The new year is three weeks’ old – but some Tories are determined to stick to their resolutions. An impressive number of ex-MPs are keen to make a quick comeback to parliament and have already signalled their intention to stand again in 2029. Leading the charge is Grant Shapps, the former Defence Secretary rejected by the good people of Welwyn Hatfield last July.
Just twelve weeks after losing his seat, Shapps wasted no time in setting up ‘Conservatives Together’. The new organisation aims to ‘support Conservative MPs, prospective parliamentary candidates, and activists’ – though some suspect it is mostly about supporting ex-Conservative MPs. Shapps’ outfit has been emailing around the poor bloody infantry of the 2024 Tory election candidates to get them to sign up to his new year’s poll. According to the gushing Conservatives Together survey:
Nearly 90 per cent of Conservatives candidates from 2024 are ready to run again or leaning towards it.
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