Tom Tugendhat Says He Might Need 10 Years As PM To Bring About A "Conservative Revolution"

Tory leadership contender Tom Tugendhat admitted that he might need two terms in Downing Street to bring about the "Conservative revolution the country truly needs".

Speaking in central London on Tuesday morning, Tugendhat said it would take more than a "single policy" or "quick fix" to help the Conservatives recover from their heavy defeat to Keir Starmer's Labour at the 4 July General Election.

Tugendhat is one of the six candidates in the running to succeed Rishi Sunak as Leader of the Opposition. The others are Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, Priti Patel and Mel Stride.

Widely seen as the most centrist candidate in the leadership race – though not something he himself admitted, referring to himself as the "Conservative" candidate – Tugendhat apologised to voters for the recent political turmoil, saying "the Conservative Party owed you better". 

"I witnessed the recent political trauma with a combination of depression and anger," he said.

"I witnessed the failed coups and the successful ones, and I saw duty give way to ego... That's why I'm standing before you today, because this country can change. We must change, and Britain deserves better."

Tugendhat said this was why he was campaigning for a "Conservative revolution".

"This isn't a single policy, it's not a quick fix," he said.

"Sadly, it is going to be four years, but I'm going to need all four years of opposition to make sure that our policies are ready. Because I tell you what, on day one, I'm going to need to start because the leadership we offer will need to begin right at the beginning."

He added that if he wins the next general election as Tory leader, it might take a decade to bring about the sort of change "this country truly needs".

"It's going to