A recent survey from the Popular Conservatism group has revealed 53% of Conservative Party member support merging with Reform, while a striking 70% advocate for a closer relationship between the two parties. The numbers suggest that a large portion of the Tory base sees synergy with Reform as the best way forward. Another poll pointing to who the real LOTO is…
The realisation that Reform’s momentum is far from waning pushed the PopCon lot to hold a conference event posing the question: how do you solve a problem like Reform? The conclusion seemed to be the Tories need to find a way to reunite the right to fend off a growing Reform Party. As Annunziata Rees-Mogg succinctly put it, “We failed to deliver on being Conservative.” A return to common sense policies and proper Tory values, with unity behind a leader being essential. Slightly ironic, given that even those in PopCon can’t agree on a single candidate themselves…
Suella Braverman has been taking the most confrontational and active line so far as remaining Tories begin to wrangle over leadership. At the National Conservatism conference in Washington she described Robert Jenrick as a “big, kind of centrist, Rishi supporter…from the Left of the party”…
Braverman is the only Tory contender speaking at the PopCon inquest via pre-recorded video, saying that the Party needs to own up to the “harsh reality” that it failed to tackle any major issues and instead “rolled out a programme” for Starmer to adopt. Jacob Rees-Mogg, David Frost, David Starkey, Daniel Hannan, and Mark Littlewood have made the case that the Tories are not going to win the next election from the centre and that the party must not hand the keys to leadership back to only MPs. Ejected Rees-Mogg jokes that Tories were neither popular nor Conservative during the doomed campaign…
Newly launched free market campaign group Popular Conservatism is ramping up operations with new hires. Former Freedom Association Chief Executive Andrew Allison has already been confirmed as Head of Campaigns. Now other key positions have been filled…
- Former MEP Annunziata Rees-Mogg (sister of Jacob) is joining as Head of Communications.
- Longtime Institute of Economic Affairs wonk Sam Collins has been appointed Head of Public Affairs.
- Angela Harbutt, also formerly of the IEA, is joining as Head of Operations (and fundraising).
- Former CT Group director Martin Le Jeune is added to the roster as Head of Online Content.
Heavy-lifting personnel will be needed in the upcoming Tory wars…
It looks like PopCon is gearing up to be more than just a movement pushing for free-market ideas. It appears Director Mark Littlewood and the Popular Conservatism team are prepping for a Tory leadership election after the presumed general election loss, planning to put up a free-market leaning MP to ensure no wets are selected. Littlewood is reported to have 70/70/70 strategy in his plans to install a Trussite leader. Get 70 MPs’ and 70,000 members’ support, 70 days after the election. Though the numbers may be tough for PopCon to reach when polls are saying that the Tories may only keep 140 MPs after the election, most of which are likely to be One Nation…
Farage was getting a lot of attention today at the PopCon launch. Despite attending as a GB News presenter, it was himself who was being interviewed rather than the other way around. Speaking to TalkTV, he said it is “not his intention” to stand for Reform UK, though to keep people guessing a little longer, he caveated “but who knows?”. Though it doesn’t look like he’ll stand for the Tories either. He went on to say that there’s “no way Reform will do any deal with the Conservatives” as “we and many millions of others feel betrayed by them”. He later pointed out to Guido that the Tories ought to be careful as everyone will just vote Reform at the next election…
Guido can reveal that the Tory neoliberal right are launching a new group, this time called “Popular Conservatism” A.K.A. “PopCon“. Launch invites to MPs, members and activists will be sent out this morning. The group is branding themselves as “a new movement aiming to restore democratic accountability to Britain and deliver popular conservative policies.” Speakers at its launch include Liz Truss, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Simon Clarke, and Ranil Jayawardena. The group insists it’s neither a sixth “family” or a rebrand of the Conservative Growth Group, instead pushing to cut ties with quangos like the OBR and Blairite legal devices such as the Equalities Act. Sound ideas…
The launch date will be on 6th of February and co-conspirators can apply for tickets here. We’ll see if it’s popular by name, popular by nature…
