A Tory MP delivered a brutal verdict on Robert Jenrick’s pitch to be the party’s leader.
Jesse Norman described the former immigration minister’s speech to the Conservative conference as “lazy, mendacious, simplistic tripe”.
His comments once again exposed the deep splits within the party as it tries to recover from its historic election defeat in July.
Jenrick had pledged to build a “new Conservative Party” that would take on the Labour government and win power again at the next election.
In a speech clearly pitched to the right of his party, he name-checked former Tory prime minister Margaret Thatcher - a day after revealing he had given one of his daughters the middle name ‘Thatcher’ in honour of her.
Referring to Labour’s landslide victory on July 4, he said: “We need to be honest with ourselves: The country just doesn’t trust us right now.
“We’ve just suffered our worst-ever electoral defeat. We lost more seats and we won fewer votes than any government ever.
“It was a comprehensive defeat, and it needs a comprehensive rethink.”
He added: ”That is what I call for today, a new Conservative Party, nothing less than that, built on the rock of our proudest traditions and noblest values, but a new Conservative Party, and if I am your leader, that is what together we will build.”
The reception for Jenrick’s speech in the conference hall was far less enthusiastic than that enjoyed by rival candidate James Cleverly, whose own speech was greeted by loud cheers and a a standing ovation.
The former home secretary also appeared to take a couple of thinly-veiled swipes at Jenrick, who has been accused of becoming more right-wing in order to become Tory leader.
Cleverly described himself as “a signpost, not weather vane - it’s what I’ve always believed in and always will believe in”.
And in an apparent reference to Jenrick’s decision to resign as immigration minister, Cleverly said: “Within weeks of becoming home secretary I introduced immigration changes that are now cutting net migration in half.
“I didn’t complain about immigration, or walk away from the challenge. I got it down by 300,000 people a year.”