A Conservative Bristol councillor has launched a blistering attack against his own government for turning the Tory party into something he is “ashamed and embarrassed by”.
Richard Eddy, who represents the Bishopsworth ward, has written a letter to Bristol Live explaining his “outrage and disillusionment” with the party he has been a member of for more than 30 years.
But he says his frustration goes way beyond the “betrayal” of Brexit.
In fact he has listed a number of policies and comments made by senior Tory politicians which he sees as a ‘betrayal’ of the party’s core beliefs.
These include the prosecution of veteran soldiers who served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, the government's support of "transsexual rights" and the decision to allow Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, in principle, to supply “non-core” 5G mobile phone equipment in the UK.
Mr Eddy has raised his concerns ahead of the European elections next week.
The Tories are preparing for a total wipeout at the polls next week, having already suffered at the hands of the electorate in the local elections for its failure to honour the 2016 referendum and lost a total of 1,300 seats and control of 44 councils.
Mr Eddy has said that he is “ashamed and embarrassed by what his once great party has become, led by Theresa May” and that until it picks a new leader then defeat at the ballot box will continue.
Here is his letter in full:
It can be no surprise to anyone that the sense of anger and disgust with the current behaviour of the Conservative Party boiled over and found full expression in the disastrous Local Election results of May 2.
This seismic political earthquake saw more than 1,300 Tory councillors lose their seats and many councils change hands, including North Somerset and BANES in our part of the world.
I do not think my own political attachment can be questioned. I first joined the Conservative Party as a fresh-faced schoolboy just over a third of a century ago, have served the voluntary party locally by being my constituency chairman three times, was elected as Tory city councillor for Bishopsworth 27 years ago and became Tory group leader of the councillors here in Bristol.
Nevertheless, I am ashamed and embarrassed by what my once great party has become, led by Prime Minister Theresa May.
My outrage and disillusionment goes a lot further than the betrayal of Brexit, important as this is for our country, Europe and faith in modern politics.
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I am appalled when I hear a ‘Remainer’ Chancellor, Philip Hammond, speaking the slogans of Socialism and threatening to “soak the rich” instead of supporting entrepreneurs and backing hard-working families.
I am equally aghast when I see an allegedly ‘Tory’ government supporting the persecution and allowing the prosecution of retired British soldiers who fought bravely in the Northern Irish Troubles, or backing transexual ‘rights’, or Theresa May imperilling our security by handing power to the ‘Red’ Chinese in the Huawei affair.
Commenting on the loss of control of North Somerset Council, local MP Dr Liam Fox is quoted as saying: “Those who didn’t go out to vote cannot complain about what they get.”
He might more accurately ask, “Why has the parliamentary Conservative Party forsaken the interests and concerns of the millions of Conservative-voters in these islands?”
Until the Tory party urgently addresses the answer to this question and picks a real leader, the Euro-Elections on May 23 will make the Local Election results look like a ‘Vicar’s Tea-Party’!
