Howard: “We will not duck the problems which face Britain”
The new leader of the Conservative Party Michael Howard has vowed to “promise less and deliver more”.
Speaking in Putney, south west London, hours after he was officially named as the opposition leader, Mr Howard repeated his commitment to “lead the party from the centre” and announced that he was “perhaps a bit more mellow than I was”.
In his first public speech as party leader, Mr Howard said that the Conservative party must work in service of ’21st century Britain’ and Conservatives must “show that they understand 21st century Britain.”
The former home secretary said: “People are already disillusioned with Labour”
He stuck rigidly to traditional issues in his speech, attacking the Labour government and covering public services, taxes and immigration.
He declared that parents should have a greater choice over their child’s education and over healthcare and said that tax cuts would be “backed by rock solid savings in wasteful spending”.
Mr Howard said that the Conservative Party would oppose bullying by the “over mighty”, specifically mentioning trade unions and the European Union.
The usually sombre MP for Folkestone and Hythe even made a couple of jokes in his speech, including one playful reference to Dracula, a comparison that has dogged his political career since Ann Widdecombe suggested that there was “something of the night about him”.
Sir Michael Spicer, chair of the Conservative Party’s 1922 Committee of backbench MPs, officially crowned Mr Howard Tory leader just after noon today.
Noon on Thursday was the deadline for prospective candidates for the leadership to submit their names. However, Mr Howard remained unchallenged and now assumes the post.
Earlier Mr Howard called on MPs to get behind him and form a united party. He thanked them for choosing him as leader and declared: “We are here to win.
“If we don’t win we cannot put into practice the things we believe in for the good of our country.
“If we don’t win we can achieve nothing – and we will be letting so many people down.
“And if we are to win, we must work together as a team.”
One of Mr Howard’s first tasks will be to appoint a new shadow cabinet.
Iain Duncan Smith was ousted as Tory leader last week after months of infighting.
