Tory leader hopeful Tom Tugendhat admitted this morning that his party should “apologise” to Brits for its errors.
The former security minister who now holds the same role in the shadow cabinet has thrown his hat into the ring as Rishi Sunak’s possible replacement after the Tories’ abysmal performance in the general election.
But, while promising to improve the party, Tugendhat said it would “take time” for Brits to listen.
On Thursday, Today programme presenter Emma Barnett asked the former minister: “Specifically, what did you get so wrong [in government]?”
Tugendhat said it was the “failure to deliver”, on migrant numbers and stopping the boats.
But Barnett pushed for specifics, saying: “Was Rwanda an expensive distraction on delivering on stopping the boats and lowering those numbers? The numbers of what has been spent is eye-watering.”
The Home Office revealed this week that the previous government spent £700m on the scheme, which only sent four volunteers to Rwanda in the end.
He just said “clearly the delivery” on this supposed “deterrent” failed.
Barnett replied: “Decisions were taken, but delivery – as you said – didn’t happen. That’s personnel, that’s people who are still in the party.”
“Many people thought factional fighting was more important than delivery for the British people,” he replied. “We have to make sure we unite the Conservative Party.
“This is one of the most extraordinary countries in the world and one of the things that has served this country well over the last few hundred years, very often, is a Conservative government.”
Barnett replied: “Do you think your apology is ready to be heard by the British people?”
“Well, it’s going to take time. We need to apologise for the mistakes we made,” he said. “We need to recognise that we failed to deliver.”
“What were the wrong decisions?” Barnet pressed again, this time asking if it was related to income tax thresholds.
“One can pick these things apart one by one if you like,” he replied, but she cut in to say she was just taking from his own words.
She added: “You want to be leader. Can you commit to what decision was wrong. Was Rwanda wrong?′
“We’ve just had three weeks into a five-year parliament – I’m not going to be laying out policies on Conservative values,” Tugendhat replied, sounding a little frustrated.
Barnet cut in and said: “I can’t seem to get you to commit to what went wrong. It would be just very helpful.”
He finally pointed to migrant numbers and high taxes, but said there was a “whole infrastructure” of policies that have to built in the Tory Party over the course of the parliament.
Barnet then tried to press him over his claim in The Telegraph that he would take the UK out of the ECHR – days after PM Keir Starmer said the UK would “not ever” leave the convention.
He said: “I’m saying that we need to make sure that every institution serves the British people. That’s got to be the fundamental agenda.
“Honestly, Emma, I’m sure you would never argue that we should be part of organisations and treaties which don’t serve the people.”
Barnett reminded him that he has previously offered a “full-throated defence” of the ECHR before, adding: “Just to be clear, you are prepared to leave the ECHR if it came to it?”
“I am prepared to make sure every single alliance, every single treaty we sign up to, serves the interest of the British people.”
Tugendhat was knocked out of the Tory leadership race after Boris Johnson stepped down, and actually ended up backing Liz Truss instead.