We have just been roundly rejected by voters. Those seats we held, we fought hard for.

Let’s go back to first principles. We need to rebuild, but let’s start from the beginning.

Let’s define who we are. Let’s be clear about the principles we believe in. And then let’s clearly communicate them. 

Only if we know what we stand for and can communicate that loudly, clearly and in unison, across both the voluntary party, local elected representatives and the parliamentary party, should we expect voters to take us seriously.

Voters owe us nothing. We don’t own their votes. Aping Reform or the Lib Dems gets us nowhere. Why attempt to be something we are not, on the off chance that it might make voters like us more?

We must be authentically ourselves: Conservatives. There’s no point being anything else. Then let the voters decide for themselves. We have nothing to fear: I have no doubt that a confident and authentic Conservative party is what the majority want.

And remember, that’s why we all joined. As National Convention members, we are the leaders of the members, the activists, envelope-suffers, tea-makers, committee room organisers, donors and, together, the people who support us the best, the most and with the greatest enthusiasm. We know they have been overlooked and let down, and we know that they feel it. We feel it too. 

It is our responsibility to work to represent our members, we all know that. And we all want to.

But the voluntary party needs a leadership that is keenly aware of this predicament. The mood of the members, how it feels to be overlooked and without a voice and the direction that takes us in. Crucially, members must always have the right to vote to select our Party Leader; no leader can be successful without the explicit support of the majority of the membership.

I have the skills, the awareness and the track record to be the leader the voluntary party needs. I am bold, clear-headed and determined and I know how to get results collaboratively. I am a long-term member as an activist and am currently Association Chair of Holborn and St Pancras. Moreover, I experienced the last election as a candidate, Association Chair and Party donor, so I know exactly what happened, first hand and from all angles. I am uniquely placed to stand in the way of repeating the same mistakes and ensuring a fresh start.

I am therefore offering myself a as candidate for Chair of the National Convention. I believe myself to be absolutely the right person to lead the voluntary Party from this low moment to future success.