New Conservatives (UK)

{{Infobox British Political Party

| name = New Conservatives

| logo = New Conservatives logo.png

| logo_size = 250px

| colorcode = #0054A5

| president = John Hayes

| leader1_title = Chairpersons

| leader1_name = Danny Kruger

Miriam Cates

| foundation = {{no wrap|{{start date and age|2023|5|21|df=y}}}}

| country = the United Kingdom

| colours = {{color box|#0054A5}} Blue

| ideology = National conservatism
Social conservatism{{cite news |last=Sparrow |first= Andrew |date= 11 March 2024 |title= Both Labour and group of Conservative MPs say Lee Anderson defection highlights Tory failings – as it happened |url= https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2024/mar/11/rishi-sunak-tom-tugendhat-conservatives-richard-tice-labour-keir-starmer-uk-politics-live |work= The Guardian |access-date= 14 May 2024 |quote= The New Conservatives, a group of rightwing, socially conservative MPs ...}}
Euroscepticism

| position = Right-wing

| national = Conservative Party

| seats2_title = House of Commons
(Conservative seats)

| seats2 = {{composition bar|3|121|hex=#0054A5}}

| website = {{URL|https://www.thenewconservatives.co.uk/}}

}}

The New Conservatives are a parliamentary group of predominantly red wall{{Cite news |last=Walker |first=Peter |date=2023-07-03 |title=New Conservatives' immigration policy raises questions over Sunak's authority |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jul/03/new-conservatives-immigration-questions-over-sunak-authority |access-date=2023-07-03 |issn=0261-3077}} Conservative MPs who aimed to shape the Conservative Party's policies ahead of the 2024 United Kingdom general election.{{Cite web |last=Langford |first=Eleanor |date=2023-07-03 |title=The 'New Conservatives' and their 12-point plan to pressure Rishi Sunak on migration, explained |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/who-new-conservatives-plan-pressure-rishi-sunak-migration-2449479 |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=inews.co.uk |language=en}} Politico described the group as having 25 members in July 2023.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-03 |title=Meet the New Conservatives giving Rishi Sunak a migration headache |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-rishi-sunak-tory-new-conservatives-mp-cut-immigration/ |access-date=2023-11-14 |website=POLITICO |language=en}}

History

The group was created on Sunday, 21 May 2023,{{Cite web |last=Langford |first=Eleanor |date=2023-05-21 |title=New Tory lobby group to pressure Sunak on migration ahead of expected record figures |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/rishi-sunak-pressure-migration-tory-mp-lobby-group-record-figures-2355346 |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=inews.co.uk |language=en}} 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.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-03 |title=Who are the New Conservatives? |url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/conservatives-140122771.html |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=Yahoo News |language=en-GB}}

In October 2023, the group proposed banning "gender ideology" within state schools as one of their platforms.{{Cite web |date=2023-10-02 |title=New Conservatives group demands migration curbs and school 'gender ideology' ban |url=https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/national/23826559.new-conservatives-group-demands-migration-curbs-school-gender-ideology-ban/ |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=Worcester News |language=en}}

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.{{Cite web |title=Reshuffle latest: Braverman sacking 'not over protests article - it was homelessness comments' |url=https://news.sky.com/story/suella-braverman-future-latest-reshuffle-rishi-sunak-live-updates-12593360 |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=Sky News |language=en}}

Policies

The group describes itself as wishing to return to the Conservative Party's 2019 manifesto.{{Cite news |date=2023-07-03 |title=Tory MPs issue plan for Rishi Sunak to slash migration |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-66084962 |access-date=2023-07-03}} Politico by cutting immigration to below 226,000, as well as focusing on law and order and to tackle perceived bias in education.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-03 |title=Meet the New Conservatives giving Rishi Sunak a migration headache |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-rishi-sunak-tory-new-conservatives-mp-cut-immigration/ |access-date=2024-02-13 |website=POLITICO |language=en}}

= 10-point policy =

The New Conservatives' primary goals are listed in their 10-point plan, which consists of the following:{{Cite web |date=3 July 2023 |title=Politics UK |url=https://twitter.com/PolitlcsUK/status/1675840507291770880 |access-date=2023-07-04 |website=Twitter |language=en}}

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

class="wikitable"

!Parliament

!Composition

2019–2024 (at dissolution)

|{{composition bar|24|345|hex=#0054A5}}

2024–present

|{{composition bar|3|121|hex=#0054A5}}

The group was originally made up of 24 Conservative MPs elected primarily after the Brexit referendum,{{Cite web |date=2023-07-03 |title=Meet the New Conservatives giving Rishi Sunak a migration headache |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-rishi-sunak-tory-new-conservatives-mp-cut-immigration/ |access-date=2023-07-03 |website=POLITICO |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Who are the Popular Conservatives - and how do they compare to other Tory movements? |url=https://news.sky.com/story/who-are-the-popular-conservatives-and-how-do-they-compare-to-other-tory-movements-12964275 |access-date=2024-07-01 |website=Sky News |language=en}} however only three members have retained their seats.

class="wikitable"

!MP

!Constituency

!Notes

|Elected 2019

|Elected 2019

|South Holland and The Deepings

|President of group,{{Cite web |last=Cunliffe |first=Rachel |date=2024-03-09 |title=John Hayes: "Tory voters want full-fat Conservatism" |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/the-weekend-interview/2024/03/john-hayes-interview-conservative-voters-full-fat-conservatism |access-date=2024-03-11 |website=New Statesman |language=en-US}} elected 1997