Tom Tugendhat MP pledges to protect the union as he meets Welsh Conservative Party members in Anglesey

• Conservative leadership candidate, Tom Tugendhat MP spoke to Conservative members and businesses across Anglesey as part of his campaign tour of the UK

• During his visit, he thanked members and activists for their work during the general election and pledged to protect and strengthen the union by rebuilding the Party

• Tom visited local businesses, highlighting the importance of economic growth across Wales and spreading prosperity to all regions of the UK

[16th August 2024] Conservative Party leadership candidate, Tom Tugendhat MP has pledged to champion Wales and Conservative voices across the country as he met party members and North Wales business leaders in Anglesey yesterday.

Speaking to members, Tom pledged to work tirelessly to protect and fight for every part of the Union. He made it clear that this is about more than just one quarter of our union; in order for us all to thrive, the whole union must succeed.

Speaking to party members in Anglesey, he made it clear that the buck must stop with the Welsh Labour Government for public service failures in devolved areas, and promised to hold Labour to account for their failures in Wales at both ends of the M4.

The recent Ombudsman for Wales’ Annual Report found a 37% increase in complaints about public and council services in Wales since 2019. This included 1,110 complaints against councils, 993 against Health Boards and 380 against Housing Associations. Speaking to members, he argued that it was unacceptable for NHS patients in Labour-run Wales to wait 40% longer on average than in England. He also argued Welsh school children are missing out on the improved educational standards that the Conservatives delivered in England after Welsh Labour allowed them to consistently sit at the bottom of the PISA rankings over the past twenty five years.

Tom recognised that the Conservative Party, across the whole of the UK, had been undermined by infighting and factionalism in Westminster, which led to a failure to deliver and a breakdown in trust with the public. He made it clear that this leadership election is about choice. A choice between drawing a line under the infighting and a future focused on uniting the Party and rebuilding it around core Conservative values. He argued that the Welsh people deserve better and as Leader of the Conservative Party, he promised to rebuild a credible, Conservative alternative voice for Wales.

While in Anglesey, Tom also visited local businesses Halen Mon and MSparc, where he heard from local businesses about the importance of championing Welsh products and the challenges they face. He highlighted the need to drive prosperity across all four regions of the UK, promising not to leave any one region behind. He also spoke about his belief that if the union fails, we all fail and promised to ensure all businesses have the opportunity to succeed, play their role in driving growth and continue to be great ambassadors for British produce around the world

Speaking to Conservative party members, Shadow Security Minister, Tom Tugendhat said:

“I am delighted to be joining you here in Anglesey, home to one of the most beautiful coastlines in our great Union and somewhere I always look forward to visiting. Local associations and members are the backbone of the Conservative Party. It is your hard work and dedication that drive our values forward here. Even though we lost fantastic local MPs like Virginia Crosbie and other Welsh Conservative MPs, we still need to champion conservative voices in Wales.

Conservative voices must hold the failing Welsh government accountable now more than ever. Under Labour, public services are crumbling, patients wait 40% longer than in England, and Welsh schoolchildren are denied the quality education delivered by the Conservatives across the border. Meanwhile, Labour in Westminster is breaking promises, raising taxes, slashing the Winter Fuel Allowance, and pandering to unions. Conservatism in Wales has never been more vital.

“Unfortunately, in recent years, instead of exposing Labour’s failures in Wales, we in Westminster were distracted by internal conflicts, allowing Welsh Labour to scapegoat us and lose the trust of the Welsh people.

“This is what I will put an end to. As Leader of the Conservative Party, I will always fight to protect the Union. If the union fails, we all fail. I will fight for you in Westminster, but also make sure there is a credible, conservative alternative here in Wales, ready to take the fight to Labour in 2026 and deliver on the priorities of the Welsh people.”