Tory MPs Want "Security" To Dominate Their General Election Campaign

A growing number of Conservative MPs want Downing Street strategists to put "security", including a major pledge to boost defence spending, at the centre of the Tory party's general election campaign.

PoliticsHome understands Tory backbenchers are urging No. 10 to consider making it a dominant and recurring theme of the campaign, covering not just national security and the issue of defence, but energy security and people feeling secure on their streets.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has so far refused to set out a specific date for the next general election, despite repeated questioning, but has said he expects it to take place in the second half of 2024. Legally, he must call an election by the end of the year and it's widely expected the poll will be held in November. 

The Tories have so far put the economy at the heart of its bid to avoid defeat to Keir Starmer's Labour. On Wednesday, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said inflation falling to 3.2 per cent shows that the Government's "plan is working".

However, Labour's large, double-digit leads in the opinion polls are showing no signs of falling, with a More In Common poll published today giving Labour a 17 point lead. Among Tories there are fears of huge losses at local and mayoral elections taking place 2 May.

Conservative MPs who are urging the Prime Minister to lean into a security-heavy campaign believe that while ultimately it is unlikely to produce a surprise Tory win, it could help narrow the gap and give the party a fighting chance to retain more of its MPs. 

Onward, the centre-right think tank with close links to Downing Street, argues in its research that making people feel more secure in their local areas, through policies on neighbourhood policing and combatting local