Tory leadership needs to focus more on issues the public care about (Image: Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
If we are to understand why we lost, and how we rebuild the Conservative party, we need to talk about the NHS.
At the time of the election, 1 in 8 of us were on a waiting list. That was far too high.
It was not through a lack of trying. We provided the NHS 20 per cent more doctors and money than in 2019. We developed the first ever long-term workforce plan and rolled out Community Diagnostic Hubs which brought services closer to patients.
But we were blown off course by the pandemic, and then politically-motivated strikes which made progress incredibly difficult.
And we didn’t manage the big structural reforms required for fear of Labour mischaracterising our plans. At times we treated the NHS like a religion to be worshipped, not a public service to reform.
Social care reform eluded us. So as Conservative Party leader in opposition I would work cross-party to help deliver the reform that is so desperately needed.
I know from my own experience caring for my Grandma just how challenging the task is. We will only attract the British workers to take up these jobs if we are willing to pay them the wage they deserve.
In opposition we must become laser-focused on the productivity reforms required to improve patient care.
That means fully harnessing the latest technological developments which simplify life for frontline staff so they can spend more time doing what they do best – looking after patients.
It also means removing the bad managers who let hard-working staff and patients down. Over 90 per cent of NHS organisations did not fire a single manager in an entire year for poor performance. We should be weeding out bad management and replacing them with strong leaders, just as we did with our school reforms.
Too often the NHS feels distant to those who use it most. So for the elderly and those with chronic conditions we should explore ways we can bring back the family doctor. This wouldn’t just make lives easier for patients – there is strong evidence that continuity of care improves outcomes.
After 14 years in opposition, all Labour have managed so far is to launch a review, and scrap the funding for the hospital building programme we started.
In opposition, I would lead the back to the common ground – focussing most on the issues the British public care about: the economy, NHS and public services and immigration. We will be the party of strong borders, yes, but of a strong NHS too.