It’s high time Labour abandoned their idea that they are the “goodies”, and Tories are the “baddies”

One of my five-year-old son's favorite movies is titled "Bad Guys."

It's like Ocean's Eleven for a younger audience, but in this animated film, the stylish team of thieves, headed by the cunning Wolf, goes on a series of adventures. Throughout their journey, they discover that being "good" actually brings greater rewards in life.

It's a story about right and wrong, presented in a straightforward way with clear heroes and villains, which kids naturally understand. When I was young, Sunday mornings were dedicated to church, which makes sense since my father was a vicar.

It's evident that he didn't limit teaching his children about morality to just an hour on one day of the week. Claiming that clergy only work one day a week is one of the most misguided things you can say. In church, we often observed him striving to instill a sense of right and wrong in his congregation as well.

Since I reached adulthood, I've encountered a recurring issue. While I strive to adhere to the moral values I was raised with, I’ve noticed that many who oppose Conservatives seem to genuinely think that anyone who identifies as Conservative has deliberately opted to be the villain.

It’s both offensive and maddening. I have a feeling it could be the same for you.

I’m not worried about any negative reactions from my more reflective Labour-supporting friends. In fact, I’d argue that they recognize it as a flaw in their beliefs as well. They understand that it's a deeply rooted perspective that’s tough to change. They acknowledge it’s somewhat ingrained, just as I firmly believe in freedom, the importance of family, and the potential of my nation.

They can mostly handle that I don't view 'capitalism' negatively and that I don't think the government is the answer to all problems. However, when we delve into complex policy topics, I can sense their hesitation.

"I really can't understand how you hold that opinion. You come across as a good person."

In the past, it was somewhat entertaining. There were people sporting badges that read "never kissed a Tory," fully aware that I knew they had. They engaged in somewhat naive teenage chats filled with comments like:

"But you seem like a genuinely kind and decent person, Giles. I can't understand how you can support the Tory party."

I regret to admit that in my younger days, I sometimes concealed the truth because, honestly, who doesn't want to be viewed as a "nice person"? It felt much simpler to go along with that at the time. However, ever since the left-leaning commentators made their triumphant return in July, it's time to embrace maturity and have a real conversation.

"When I was young, I acted like a kid, I understood like a kid, and I thought like a kid. But once I grew up, I left those childish ways behind." (1 Corinthians 13:11)

Many of our rivals here did not complete the lesson.

It seems that in the last few months, members of the Labour Government have come to a stark realization. They appear unprepared for the challenges and demands of governing, and it's clear they don’t have a solid plan for what to do now that they are in power. The notion that they are the "heroes" of the political scene has been completely torn apart.

I believe they truly thought, or maybe convinced themselves – just as they had persuaded some of the public – that the reason Conservatives struggled in government was the false idea that “well-meaning” individuals were trying to hold them back. They assumed that once they took over the government offices in July, all the obstacles to their beliefs and policies would instantly disappear, leading to everything being fine and the country moving toward recovery.

This is absolutely absurd. It's a juvenile desire coming from those who are trying to act like adults.

Labour strongly portrayed many of our principles as obviously negative, which led them to overlook the real benefits of our policies and dismiss the significant downsides of moving away from them. When they chose to abandon these policies, their reasons were often driven by emotion rather than practical considerations. It seems they prefer to prioritize dramatic political reactions and catchy slogans over the actual facts.

While the promise of "We won't increase taxes for working individuals" sounds appealing, it ultimately lacks substance. Unfortunately, this is detrimental, particularly for those who are employed, as they are likely to face higher taxes now.

The issue of competing claims of moral superiority carried over into the fervent defense of Labour's so-called 'Taylor Swift era.' They viewed the initial giveaways of free clothing, glasses, flats, and tickets as signs of 'Tory desperation.' Their main claim was simple: decent people wouldn't engage in such actions with harmful intentions. Since they considered themselves good people, they believed their actions should be overlooked, asserting they would never intentionally do something wrong. According to them, only the Tories are capable of such wrongdoing.

It's true that some Conservatives have acted poorly, and we should acknowledge that. However, the left often seems to react even more strongly when Tories are involved. The visible annoyance from certain Labour MPs in studio discussions—who are certainly aware of their own hypocrisy—was rather frustrating to watch.

Interestingly, the criticism didn't stem from the far left, who, to be honest, appear to have a strong dislike for Starmer. In contrast, the Conservatives simply have differing opinions about him.

That said, I’m not holding back on them either. These individuals believed that St. Jeremy Corbyn was such a truly principled socialist that he couldn't possibly be blamed for having poor opinions or associating with questionable figures. But the reality is that some of those figures are genuinely problematic, no matter your moral perspective. I've even witnessed current Labour MPs claim that their statements can’t be considered racist simply because they’re part of the Labour party. That kind of reasoning is just nonsense.

I'm glad to see that both candidates for Conservative leadership are focused on bringing the broader party back to its fundamental values. They aren’t afraid to embrace these principles and are eager to communicate their message. I almost said "the good word," but this isn't a sermon.

Conservatives should steer clear of this simplistic view of good and evil. I don’t want the Conservative Party to adopt a one-dimensional ideology. Whether it’s defined broadly or narrowly, I’m not convinced it should even be labeled as a Church.

Tory members should feel confident in their beliefs and be prepared to stand up against oversimplified and often misguided criticisms. Both Rob Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch share this view, and other candidates in the race expressed similar sentiments.

Be proud of who you are, because you have every reason to be. You’re not the villains that your opponents make you out to be. They need to create exaggerated enemies to distract from their own challenges when things get difficult.

You're not unusual; you simply have different perspectives from those who disagree with you. Every political party has its share of problematic members, but a party shouldn't be judged solely by its worst representatives. If all those who wish to see the Conservatives regain power can keep that mindset, it would genuinely be a positive development in every way.