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Tom Tugendhat is then asked how the Conservative Party will return to power, and whether Reform or the Liberal Democrats are “the enemy”.

The Tory leadership candidate replies: “The enemy is trust (sic). We have eroded confidence in ourselves and we need to rebuild confidence in our Conservative Party.

‘Because let’s face it, people didn’t vote for that paddleboarder (Sir Ed Davey) to be Prime Minister, and they didn’t vote for Nigel (Farage) to be Prime Minister.

“They voted against us. People woke up in the morning and wanted to get us out. Some people voted Lib Dem, some people voted for reform, most people stayed at home.”

‘We cannot become reforms’

Mr. Tugendhat goes on to say that “rebuilding trust is something intelligence officials do every day, and providing leadership is something this country so desperately needs.”

Asked why we wouldn’t do a deal with Reform UK, which came second to Labor with 98 seats, he said: “My job is to reform the Conservative Party, not become Reform.”

That statement earned him loud applause from the Tory party members in the room.

He goes on to say that the Tories have been ‘a Westminster club’ in recent years, while for him conservatism is about the Union as a whole.

As for Mr Farage, the Tory leadership candidate is suggesting he would not allow him to join, having previously said he wants to destroy the party.