There’s a new ‘New Conservatives’ in town and they’ve got old Conservatives’ plans for immigration
Just days after Rishi Sunak admitted he didn’t feel supported as PM, yet another faction of Tories has burst into the limelight to give the ERG, the CRG, the NRG, the Nat Cs and the Net Zero Scrutiny Group a run for whoever’s money it is they’re spending.
The New Conservatives are new in more ways than one. As well as being a newly-formed thorn in Sunak’s side, the allegedly 25-strong splinter group is made up exclusively of MPs who were elected during the last two general elections in 2017 and 2019 – ‘since the Brexit referendum’ – and they come with their own logo.
Leading ‘lights’ are Danny Kruger and Miriam Cates, with Lia Nici, Mark Jenkinson and Anna Firth, amongst others, forming the “Your guess is as good as mine” body of the group.
The most prominent of the new intake, 30p Lee Anderson, although billed to speak at the launch, cried off with a tale of sickness that drew some sceptical glances.
🚨 | NEW: The New Conservatives, launching today to challenge Rishi Sunak's authority, leaves out its own leader Lee Anderson from the supporters' list
He apparently has a "terrible sick bug" and so hasn't shown up for the launch of his own group pic.twitter.com/GMrY86KN3E
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) July 3, 2023
Their flagship policy proposal is for the government to substantially reduce the amount of Health and Care Visas available to overseas workers in order to force employers to take on local carers.
We have 165,000 vacancies in the adult care sector in England…
Our elderly are suffering as a result
So what does Lee Anderson and his little gang do?
They try to force Sunak to stop visas for foreign staff taking jobs in care homes.https://t.co/YxMXEJUVgo
— Marina Purkiss (@MarinaPurkiss) July 3, 2023
The policy, the membership, the name, the logo and the concept all came under fire.
1.
I can usually understand the 'reasoning' behind racist Tory rhetoric. 'Foreigners' are stealing our jobs/claiming our benefits/driving down our wages/committing all the crimes etc etc. But I truly did not see 'they're looking after our vulnerable & elderly' coming. It's gross. https://t.co/JZk69WakRk
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) July 3, 2023
2.
The New Conservatives – a group of Tory MPs so dim they make a black hole look like a beacon (30p Lee, etc.) – want Sunak to cut carer visas by 82,000.
That's right: they want to take 82,000 staff out of a sector that's on its knees for lack of personnel. Because forriners. https://t.co/qfNOTFK02m
— Edwin Hayward (@edwinhayward) July 3, 2023
3.
The immigration system can’t be ‘too lenient’ as it’s not the criminal justice system. You only use that language if you view all immigrants as criminals. https://t.co/J2adbBpwD0
— Nick Pettigrew🇺🇦 (@Nick_Pettigrew) July 3, 2023
4.
I didn't fight and die in over two world wars to have my parents looked after by foreigners. https://t.co/btzrXd1Xlj
— HENRY MORRIS 🇬🇧 (@secrettory12) July 3, 2023
5.
So this 'New Conservatives' group getting so much coverage today is made up of:
1) An MP who encourages people to eat cold beans and cat food on GB News
2) An MP who said having a female Doctor Who was pushing young men into crime
3) Jonathan Gullis pic.twitter.com/M4Gx8On168— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) July 3, 2023
6.
The number of vacancies in social care hit 165,000 last year, but Lee Anderson and the New Conservatives want to solve that problem by kicking out foreign care workers, thus miraculously making British people do those jobs, or something.
— Parody Rishi Sunak (@Parody_PM) July 3, 2023
7.
Creating massive staff shortages in the care sector will not, within months, drive up wages and fill labour gaps.
What it will do, within days, is leave vulnerable people stuck behind closed doors with no one to help them eat, wash or dress. #NewConservatives
— Sangita Myska (@SangitaMyska) July 3, 2023
8.
Didn’t take long to find a new Dorries did it? https://t.co/XPeKURrKYh
— The Purple Pimpernel (@Eyeswideopen69) July 3, 2023
9.
So, a bunch of Tories calling themselves ‘New Conservatives’ and led by swaggering gobshite Lee Anderson, is demanding that care homes shouldn’t recruit foreign workers any more.
These people aren’t ‘New’. They’re stale, prejudiced and dull-witted and their ugliness is ruinous.— sarah murphy (@13sarahmurphy) July 3, 2023
10.
It's ironic that their twitter handle is called "the new cons". https://t.co/YSKE4mHElC
— Miffy aka Baronessless Dorries (@miffythegamer) July 3, 2023
11.
Lee Anderson is the new Lazarus. Just two hours after we were told at New Conservatives launch that he was too ill to appear, his identical twin was spotted at Westminster tube
— John Crace (@JohnJCrace) July 3, 2023
