Ten days since the 2025 County Election, and one thing is clear: we’ve witnessed a gigantic shift in the political landscape. Reform UK surged across the country, taking control of ten councils, including large parts of the East Midlands. In Leicestershire, they now lead a minority administration. And yet, the drama hasn’t settled – just ten days in and we’re already hearing about resignations.

So, where does this leave us as Conservatives?

Still standing. But there’s work to do.

It’s been ten months since our worst General Election result in history. No serious Conservative expected Kemi Badenoch to turn that around overnight. Voters, especially our core Conservative base, sent us a clear message on 4th July 2024.  The County Elections were their follow-up. After fourteen years in power, this is what can happen.

What we must stop, is the annual cycle of self-inflicted chaos. Five leaders in five years. If that approach hasn’t worked before, why would it now? You don’t rebuild a house by tearing down the foundations every time you hit a setback.

Yes, it’s painful to watch brilliant councillors lose. But politics is brutal. This is not the time for panic or nostalgia. It’s time to regroup with purpose.

That means returning to our principles:

• Pro-business
• Pro-growth
• Low tax.

That’s what we stand for. We didn’t win elections in the past by accident. We won because these values spoke to people. The small business owner. The working parent. The young person locked out of home ownership. We’ve stopped talking to them. Worse, we’ve stopped listening. And they’ve noticed.

We also need to stop chasing Reform’s shadow. We are the Conservative and Unionist Party. We don’t need to become something else. But we do need to get serious again about listening and delivering.

One of our biggest weaknesses is structural: regional disconnect. Volunteers and officers across the country are doing their best, but we’re flying blind in too many places.

We need regional directors to be introduced. Experienced campaign professionals with real local knowledge and the authority to report back to central office. Imagine a director for the East Midlands, backed by local activists in Leicester, Rutland, Nottingham, Derby, Northampton and Lincoln. That kind of infrastructure would give Kemi eyes and ears on the ground – and help us rebuild from the bottom up.

We’ve leaned too heavily on goodwill. It’s time to match it with resource, structure and professional talent.

This matters in regions like the East Midlands – a part of the country that delivered 15 Tory MPs and the only Conservative gain in the country. I should know – I was the political agent for that campaign. I saw the effort that went in. Since then, we’ve seen almost no engagement from the top. That’s not just frustrating, it’s short-sighted.

Kemi can’t be everywhere. But regional directors would give her team the insight they need to act beyond the M25. Not everyone who voted Reform last week did so out of ideology – many just felt forgotten.

We have to show them they are not.

In Leicester, we’ve taken the first step. Next month, we’re launching Leicester Growth Engine, a business led task force focused on building a vision for the future our city. I’ve asked two respected, business-minded leaders to take charge.

When I became Chairman of Leicester Conservatives, I knew we had a window to help rebuild our city. I started mapping ideas, listening to local voices, across hospitality, retail, tech, finance and property. This is a chance to show that the Conservative Party will let business leaders shape the city’s future, especially ahead of the 2027 local elections. If we want to win in Leicester, like anywhere,  we need to start acting like we deserve to.

The Midlands – both East and West – have been overlooked for too long. That needs to change. We have 30 MPs across the region. The North has four. We need a seat at the table, not as a favour, but as a fact of electoral reality.

We don’t need more drama. We need delivery.