The two MPs who could go from obscurity to be key to the future of the Tories

Sticking the word “new” in front of something is a well worn method of signalling you want something changed. It worked for Tony Blair with New Labour and now it is working with a group of rightwing Tory MPs from the 2017 and 2019 elections calling themselves the New Conservatives. Their big immigration paper this week, the first serious policy launch by this new group, was a sign of things to come from a group which is looking at grabbing the agenda on a range of issues including border control and tackling wokery in all its forms. But this is more than a group of unhappy MPs from the right of the party – it is not the same as Boris supporting malcontents, “Truss was right all along” revisionists or disgruntled grassroots members. The New Conservatives are a movement about the very long term future of their party and the two people heading it – 2019 intake MPs Mirian Cates and Danny Kruger – are the people who will be its future stars. Mirian Cates is seen as a star of the 2019 intake (Image: New Social Covenant) We have been here before though, except in the opposite direction. Back in 2004, a former Conservative MP Derek Conway snidely referred to what he called “the Notting Hill set”, as in a group of young liberal Tories who were rapidly emerging as the future of the party who wanted to move their party to the left. The two leaders of that informal group were at the time a little known shadow ministers called David Cameron and his friend George Osborne. Within a year, Cameron was leader and Osborne his shadow Chancellor with the two plotting the start of a long period of Tory government in the 2010 election. But while Cameron and Osborne wanted to move their party into being centrists, this new movement wants to make the Conservatives conservative again on the right. Danny Kruger was Cameron’s speech writer (Image: PARLIAMENT) The two actually began this project when they launched their New Social Covenant two years ago in 2021, aimed at pushing a more socially conservative agenda on a range of thorny ethical issues. They make an interesting pairing. Cates is a former teacher who bravely protested over the impact of lockdowns on children and has since made her name standing up for women in the increasingly vicious trans debate. Infamously, the Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle cross the Commons chamber to sit close to her while she was speaking in an apparent attempt to physically intimidate her. Kruger was a speech writer for Cameron and a special adviser who entered politics through the professional route. Both though, along with others in the New Conservatives, share a desire to promote small c Conservative values partcularly on a push back to the woke and LGBT+ agendas as well as on immigration. In some respects, they have a chance of becoming the European Research Group of their generation. Neither Cates or Kruger have been promoted on the ministerial ranks partly because of their conservatism but both have immense ability. And both are seen as two who could shape the party’s future if they can hold on to their seats – a particularly difficult challenge for Ms Cates representing a constituency near Sheffield. As one Red Wall MP put it: “I would absoutely love to see them one day as a leadership ticket. They are exactly what the party needs.” Those who support liberalising abortion, preventing parents from finding out if their kids want to be trans or want mass immigration probably will not agree. But as another member of the group pointed out this is not so much about the present but reshaping the party for the future. There are other interesting characters from the right of the party familiar to Express readers including Tom Hunt, Jonathan Gullis, Gareth Bacon, Duncan Kaker, Paul Bristow, Brendan Clarke-Smith, James Daly, Anna Firth, Nick Fletcher, Chris Green, Eddie Hughes, Mark Jenkinson, Andrew Lewer, Marco Longhi, Robin Millar, and Lia Nici. David Cameron became leader after founding the Notting Hill set (Image: Getty) As one member put it, the group is a recognition that “politics has moved on from the Cameron era.” It is “about cementing the realignment of British politics” which was seen in the 2019 election with many Red Wall former Labour safe seats going Conservative for the first time. The group only has newer MPs in it from the 2017 and 2019 intake because it is deliberately promoting a future agenda while working with more established veterans such as Sir John Hayes and his Common Sense Group. As one MP said: “This sort of group usually emerges after an election defeat to influence what the rebuild will look like. In this case the group has emerged early.” Its existence is an acceptance that the party is heading for defeat possibly a bad one and it is getting its preparation in early for the debates and soul searching yet to come. But one member said “too many of the Cameron era Conservative MPs are actually Lib Dems in blue rosettes” and there is certainly an agenda to move away from that sort of candidate. One member noted: “We are outward looking and trying to set the agenda. That is our purpose.” It is claimed they are taking inspiration from what the Republicans have done in America – faith, flag and family. They believe most of the country is behind their formula and probably most of the Tory party, but certainly “it reflects the values of the new alignment in British politics”. If the Tories lose in 2024, the next leadership election is probably too soon for them to seize control. But if they are right then the names Miriam Cates and Danny Kruger could be ones leading a Conservative Party renewal in the next decade.