A new movement is set to be launched by Liz Truss tomorrow, Tuesday, February 6, called “Popular Conservativism” or “PopCon” but according to supporters it is aimed at taking the Tories back to “the formula that wins elections”.
Southport MP Damian Moore, one of the MPs behind the new group, spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk to explain what the “latest kid on the block” of Tory groups is and why it will be different.
PopCon joins the well-established European Research Group (ERG) of Tory Brexiteers, the Common Sense Group, New Conservatives, Northern Research Group and Conservative Growth Group of factions on the right pushing an agenda of change of direction by the party leadership.
The launch tomorrow will feature former Brexit Party leader turned GB News host Nigel Farage who has flirted with a return to the Conservatives.
But beyond Brexit, Mr Moore believes that the new group is actually bout a return to an old formula.
Mr Moore said: “Popular Conservatism is about getting back to things which make Conservatives popular, it’s as simple as that.
“It’s about the formula that makes people want to vote Conservative and has helped us be the most successful political party in history.”
Most of the PopCon leading lights including Moore have been involved in the Conservative Growth Group, which has specifically been working on an economic strategy to grow the size of the economy. But Mr Moore said PopCon is about more than that.
He noted: “It’s about low taxes, of course, but also patriotism, family and defending the nation as in defence spending.
“Those are the reasons people have voted Conservative in the past and the reasons people will vote Conservative again. They are, as we say, popular.”
Mr Moore added: “So PopCon is much more than about Liz Truss although in fairness to Liz these were ideas she was trying to push in government as a minister and in the leadership contest.”
The event in Westminster will see a question and answer with Ms Truss as well as speeches from leading Tories including Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg.
It comes at a time when a survey of Conservative members by the Conservative Post has revealed deep unhappiness with the party leadership and a desire for a change of direction.
There are fears that Tory members and voters in general will abandon the party for Reform UK.
