Thank you, everyone. And I want to start by thanking for his work as our party
chairman since July. And also as returning officer for this contest. You and your
teams have done us all a great service. Thank you.
But I also want to pay tribute to everyone in the Conservative
Party who has been involved in this very long campaign. It has
been an experience none of us candidates will ever forget. Thank
you for hosting us in your communities, in your village halls, in
your pubs and in your homes.
It is the most enormous honour to be elected to this role, to
lead the party that I love. The party that has given me so much.
I hope that I will be able to repay that debt.
There are so many people to thank. Firstly, my family, especially
my husband, Hamish. Hamish, I couldn't have done this without
you. Thank you for being with me every step of the way.
I also want to thank Rishi. No one could have worked harder in
such difficult times. Rishi, thank you for everything you did. We
all wish you and your wonderful family the very best for the
future.
I'd also like to pay a special tribute to , who has fought a great
campaign. Rob, we have all been impressed by your energy and your
determination. You and I know that we don't actually disagree on
very much. And I have no doubt that you have a key role to play
in our party for many years to come. Thank you.
I'd also like to thank all the other candidates, Priti, Mel, Tom
and James, for your kind words and your many insights. We have
come through this campaign more united and the party needs you
now more than ever.
The task that stands before us is tough, but simple. Our first
responsibility, as His Majesty's loyal opposition, is to hold
this Labour government to account.
Our second is no less important. It is to prepare over the course
of the next few years for government, to ensure that by the time
of the next election, we have not just a clear set of
Conservative pledges that appeal to the British people, but a
clear plan for how to implement them.
A clear plan to change this country by changing the way that
government works. The Prime Minister is discovering all too late
the perils of not having such a plan. That huge job begins today.
It will seek to involve all of our colleagues in Parliament, in
the Scottish Parliament, the Senedd, our friends in Northern
Ireland, as well as councillors and party members. But this is
not just about the Conservative Party. It is about the people we
want to bring back to the Conservative Party.
It is about the people we need to bring into the Conservative
Party. It is about what the Conservative Party needs to be over
the next five, ten and twenty years. Our party is critical to the
success of our country. But to be heard, we have to be honest.
Honest about the fact that we made mistakes. Honest about the
fact that we let standards slip. The time has come to tell the
truth. The time has come to tell the truth, to stand up for our
principles, to plan for our future, to reset our politics and our
thinking, and to give our party and our country the new start
that they deserve. It is time to get down to business. It
is time to renew.
