James Cleverly Urges Tories to Embrace "Build, Build, Build" Agenda

James Cleverly, former Home Secretary, is set to address the Conservative Party conference with a call for a renewed focus on growth and development. His speech, scheduled for October 1, 2024, will emphasize the need for the party to embrace a "build, build, build" agenda to regain public support.

Cleverly's message comes at a crucial time for the Conservatives, who have been in power for 14 years since 2010. He argues that the party must shift from being perceived as opposing change to actively supporting progress. This approach, he believes, is essential for remaking the case for conservatism and capitalism in modern Britain.

The former Home Secretary's speech will highlight the UK's historical achievements in science and engineering. He plans to remind his audience that Britain gave the world the vaccine twice, first with Edward Jenner's smallpox vaccine in 1796 and later with Covid-19 vaccines. Cleverly will also mention other British innovations such as James Watt's improved steam engine, Joseph Swan's incandescent light bulb, and Tim Berners-Lee's World Wide Web.

In his address, Cleverly will advocate for increased housing construction, drawing inspiration from former Conservative Prime Ministers Harold Macmillan and Margaret Thatcher. This stance may create a divide with other leadership candidates who might be concerned about the impact on the green belt, a policy introduced in the 1930s to prevent urban sprawl.

"How do we face up to the great challenges of our time? How we have always done it. Be for stuff again. British science and engineering shaped the modern world."

Cleverly's speech will also touch on other key issues:

• Reducing childcare costs to support family building
• Cutting red tape for infrastructure development
• Eliminating "bad taxes" like stamp duty, which dates back to 1694
• Ensuring work always pays and limiting state taxation

The former Home Secretary will address controversial topics, including the government's response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Cleverly plans to state that the lockdowns, which began on March 23, 2020, were "wrong" and that the government "got it badly, badly, badly wrong." However, he stops short of ruling out future lockdowns in extreme circumstances, such as a bubonic plague-like scenario.

On the subject of gender identity, Cleverly will express concern about children dictating their identities to adults. He will emphasize the biological fact that human brains continue developing until around age 25, suggesting caution in approach to this issue.

Cleverly's speech comes as the Conservative Party faces challenges ahead of the expected 2024 or 2025 general election. The UK's declining birth rate since 2012 and ongoing housing issues are likely to be key election topics. Labour has already pledged to "bulldoze" the planning system and build 1.5 million homes in five years.

In conclusion, James Cleverly will urge his party to "stop behaving like bloody children" and focus on regaining voter trust. His "build, build, build" message aims to position the Conservatives as a party of progress and optimism, echoing the spirit of past leaders like Macmillan and Thatcher.