Tories must now offer their vision for Britain

EXACTLY 40 years ago, a female Tory leader thrilled her party conference with a stirring vision for the future of Britain.

After four years of a Labour government in thrall to union power, the country was marooned in a sea of debt and its key industries – all nationalised – were plagued by strife. Britain wasn’t working.

margaret Thatcher not only denounced the dead hand of state control but – crucially – also explained clearly why the free market was the true path to future prosperity.

She said: ‘We want to be elected so that we can do better, not because we couldn’t possibly do worse.’ And she was. Three times in succession.

If only the Tories had that clarity of vision today. With its membership crying out for inspiration, all they are hearing is negativity and division. Where are the big ideas?

In today’s mail, Chancellor Philip Hammond rightly berates Labour for its ruinous policies. But economically illiterate though his prospectus is, Jeremy Corbyn is undeniably gaining a following.

By expressing his ideas with passion, he has persuaded disturbingly large numbers of people that his Socialist fantasy could somehow work this time – despite the bitter lessons of the past.

So why aren’t the Tories enunciating a vision of their own, and proving, in mrs Thatcher’s words, that they can do better?

The truth is they seem so preoccupied with internal bickering over Brexit that they have lost sight of the bigger picture.

Yes, Brexit is crucial to this country’s future and the best deal must be fought for. But the public must also believe the Government is helping them in the struggles of day-to-day life.

Good public services, trains that run on time, a justice system committed to catching and punishing criminals, solving the social care crisis, a tax system that encourages enterprise, savings and pensions policies that reward thrift and self- reliance; these are the everyday concerns of the British people.

But instead of focusing on them, the party is obsessed with factional squabbling. Yesterday, it was a highly public Cabinet split over whether to push forward with the HS2 rail line. If they can’t agree amongst themselves over such a fundamental policy issue, why should the electorate trust them to run Britain?

There are simply too many inflated egos at the top of the Tory party, putting their own ambitions and leadership pretensions before the good of the country.

With the Corbynistas on the march, their vanity and recklessness are throwing not just their party but our whole economic future into the unknown.