Handwritten word reveals how senior Tories actually felt about their time in energy

A handwritten note left behind by senior Tories boasted the party “achieved a lot” and “had fun doing so” within days of the party’s worst ever defeat.

While most Conservative activists, candidates and MPs mourned their miserable election result, Tory CEO Stephen Massey wrote to ousted party chairman Richard Holden: “despite difficult circumstances we achieved a lot and had some fun doing so”.

Unearthed in a pile of papers in a dark office in a corner of the parliamentary estate, the handwritten letter, dated 27 July 2024 on Conservative Party headed paper, shows Mr Massey congratulating the ex-Party Chair Richard Holden on his narrow victory in Basildon, claiming it will be an “excellent platform” for his political career.

“One of the few high spots of the night of July 4th/5th was your victory in Basildon,” Massey said, continuing “you will be [a] great MP for them and it will be an excellent platform for your [political] career”.

Holden stood down as Party Chair following election night, having barely won what the “safe” Tory seat of Basildon and Billericay by just 20 votes.

Mr Holden’s last minute selection for the seat caused tensions among Conservative members and MPs, with one cabinet minister telling the BBC the move had “gone down like a bucket of cold sick” and the Labour Party branding him “chicken-run Ric”.

Sent at the end of July, as many in the Conservative Party began their inquest into the party’s existential loss, Massey ended the letter candidly noting that he was “off on vacation now to France”.

The Tory CEO was appointed by Rishi Sunak in 2022, and tasked with boosting the party’s finances ahead of a general election.

But donations had plummeted after the resignation of Boris Johnson – falling by 90% between 2019 and 2024 to the lowest level of any campaign since 2001.

Tory MP Richard Fuller was appointed party chairman after Mr Holden quit the day after the election defeat.