Sally-Ann Hart is the former MP for Hastings and Rye and a former Rother district councillor.
For the first time in modern memory, both major parties are deeply unpopular at the same time.
This is not just discontent with policy or performance but a fundamental breakdown of trust. Neither Labour nor the Conservatives seem able to respond in the right way (or even willing, in the case of Labour).
Labour is failing to connect. Under Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour government remains domestically cautious, managerial, and emotionally disengaged. It neither inspires hope nor confronts hard truths. Starmer appears more focused on what is happening abroad – and avoiding mistakes – than on making the meaningful change he promised here at home.
For the Conservatives, the crisis is more acute. After fourteen brutal years in office, first in coalition with the Lib Dems, then leading the country through the enormous change prompted by Brexit (despite those resisting it) and the national and global turbulence triggered by Covid and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the party finds itself bruised and unsure of its identity.
The Conservative Party is the oldest political party in the United Kingdom and the most successful political party in the democratic world. Founded in its modern form in the 1830s, but with roots stretching back to the Tory tradition of the late 17th century, the Conservative Party has been a central force in shaping Britain’s political, social, and economic development. Its longevity and electoral success are no accident.
The party’s strength lies in its ability to adapt whilst adhering to its core principles: personal freedom and responsibility, the value of tradition, support for free enterprise, national sovereignty, and a deep respect for the institutions that underpin our civil society—Parliament, the judiciary, and the monarchy.
Throughout modern history, the Conservatives have been the party of pragmatic reform. Disraeli’s social conscience, Churchill’s wartime leadership, Thatcher’s economic revolution, and more recently the delivery of Brexit, all reflect the party’s instinct to lead the country through change, not resist it.
The party’s ability to reflect the values and concerns of the British people—particularly the quiet majority—has enabled it to win power more often than any other party. Since 1900, it has been in government for over 70 of those years.
However, Reform UK is the first real threat to the Conservative Party.
Voters no longer see themselves represented by us (nor Labour for that matter), and we did not get a grip on the most urgent issue to so many people, immigration.
The temptation for the Conservatives is to respond quickly, but a knee-jerk reaction to Reform would be a mistake. Reform exploits public anger, particularly over immigration and national pride, but a lurch too far right – embracing their language of division – will not strengthen the Conservative Party.
Divisive politics confuses noise with having real beliefs, and saying what people want to hear with leading.
This is a moment for the Conservative Party to return to its core.
Not to chase or compete with Reform – we are not the same, and we should not pretend to be. We must speak to peoples hopes – security, opportunity, fairness, and freedom – not to their worst fears. We must show the country what mature, values-based leadership looks like. We must speak to aspiration and duty. We must present competence over chaos, clarity over noise, and vision over vanity.
The Conservative Party matters because it represents stability in times of uncertainty, seriousness in times of division, and responsibility in times of excess.
Britain does not need more drama.
It needs serious leadership rooted in real values. Nigel Farage may generate headlines, but the Conservative Party must generate results.
