Nick Boles was once at the heart of a mission to renew Conservatism. He was one of a small number of modernisers, central to the Cameron project, who ended up serving as Tory ministers. He quit over Brexit and this week made his public debut in a new job as an adviser to Rachel Reeves. He was chosen to introduce the shadow chancellor’s speech about how Keir Starmer’s government plans to revive the economy.
The lack of any serious clash of ideals between the main parties has allowed a lazy consensus to thrive
This is part of a new movement in British politics: Tories for Starmer. It’s something we will see a lot more of as Labour approaches power. This week also saw the defection of Natalie Elphicke, who was elected to her husband’s seat after he was arrested for sexual assault. She follows Dan Poulter, Tory MP for Central Suffolk until he defected last month.
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