Sajid Javid warns divided, untrusted Tories could be ‘out of power for a generation’ The Home Secretary said the party could find itself locked out of power ‘for a generation’

“If we don’t pull ourselves together, the next election could lock our great party out of power for a generation” Sajid Javid

The Conservatives are increasingly seen as a divided party by voters and risk being locked out of power “for a generation” at the next general election, Sajid Javid has said.

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In a stark warning to MPs and activists, the Home Secretary admitted that failing to ensure that the UK left the EU on 29 March had seriously damaged the party’s credibility with the electorate.

He also identified problems communicating with voters and the fact that the Tories had now been in power for almost a decade as two other key risks to the party’s future in government.

‘Tough’ election coming

In what will be interpreted as a sign that he is preparing to run for the Tory leadership, Mr Javid used a speech to the Scottish Conservative conference to address the party’s wider woes.

He warned delegates in Aberdeen that the next general election was going to be “tough” and there was “no point sugar-coating” the serious challenges it faced to remain in power.

Nicola Sturgeon would act as a “ready and willing accomplice” to help Jeremy Corbyn win power through a coalition deal if Labour did not secure an overall majority, he said.

“If we don’t pull ourselves together, and see off this threat with an energetic and unifying agenda, the next election could lock our great party out of power for a generation,” he added.

“So it’s up to our generation, right here and now, to make damn sure that doesn’t happen.”

Brexit trust

Mr Javid said the Tories now had a serious “issue with trust” after putting the Brexit date at the heart of its manifesto ahead of the 2017 election, before failing to deliver on it.

He also warned that the next election could come “well before 2022”, making the importance of uniting the party after the fallout over Brexit ever more urgent.

“We are seen as a divided team. A divided party cannot unite a divided nation. The only winner from that is Corbyn. If we are divided, he will rule,” he added.

“Voters don’t reward any of these things. So we’d better find a way to renew in government, to deliver on Brexit, and to come together as a team.”

The Home Secretary also said the SNP was ready to form a “socialist-separatist alliance” with Labour at the next election, which he claimed would pose a threat to national security.

He added that such a scenario could first bankrupt the UK and then cause its breakup, with Ms Sturgeon likely to seek a second independence referendum as the price for her party’s support.

“Given the reins of power, this socialist-separatist alliance would threaten our national security, bankrupt our economy, break our democracy, and break up our country,” he said.