"Young members want a party that isn’t afraid to speak out, fight back, and champion the values that make this country great," says Matthew Bigger
Matthew Bigger is Deputy Chairman of the Ashford Conservative Association as well as the Ashford Young Conservatives
As the process to see who the next leader of the Conservative Party gets underway, there is one side of the party that all candidates mustn’t forget: The Young Conservatives and ensuring the party wins back young members who alternatives have tempted.
Many members under 26 years old have been drawn away by a sense that other parties are more in tune with their frustrations.
The new leader of the Conservative Party needs to speak directly to these young people, who are looking for someone with the courage to challenge the stifling culture of political correctness, stand up against the wokerati and defend the values they care about.
The rise of woke culture has left many Conservative members across the United Kingdom feeling disillusioned and disconnected.
They are fed up with the constant virtue-signalling, cancel culture, and the fact that free speech is under threat, all of which is getting worse and coming true under a Labour government.
Young members want a party that isn’t afraid to speak out, fight back, and champion the values that make this country great — freedom, individual responsibility, and common sense.
The next Conservative Party leader must prioritise pushing back against this new orthodoxy that is spreading through our institutions and poisoning public debate. It’s time to say enough is enough and stand up for free speech and the right to disagree without fear of being silenced or shamed.
The Conservatives should be the party that defends ordinary people against the woke mob and the bureaucratic elites who enable them.
But it’s not just about challenging the woke culture; it’s about putting forward a positive vision that resonates with young people.
In the last general election, we had a manifesto that was aimed at keeping the older generation with the party and forgot about policies that give young people a real shot at success in life and because of this, we saw a lot of young voters going to the Reform Party or independent candidates.
Internally, the party must do more to support and engage with its young members. Too often, young Conservatives feel side-lined, with their voices unheard and their ideas dismissed.
The decision to scrap the role of Deputy Chairman for Youth only deepens this sense of neglect, making it even harder for young members to believe their contributions are valued.
The party might provide young Conservatives with a designated space at conferences, offer cheaper tickets for some events, and occasionally arrange for an MP to make a brief appearance.
While these measures may appear to address youth concerns, they often fall short of meaningful engagement. This needs to change. The new leader must commit to genuine representation of young people within the party’s structures, ensuring their voices are truly heard and valued.
The Conservatives also need to step up their digital game. Young people live online, and if the party wants to reach them, it needs to improve its presence on social media and other digital platforms.
This means more than just a few tweets or Facebook posts. It requires a dynamic, interactive strategy that engages young people where they are — on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube — with content that is relevant, relatable, and resonant. Not just rubbish memes that young people =find cringey and puts them off from the party.
Additionally, the next Conservative leader should focus on defending British values. Members want a Conservative Party proud of its country, standing up for history and traditions, and celebrating what makes the country great.
They are tired of hearing negativity from those who criticise the United Kingdom but won’t leave if they hate it so much. Members want a strong, confident voice defending the nation’s interests at home and abroad.
Now is the moment for bold leadership and a time for the Conservative Party to reconnect with its roots and remember what it stands for: freedom, opportunity, and patriotism.
The stakes couldn’t be higher, and we risk losing a generation if we don’t act now. To win back voters across the country, the party needs a leader who embodies these values and isn’t afraid to fight for them.
