Ex-PM John Major criticises Tories’ ‘loss of pragmatism, tolerance, nuance’

Tory former prime minister Sir John Major has accused his party of a “loss of pragmatism, tolerance, nuance” in a wide-ranging criticism of its current direction.

He warned that the party lurching “too far to the right” has left many traditional supporters “politically homeless”.

The approach to net zero, overseas aid and Europe “seriously alienates” most voters, the former Conservative Party leader said in an attack on its current policies.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has pledged to repeal the Climate Change Act, which created the committee and the framework for cutting emissions to net zero by 2050, and to leave the European Convention on Human Rights.

The party must widen its appeal and win back support or risk a “bleak” future with people turning to Reform UK’s “amateur populism”, according to Sir John.

In a speech at a Conservative Party lunch at the RAF Club Piccadilly on Tuesday, Sir John said “we, as a party, are ourselves in part to blame” for “anxious people … turning to populist politicians”.

“There have been too many internal squabbles. Crises have been handled poorly. The electorate believes we have taken them for granted.”

He continued: “Where have the squabbles, the fratricidal disputes, the bone-headed rejection of tolerance, the hostility and mean-spiritedness of a minority within the party, the sheer chaos brought about by self-centred ambition to captain the ship got us?

“The answer stares at us reproachfully in recent election results and opinion polls. Taken together, they have turned the greatest political warship in the history of our nation into a wreckage of the high ambitions our party has always been proud to represent.”

Sir John said “you cannot ignore” the 43% of the nation’s voters classed as centre or middle ground.

“The party needs its right wing, its centre, and centre left Conservatives back together in the fold. If that can be done, then we may – once again – widen our appeal and be a power in the land. The alternative is bleak.”

The Conservative Party fares less well “when moderate opinions are banished or – where maintained – tolerated and ignored,” he said.

“So when our party says ‘No’ to Europe. ‘No’ to climate change. ‘No’ to overseas aid – it falls out with the majority of public opinion.

“Such policies may delight a minority of opinion, but not the broad mass of electors in our essentially tolerant and kindly nation: it seriously alienates many of them.

“This loss of pragmatism, tolerance, nuance ‒ call it what you will ‒ has left many long-term Conservative supporters politically homeless…

“Whenever our party lurches too far to the right ‒ or condemns moderate Conservatives ‒ it pulls us further away from the traditional mass of our vote.”

Sir John, who occupied No 10 Downing Street from 1990 to 1997, also decried calls from some Tories for an electoral pact with Nigel Farage’s party as “beyond stupid”.

He told the audience of around a hundred retired Conservative agents that Reform’s “foolish promises illustrate their unsuitability for power”, pointing to the party’s plans to nationalise half the water industry.

“It gained support by highlighting grievances, and scapegoating minorities,” he said.

“Reform is now embracing overspending, nationalisation, and promises that will never – can never – be met.”

His speech comes a day after fellow former Tory leader Baroness Theresa May warned the Conservatives against using “populism” for “short-term political ends”.

In a speech to peers on Monday evening, she took issue with her party’s approach to net zero, the judiciary and human rights as she urged the Tories to show “leadership” instead.