Tories were too 'closed' but ready for election, says chairman

Richard Holden admitted that Conservatives seemed more interested in themselves “than country”. Photo: YUI MOK/PA

The Tories have been too “closed in themselves”, the party chairman has admitted, amid bitter internal rows over migration and net zero.

Richard Holden said repeated revolts had Conservatives seem more interested in themselves “rather than the country.” But he insisted the party was “poll-ready” under his leadership, and Labor said it was preparing for Rishi Sunak to go to the polls in May.

His remarks will be seen as a public warning to feuding Tory MPs after the Prime Minister told them the party must “unite or die.”

The Tories are split and Mr Sunak has suffered a House of Commons rebellion over the Rwanda Asylum Plan and electric car mandates in recent weeks.

He has been warned that he faces further uprisings over his plans to introduce a “boiler tax” and failure to ban conversion therapy.

In an interview with Times Radio, Mr Holden admitted that “self-obsession is a weakness” of the Conservative Party, adding: “The biggest weakness is always that the party can look at itself, and not on the country.”

The Conservative Party chairman said Sunak was the party's “biggest strength” and insisted he was the right person to “take on Labour.”

Asked for a rating of one to 10 for the party . on how unified it was, he added: “The scale is definitely improving, so I'd say about eight.”

Mr Holden added that despite internal divisions, he was “very proud of , which is part of a broad party of British politics, from center to right.”

He remained silent on the timing of the election, replying: “It will be the Prime Minister's call. All he asked me to do was make sure the party was ready for the elections.”

But he admitted winning a historic fifth term would be an uphill battle, adding: “It's a huge job – no political party The UK has never done this before.”

Earlier this month, a poll showed Mr Sunak's personal popularity had fallen to its lowest point since he became prime minister last year.

Recent polls show Labor on up to 45 per cent of the popular vote, with the Tories on less than 30 per cent.

Pat McFadden, Labour's campaign coordinator, insists his party's sky-high ratings “don't mean we won anything.” He said the Autumn Statement, which included emergency cuts to national insurance, showed the Tories were “intent to reach the electorate in May.”