The Tories need to fight the next election on culture wars as they have lost their winning formula from 2019, the party's new Deputy Chairman has said.
In a swipe at Rishi Sunak, Lee Anderson said the last election was won through a combination of Boris Johnson, Brexit and antipathy towards Jeremy Corbyn - but the party will now have to "think of something else".
The Ashfield MP, who was promoted by Mr Sunak last week, said the party would likely put a "mix of culture wars and trans debate" at the heart of its election offer.
In an interview with the New Culture Forum done before his appointment, he said: "The big thing in terms of 2019, there were three things that won us the election.
"It was nothing to do with me, it was Brexit, it was Boris, it was Corbyn and it was as simple as that.
"Those three things together were a great campaign, great ingredients.
"At the next election we haven't got those three things so we'll have to think of something else. It'll probably be a mix of culture wars and trans debate."
Mr Anderson said illegal immigration and the influx of small boats were the number one issue for voters.
"When we voted for Brexit, we promised to control our borders but it's got worse," he said.
He said people coming over in dinghies are "not genuine asylum seekers" as they would have claimed refuge in other countries before reaching Britain.
"That's what winds people up and that's what fills my inbox every day."
It comes after Boris Johnson's former LGBT+ business chief Iain Anderson said he was abandoning the party over its attitude to business and attempts to sow division.
“It was made pretty clear the plan is to run a culture war to distract from fundamental economic failings,” Mr Anderson said.
“It’s not something I want any part of.”
Meanwhile, the Tory deputy chairman also called for every public building to fly a Union Jack flag to boost patriotism among Brits.
The Tory MP said all schools should also be made to sing the national anthem to make sure children are proud to be British.
Asked how he would increase patriotism, he said: "We need to make sure that every school, and college, and university, and hospital, every public building flies a union flag. That's a good start.
"Every school in the morning, regardless of what faith they are or what type of school - independent, public, whatever - should sing the national anthem."
He recalled visiting a recent visit to America where he was moved by seeing the Last Post played every night.
"Why can't we do that here? Because you know what, we're a far better country than the US. Best country on earth this is, and we seem ashamed sometimes to blow our own trumpet."
Mr Anderson said the party would likely put a "mix of culture wars and trans debate" at the heart of its election offer.
"The big thing in terms of 2019, there were three things that won us the election," he said.
"It was nothing to do with me, it was Brexit, it was Boris, it was Corbyn and it was as simple as that.
"Those three things together were a great campaign, great ingredients.
"At the next election we haven't got those three things so we'll have to think of something else. It'll probably be a mix of culture wars and trans debate."
Mr Anderson said illegal immigration and the influx of small boats were the number one issue for voters.
"When we voted for Brexit, we promised to control our borders but it's got worse," he said.
He took aim at political leaders for being "a bit sterile", saying: "They seem to have come off some sort of production line, everything is about presentation, about not saying the wrong thing, not making a mistake."
"People don't want that," he added, pointing to Nigel Farage who he said was a "great communicator".
He said he "absolutely hated" Margaret Thatcher and the Tory Government when he was younger - but he now believes "the country needed her".
The Mirror previously revealed that the top Tory was facing questions over his links to alleged Nazi-supporting members of Skegby Scooter Club, Notts. He was pictured with a club member who has worn a “white pride” T-shirt.
He put out a Twitter video today saying the claim was "nonsense" and he'd met the group for charitable purposes.
"It just so happens on all these occasions that some of the lads have got a T-shirt on or someone had been linked to a punk band in the 90s that sung songs with Hitler in and somebody had been in the BNP 25 years ago," he said.
"I don't ask people about their political background or anything when they ask for a photo, I just have a photo took with these people. Look, we've raised thousands of pounds for good causes."
The outspoken backbencher's promotion to a top CCHQ job was one of the surprises of Rishi Sunak's recent mini-reshuffle.
He has stoked anger with his rants about foodbanks, suggesting poor Brits "cannot cook properly" and "cannot budget" in a Commons speech last year.
Mr Anderson also compared the Government to the "band on the Titanic" over its asylum policy in a string of leaked WhatsApp messages only weeks before his appointment as Tory deputy.
And he recently called for the return of the death penalty, saying "nobody has ever committed a crime after being executed".
Mr Sunak was forced to say he did not support the return of capital punishment following the comments.
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