At the Conservative Party conference on October 2, 2024, Robert Jenrick, the leading contender in the Tory leadership race, delivered a speech centered on immigration control and the need for party renewal. The former immigration minister, who previously served as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government from 2019 to 2021, emphasized the importance of addressing the "small boats crisis" for the party's future.
Jenrick outlined five key policy changes he would implement if elected:
- Securing borders
- Challenging net zero targets
- Promoting construction
- Developing an efficient small state
- Defending national culture
The frontrunner stressed the necessity of leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), a treaty drafted in 1950 and implemented in 1953, to effectively manage immigration. He stated, "If I am your leader, I will fight for the effective freeze in net migration our country needs. And this time, we will cast it in iron."
Jenrick criticized current immigration levels, noting, "It's not making us any richer. It's putting immense pressure on our housing, our hospitals, our roads." This statement comes in the context of recent data showing net migration to the UK reached 606,000 in the year ending December 2022.
In a nod to Sir Tony Blair's "New Labour" campaign of the 1990s, Jenrick called for a "new Conservative Party," stating, "If we are going to change this party, to restore the trust and the confidence of the people, if we're going to tackle together the immense challenges our country faces, we are going to have to build something new."
The speech also addressed the UK's net zero target, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050. Jenrick pledged to cut emissions without burdening working people or further de-industrializing the country.
On foreign policy, Jenrick proposed reducing the foreign aid budget, which has recently been cut from 0.7% to 0.5% of national income, and increasing defense spending to 3% of GDP, surpassing the NATO guideline of 2%.
The Conservative Party, founded in 1834, has been in power since 2010. Jenrick's speech reflects the ongoing debate within the party about its direction and policies, particularly regarding immigration and environmental targets.
"Sir Keir Starmer was more of an 'undertaker' than a leader, Rachel Reeves 'as wooden as Pinocchio, and only barely more honest', and Ed Miliband like 'a Wallace missing his Gromit'."
As the Conservative Party conference concludes, Jenrick's speech sets the stage for a potential shift in party leadership and policy direction, with immigration and cultural identity at the forefront of the debate.