My political journey was shared with five million Labour voters, who switched to Conservatives in the 2019 General Election.
Like them, I had been alienated by Jeremy Corbyn’s hard-Left cabal and by the party’s failure to heed the message sent from its heartlands by the Brexit vote.
In early 2018 I was still a Labour councillor in Ashfield – but within 18 months I was representing the area in the Commons, having played my part in the destruction of the so-called ‘Red Wall’ seats.
It was the first time I had voted Conservative; many of my friends and family with whom I’d worked down the mines all voted Tory for the first time as well.
My political journey was shared with five million Labour voters, who switched to Conservatives in the 2019 General Election.
The Prime Minister won his majority on the back of these votes, which he admits have only been ‘lent’ to him.
Now, I am afraid that first-time Tory voters may begin to question their intentions.
Keep calm, we have Tory MPs who are actually familiar with the Red Wall and the people that they represent. We get you.
We must never forget the trust these people put in us by voting Conservative – people such as my dad, a 75-year-old ex-miner, a veteran of the strikes of the 1970s and 1980s who had voted Labour all his life.
The Government has achieved so many great things – despite the challenges presented by Covid, such as its record investment in the NHS and the billions being pumped into the North and Midlands as part of the levelling-up agenda.
By raising the income threshold to aid families with low salaries, we have seen record employment. This should help us move towards a higher-wage sector.
It is a stark contrast to the Labour Party. As someone who has been there, I understand.
But these achievements are being outweighed by the huge rises in the cost of living coming down the track, through higher energy bills, which my voters care far more about than the platitudes spouted about the ‘green agenda’ by the wealthy elite who flew into the COP26 summit in private planes.
Everyone agrees we need to do more for the Earth. Mention the Net Zero Journey to Ashfield residents and they’ll be astounded that you just came from another world.
Most of these people are barely making ends meet. They would like to have the ability to change the heating and not worry about their next bill.
Like them, I had been alienated by Jeremy Corbyn’s hard-Left cabal and by the party’s failure to heed the message sent from its heartlands by the Brexit vote
I was born in this area and lived and worked here all my life, so I know what my voters want – a government tough on law and order, tighter immigration controls and an end to illegal crossings in the Channel.
This is what the new Borders Bill will address, however these legislative pieces take time. Our voters desire to see immediate results.
Politics is becoming like the Premier League: if voters don’t see immediate success, they demand the manager is sacked.
I know from conversations with the Prime Minister that he gets it –but I am not convinced everyone in his inner circle does.
The loss of the North Shropshire by-election was a blow but don’t forget that before that we took another Red Wall seat in the Hartlepool by-election.
If we deliver on people’s priorities – rather than what we think are people’s priorities – then there is no reason why we cannot make further gains in the next Election.