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Tories talk trauma and trust over tikka masala

Ben Schofield/BBC An exterior shot of the Bombay Brasserie. The front of the restaurant is painted purple, with the letters of The Bombay Brasserie written in red and back-lit. There are several windows, which all have blinds over them, through which yellow light is seeping out.Ben Schofield/BBC
The city's Conservatives regularly meet for a curry

Over the past 12 months, Peterborough's Conservatives lost the leadership of the city's council and saw a new Labour MP elected by just 118 votes.

At their regular curry night, party members and councillors admitted it had been a tough time.

Nationally, as the Tories chose between Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick, supporters shared what qualities they looked for in a leader and who could steer them to victory.

Ben Schofield/BBC Janet Wilkinson, smiling and looking direct to camera. She is seated and wearing a black top. She is in a restaurant. There are large ornamental golden cats behind her on the left of the image and a plate of food can be seen on the right, in front of a man sitting next to her. She has dark eyes and grey hair. Ben Schofield/BBC
Janet Wilkson said conflict in the party had become "ridiculous"

Janet Wilkinson has been in the Conservative Party for 24 years, but said recently, it had not been easy.

"We've had so much trauma over the last few years," she told the BBC.

"With all the leader replacements and everything, I have become a bit disillusioned."

She added that conflict in the party, "especially on the Westminster side", had "become ridiculous - it's become laughable for a lot of people".

Ms Wilkinson, 58, was one of a couple of dozen people at Peterborough Conservatives' regular curry night.

Across three tables, at the city's Bombay Brasserie, sat councillors, party members and supporters.

A WhatsApp message inviting people to the event asked whether they're a "Badenoch Balti" or a "Jenrick Jalfrezi".

Ms Wilkinson had not made her mind up but hoped for someone who could bring the party "back together".

"Replacing the leader every five minutes - that is never good for a party," she said.

"I’m still hanging in there and supporting what I believe in, because I think the long-term view is more important than the bad stuff that happened recently."

According to others at the curry night, that "bad stuff" included breaking promises while in government and losing voters' trust.

Ben Schofield/BBC Wayne Fitzgerald smiling and looking direct to camera. He is wearing black-rimmed glasses, a horizontally striped t-shirt, and has a short, grey beard. Other diners can be seen out of focus in the background.Ben Schofield/BBC
Wayne Fitzgerald backed Robert Jenrick, but it was a close call between two "able" candidates

Councillor Wayne Fitzgerald leads the party's group on Peterborough City Council.

He backed Newark MP Robert Jenrick, but said it was "so slim" between two "capable and able" candidates.

Fitzgerald said Jenrick's proposal to quickly leave the European Convention on Human Rights tipped the balance and would help devise a "sensible immigration policy".

"I'll be perfectly clear - I am pro-immigration, but the right kind of immigration, given to the right people who come here and want to work and contribute to our society," he explained.

"[Tory problems are] a cocktail of things, but that probably is foremost in most people's minds.

"Particularly when you have half an eye on Reform and their pitch to our voters that have perhaps deserted us - rightly - because the Conservative Party let the country down. It made promises it didn't keep."

Ben Schofield/BBC Steve Allen smiling and looking direct to camera. He is wearing a dark coloured v-neck sweater over a light blue shirt. He has mousy coloured hair and blue eyes. Other diners in a restaurant can be seen out of focus behind him.Ben Schofield/BBC
Steve Allen said Kemi Badenoch is a "class act"

But for councillor Steve Allen, Jenrick is "a bit too polarised on his points of view".

Allen, 76, said he would vote for North West Essex's MP, Kemi Badenoch, but had favoured another candidate.

He said Braintree MP James Cleverly "stole the show" with a "fantastic presentation" at the Conservative Party Conference.

But Cleverly did not make it to the final two as more MPs backed Jenrick and Badenoch in earlier rounds of voting.

Nevertheless, Allen said Badenoch was a "class act".

"What I like about her - she has this proposal to fix the roof before we start putting furniture in the building," he said.

"Find what went wrong before we start coming across with defined policies."

Ben Schofield/BBC Jacqueline Allen smiling and looking direct to camera. She has blonde, straight hair falling over her shoulders and blue eyes. She is wearing a dark green jacket. Other diners in a restaurant can be seen out of focus in the background. Ben Schofield/BBC
Jacqueline Allen likes Badenoch's "forensic" analysis and desire to "fix things"

Allen's wife Jacqueline - a party member for eight years - is also backing Badenoch.

Before the curry, she spent several hours telephone canvassing on behalf of her campaign.

She said 16 of the 20 party members she called had favoured Badenoch.

"She has been described as pugnacious," Mrs Allen, 59, said.

"But I think she's not frightened to question. She wants to fix things and she is forensic in her analysis.

"So, what she's done is opened up conversations that have previously been closed."

Ben Schofield/BBC Alex Rafiq, looking direct to camera, seated in a restaurant. He has curly, black hair, cut shorter at the sides and longer on top, and dark eyes. He is wearing a camel coloured jacket and black shirt, open at the collar. Over his shoulder on the right of the image is a bar area where a member of staff can be seen working. Ben Schofield/BBC
Alex Rafiq was disappointed James Cleverly was not on the final ballot

Alex Rafiq, a 39-year-old city councillor, had immigration on his mind, but kept tight-lipped about who he supported.

"I felt one candidate had clearer policies and clearer issues, one of them being illegal immigration," he said.

He was also disappointed Cleverly did not make it onto the final ballot.

"I think we were probably shocked with who the final two were, but the general consensus is we'll get behind whoever's selected," he added.

Ben Schofield/BBC Deeshen Ruttun looking direct to camera and smiling. He has black hair and dark eyes and is wearing black-framed glasses, a black jacket and a blue shirt. Other diners in a restaurant can be seen out of focus behind him.Ben Schofield/BBC
Deeshen Ruttun hoped for a "new start" for the party

Both candidates have ministerial experience - Badenoch was Business Secretary in Rishi Sunak's cabinet, while Jenrick served as Housing and Communities Secretary in Boris Johnson's government and was latterly immigration minister.

Deeshen Ruttun, 31, said Jenrick's housing and immigration experience put him ahead.

"If you look at the areas that are affecting the people overall, forget the parties for now, he's the one I think that is more ready to be able to solve these [issues]," he said.

Speaking about the mood among Conservative members, he said after a heavy defeat in the General Election, "every step" takes the party forward.

"The mood is better and obviously it's a new start, let's put it that way," he continued.

"Now is the time to turn the page, select the right leader and move forward."

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