Conservatives must show a united front to win election, Tory MP tells Andrew Marr

5 October 2022, 19:59

Conservative MP tells Andrew Marr Tory party must be united

The public will not vote for a party that has demonstrated such an 'appalling' lack of discipline, a Tory MP has told LBC's Tonight with Andrew Marr.

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, MP for the Cotswolds, said the Conservatives need to present a united front to the general public in order to stand a chance of winning the next election.

"I'm a former whip and I've just been appalled this week by the lack of discipline in the party," he said, when Andrew quizzed him on Cabinet members speaking out against Liz Truss' plans for welfare cuts.

"And if we're not united as a party, we can't expect the public to believe in us.

"So I think somehow we've got to find a way of actually all speaking with one voice, or at least voicing our concerns in private rather than doing it in public."

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When Andrew asked him about the consequences of not being united in public, Sir Geoffrey said: "Divided parties don't win elections.

"So I think actually we have to come together, we've got to support Liz Truss, we've got to hope that the measures she's proposing work."

Tory MP James Sunderland 'enthused' by Truss' speech

When he was asked what should be at the top of Ms Truss' agenda now the conference is over, the MP conceded it had been a "difficult week" but insisted the Prime Minister now needs space in order implement her plans for the country.

"It has been a difficult week," he said.

"I think what she achieved in her speech today was to send the party away a little bit calmer and a little bit more united behind her vision, and thank goodness we are getting a bit of a vision now from a prime minister.

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"We know exactly what she wants to achieve and she's setting out how she's going to achieve it.

"What we've got to do now is give her a little bit of space to see whether actually what she's proposing is going to work or not."