I’ll beat Labour by governing as a true tax-cutting, freedom loving Conservative

IN these tough times, the Conservative Party is rising to the moment. I am proud to have attracted a broad base of support among my parliamentary colleagues for the leadership. Every candidate who stood has contributed enormously. I am now looking forward to making my case to Conservative members across our great country, and also to the wider public.

Over the next few weeks, I will be setting out a bold new plan that I will have ready to go from day one in Downing Street.

I will hit the ground running by immediately cutting taxes, growing our economy and unleashing the potential of everyone in the United Kingdom. This is a key part of my mission to build an aspiration nation, where people from all parts of Britain, from all backgrounds, can succeed on the basis of their talent and hard work alone.

That is how I got to where I am today, and that is what I want for everyone in our country.

I didn’t come from a traditional Conservative background. I grew up in Paisley and went to a comprehensive school in Leeds. I remember the lip service paid to equality, only for children from disadvantaged backgrounds to be let down.

I entered politics to stop this ‘soft bigotry of low expectations’ and bring equality of opportunity for all. My approach is rooted firmly in Conservative values of aspiration, enterprise and freedom, which I know are shared across the country.

As prime minister, I will work night and day to deliver on my promises. I will be relentlessly focused on the people’s priorities, from the cost of living to seizing the opportunities of Brexit, to making the streets safer. The central issue at the next election is going to be the economy. We have been going in the wrong direction on tax, with the tax burden at its highest in 70 years. The central battleground will be about whether we go for growth and cut taxes, or carry on with business as usual and tax rises.

We cannot have business-as-usual managerialism on the economy. I am the taxcutting candidate who will help squeezed families by reversing April’s national insurance rise and suspending the green levy on energy bills. I will move to bring in an emergency budget to get on with doing this quickly, and announce a spending review to find more efficiencies in government spending.

I will drive tax-cutting, enterprise-boosting, business-friendly Conservative policy through the Whitehall Blob to help working families.

The British people can trust me to govern as a Conservative. I won’t apologise for Britain or who we are as a nation and will stand up to people who talk down our country, our history and our values. I reject dehumanising identity politics, cancel culture and the voices of decline.

I am determined to win the fight for freedom at home, namely the freedom for people to live the lives they want. The economy isn’t just about numbers on a spreadsheet but livelihoods, hopes and ambitions. That is why I would drive decisive reforms to unleash people’s potential and advance equality of opportunity.

I believe in Global Britain’s great potential as a sovereign nation.

As prime minister, I will accelerate our regulatory divergence from the EU and create new low-tax opportunity zones to drive growth and investment across the country.

I will help Britain lead the world in tackling aggressors and in advancing and defending freedom and democracy, continuing to take as tough a position on Vladimir Putin as prime minister as I have as Foreign Secretary.

This is a defining moment for the country. The global economy is in difficulty, we face a cost of living crisis here at home, and our

I entered politics to stop the soft bigotry of low expectations

I’ll stand up to people who talk down our country

enemies are emboldened abroad. To steer our way through the storm, we need strong leadership and a bold approach that takes our economic policy in a new direction.

I will beat Labour in 2024 by governing as a true tax-cutting, freedom-loving Conservative. We know Conservative principles of low tax, equality of opportunity and a strong national defence are what the majority of the British people want. That is exactly what I will deliver.

As prime minister, I will lead us to economic growth, remain true to my Conservative philosophy and deliver for families up and down the country.

The British people can trust me to do what is necessary and right.