’ve also been asking about people’s perceptions of the parties over time, and how that was different in this year’s general election.
One resident in Alton last week told me that this year was the first time in his life he had voted other than Conservative (his cross went to the Reform candidate). A Petersfield resident said she felt let down by the Conservative party, but couldn't possibly vote Labour, so felt she had to vote Lib Dem.
These are difficult things to hear, but important to hear.
I said at the count at Penns Place that you must take a result like this general election with due humility and recognise mistakes made. I also said it’s important for my party that we take time - time to consider, and to determine how we rebuild.
And this actually is relevant to everyone, whether traditionally a Conservative supporter or Labour or anything else. Because our system – like so many others around the world – relies on having a strong broad-based party of the centre left and a strong broad-based party of the centre right.
I do appreciate that the Conservative leadership contest feels already like it’s gone on a long time. For full disclosure: I was one of those arguing for a long contest. I felt it important that there was ample time to test out the candidates and to air the issues.
As I write this, we are shortly to have a hustings event in East Hampshire between the final two candidates, and shortly after that, the vote will be concluded.
After careful consideration I am supporting Kemi Badenoch. I believe she is the candidate best placed to hold the government to account, rebuild our organisation and cut through with the public. Moreover, she understands the scale of what we need to do, and the need to appeal again to the voters we have lost, whichever party they may have gone to.
Whoever is in government, good governance requires a strong opposition, in realistic competition for the following election. Soon my party will have a new leader and it will be a new start. But there is a great deal more work we will need to do.