A former Conservative MP has welcomed Kemi Badenoch’s first policy announcement as Conservative leader, saying her new immigration measures mark the beginning of a broader policy rollout.
Speaking on GB News, Alexander Stafford praised Badenoch’s approach to immigration reform, emphasising its significance as her inaugural policy announcement.
“The fact that the very first policy she’s come up with now as a leader is on immigration, shows the Conservative Party is taking it seriously,” Stafford said.
He stressed that this announcement represents just the start of the party’s policy agenda.
Kemi Badenoch’s latest plans for immigration have been backed by a former Tory MP
GB News
Speaking to GB News, Badenoch told Christopher Hope of her plan to change the time before applying for British citizenship from five years to 15 years.
Detailing the plans, Badenoch explained: “Our plan would actually take [citizenship] from five to 15 years and that’s quite important. British citizenship is not an entitlement, it is not a right, it is a privilege.
“We have one of the easiest routes to citizenship and we need to tighten that up.”
Discussing the policy on GB News, Stafford said: “I think it is just the start of policies and tactics to show the public we’re a sensible, serious party ready for Government again.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Kemi Badenoch sat down with Christopher Hope in PeterboroughGB NEWSStafford acknowledged the Conservative Party’s significant decline in the last general election, pointing to a loss of public trust.
“First of all, we’ve got to realise how far the Conservative Party has fallen at the last general election, and one of the main reasons we lost badly was the public just didn’t believe what we said,” he explained.
He praised Badenoch’s candid approach to past mistakes. “It’s quite refreshing that she said we did make mistakes in the past and we’re under new leadership,” Stafford said.
The former MP also emphasised the need for a measured approach to rebuilding trust. “The road to the next general election, it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon, and we’ve got to slowly, slowly rebuild the public’s trust on a whole range of issues, but especially immigration and the economy,” he stated.
Stafford told GB News this is ‘just the start’ of the Conservatives’s ‘credible policies’
GB News
Stafford highlighted specific details of the new immigration policy, describing it as “quite a sensible option”. “Especially when you say people have to be net contributors, that households have to be contributors and delaying getting a passport for an extra five years,” he said.
He emphasised the restrictions on benefits access under the new measures. “They won’t be able to get the benefit, housing benefits, Social Security benefits, and that’s so important to show we have a sensible policy,” Stafford explained.
Stafford emphasised the Conservative Party has ample time to develop its full policy platform. “We have four years until the general election to set out our policy plan. This is just the first one,” he said.
The former MP concluded by reiterating the party’s renewed approach under Badenoch’s leadership. “I think today shows actually, we’re the sensible, serious party. We’re going to take our time and we’re going to discover what we need to do,” he said.