In April, I had the privilege of being elected Regional Chairman of the West Midlands, and before I could say so much as a “hello”, the Region (as with large swathes of the country) was enveloped in the local elections. With a few weeks to recuperate and reflect, I was humbled to see the dedication with which our grass root campaigners threw themselves into the elections. Whilst public mood was against us and at times, so was the weather, I witnessed fantastic, impassioned local campaigns from many candidates and volunteers who weren’t afraid to take the message to the doorstep.

I must admit this was a refreshing change from the sanitised arguments we see in the media, where all too often we shy away from the difficult conversations and skirt around the issues of the day to avoid “gotcha journalists” and misrepresenting headlines. So, as a party, have we lost the art of debate?

When I think back to the turbulent, early days of the pandemic and subsequent lock downs, it was clear that the Party was, for the most part, united behind a common enemy. As a collective voice, we were at our strongest. When the opposition questioned the government’s plan, we argued our case and by and large, won the argument. As conservatives, this is when we are at our strongest, when we put our collective brain behind a common plan and seek to bring others along on the journey. So, it is no surprise that this is also when we are at our most successful.

Moving forward just two short (or long depending on your opinion) years and it feels as though we are regressing. The opposition has once again taken control of the rhetoric and we are somewhat on the back foot. The migration policy is a prime example of a brilliant policy that is badly defended. We aren’t inventing something new here, it has been tried successfully in other advanced nations such as Australia. We are not sending people to an oppressive regime or a country that lacks basic sanitation. What this policy does, is take the power back from the people traffickers. It means that the asylum seekers who so desperately need our help can be processed properly and supported, whilst deterring those who come to take advantage of our nation. Prior to this policy it is well documented that the majority of asylum seekers that entered the country via the channel were single men in their 20s, one of the least vulnerable categories of migrants. Whilst Priti Patel has done an excellent job at the dispatch box, the Left has once again seized control of the debate, painting a picture of heartless Tories sending the most vulnerable people in the world away in their time of need.

I don’t want to think that as a party we have lost the power of debate, perhaps it’s been misplaced in a draw or at the back of a cupboard. Having witnessed first-hand that debate is strong here in the West Midlands, and that our fantastic local champions have the courage of their convictions on the doorstep in the face of adversity, it is clear that Westminster has the support of the Party’s grassroots. I hope the Government can take their lead from our example, remember that we are behind them 100%, and don’t lose the art of debate!