New Conservatives (UK)
Parliamentary group in the United Kingdom
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The New Conservatives were a parliamentary group of predominantly red wall[2] Conservative MPs created in May 2023, who aimed to shape the Conservative Party's policies ahead of the 2024 United Kingdom general election.[3] Politico described the group as having 25 members in July 2023.[4] All but three members lost their seats in the election, and the group has been inactive since the election.
New Conservatives | |
|---|---|
 | |
| President | John Hayes |
| Chairpersons | Danny Kruger Miriam Cates |
| Founded | 21 May 2023 |
| Ideology | National conservatism Social conservatism[1] Euroscepticism |
| Political position | Right-wing[1] |
| National affiliation | Conservative Party |
| Colours | Blue |
| Website | |
| www | |
History
The group was created on Sunday, 21 May 2023,[3][5] and has no official leader, although the co-founders, the former Penistone and Stocksbridge MP Miriam Cates and the former Devizes MP Danny Kruger are the chairs behind the initiative.[3][6]
In October 2023, the group proposed banning "gender ideology" within state schools as one of their platforms.[7]
In November 2023, it was reported by Sky News that the group had met to discuss Suella Braverman potentially "making a play" for a Conservative party leadership.[8]
Policies
The group described itself as wishing to return to the Conservative Party's 2019 manifesto.[9] Politico by cutting immigration to below 226,000, as well as focusing on law and order and to tackle perceived bias in education.[10]
10-point policy
The New Conservatives' primary goals are listed in their 10-point plan, which consists of the following:[11]
- Closing temporary schemes that grant work visa eligibility for care workers and senior care workers.
- Raising the minimum income required to gain a skilled work visa.
- Extending the closure of the student dependant route.
- Closing the graduate route to students.
- Reserving university Study Visas for the brightest international students.
- Monitoring the reduction in visa applications under the humanitarian schemes.
- Implementing the provisions of the Illegal Migration Bill rapidly.
- Capping the number of refugees legally accepted for resettlement in the UK.
- Raising the minimum combined income threshold for sponsoring a spouse and raising the minimum language requirement.
- Capping the amount of social housing that councils may assign to non-UK nationals.
Membership
| Parliament | Composition |
|---|---|
| 2024 (at dissolution) | 24 / 345 |
Prior to the general election, the group was made up of 24 Conservative MPs;[3][12][13] only three members retained their seats.
Unless otherwise mentioned, all members in this table were first elected to parliament in 2019 and defeated in their bid for reelection in 2024.
