We conservatives must go back to the first principles. You can’t spend what you haven’t earned. Government should do less, better. Property ownership should be spread out as widely as possible. Nations need borders. The family is the first and best source of wealth.
I’m stand to be leader to ensure that we are guided by these essential truths. And as prime minister, I will make sure that the government machine is focused on getting the basics right. I’m an engineer, a systems thinker, trained to cut things down to the essentials and get the machine working.
That’s why I’ve put together a plan to cut government spending so that we can bring about real change and, in due course, lower taxes. But a coherent conservative view of government also requires that we explain why some major problems are interconnected and that you have a clear plan for solving them together. This is the case with the interrelated issues of housing, migration and the family.
We need new homes in the right places. We need them to spread prosperity, give the next generation a share in the future and grow families. We must also recognize that pressures on housing stem from increased migration and family breakdown. Solving these interrelated questions requires honesty and rigor.
Running down the escalator
In terms of housing, we will never get the homes we need where we need them if we push for ever-higher inflexible top-down housing targets. We need to take people on board by providing infrastructure first and insisting that new homes be built to a higher standard and look nicer. We need to break the stranglehold of the identikit cartel of land-banking homebuilders.
But we need to consider the demand side of housing, not just the supply side. People recognize – rightly – that building more houses while doing nothing to bring down immigration is like running down the escalator.
With that approach, we’ll never get where we need to be, and we won’t persuade people to accept more homes if it’s done because of failed immigration. If we can bring immigration to a sustainable level, we can protect green spaces for our children and precious farmland.
And so controlling immigration is important to controlling pressures on housing and public services. Building confidence in the government’s ability to control immigration is an important foundation for ensuring a cohesive society.
We need to control borders and laws
I am proud to call myself British. My belief in Britain as a sovereign country led me to vote Leave in the Brexit referendum. A nation is not truly a nation unless it has the right to determine who comes, when they come, and how and when they can enter and leave.
I firmly believe that we must control our own borders and laws. I will do whatever it takes to address the small boats issue. I’m not someone who fights to make headlines – and I want to focus on the people’s top priority, which is the economy. But economic issues surrounding housing and immigration are inextricably linked.
Just like the bond with the family. Family breakdown is increasing the demand for housing, and the unaffordability of housing in many areas prevents people from building the family life they want. Family is the first line of well-being, and strong families reduce the need for a larger state.
Families come in all shapes and sizes, and as a big proponent of same-sex marriage, I reject any idea that being pro-family is about prescribing how others should live. It’s about sustaining love.
So I’ll look at how our tax and benefits system can support family life and the joys of it. Cohesive, Conservative Persuasion Leadership Is What I Will Bring if you choose me as prime minister.