Featuring: Peter Hitchens, Ed West, Miriam Cates and Matthew Goodwin. Listen to the podcast version here: https://shows.acast.com/lockdowntv-with-freddie-sayers/debate-are-conservatives-doomed Accompanying article here: https://unherd.com/thepost/debate-are-conservatives-doomed/ Are Conservatives doomed? Following a General Election that resulted in an 80-seat majority for the Conservative Party after 11 years of uninterrupted rule, this might seem like a rather strange question to ask. But firstly, there may be long term challenges to the Tory coalition. By 2030, typically Left-leaning groups that tend to vote Labour — the young, renters, the childless, and the more urban people — are not only growing in numbers but becoming increasingly liberal too. More importantly, are the Tories even a Conservative party? Even if the British Tories have a talent for remaining in power, where does that leave true Conservatism? At this week’s Conservative Party conference in Manchester, UnHerd gathered together some of the country’s most optimistic  — and doomerist — conservative voices to get to the bottom of this question. In the pessimist corner sat writer Ed West who recently published a book, ‘Small Men on the Wrong side of History’, and columnist Peter Hitchens, who has been calling for the destruction of the Conservative Party since 2010. In the more optimistic corner: Miriam Cates, a Conservative who was elected as MP for Penistone and Stockbridge as part of the feted ‘Red Wall’ intake in 2019; and Matthew Goodwin, a contributor at UnHerd and professor of politics at the University of Kent. // Timecodes // 00:00 - 03:34 - Introducing the debate and speakers 03:34 - 8:38 - Ed West's opening statement 8:38 - 13:53 - Miriam Cates' opening statement 13:53 - 18:31 - Peter Hitchens' opening statement 18:31 - 25:51 - Matthew Goodwin's opening statement 25:51 - 27:54 - Ed West: I'm not a complete doomer - but the Tories are still doomed 27:54 - 30:18 - Peter Hitchens: there is no sign of conservatism in the Conservative Party 30:18 - 34:44 - Miriam Cates on Tory family policy and social conservatism 34:44 - 37:46 - Matthew Goodwin: it's Labour who are doomed 37:46 - 39:30 - Freddie Sayers: is the new Tory electorate really conservative? 39:30 - 40:53 - Peter Hitchens: there is no conservative discussion of climate change 40:53 - 43:02 - Miriam invites Peter to York 43:02 - 45:12 - Hitchens: we must destroy the Conservative Party 45:12 - 49:30 - Goodwin: Blairism is over - this is a new Conservative Party 49:30 - 51:00 - Ed: COVID proved Brexit voters right over immigration and wages 51:00 - 51:50 - Danny Kruger MP destroys Peter Hitchens 51:50 - 55:00 - Matthew Goodwin's closing statement 55:00 - 58:43 - Peter Hitchens' closing statement 58:43 - 01:00:30 - Miriam Cates' closing statement 01:00:30 - 01:03:22 - Ed West's closing statement 01:03:22 - 01:04:58 - Audience vote #peterhitchens #conservatives #borisjohnson