James Cleverly urged Tory members to be “more normal” and “sell Conservatism with a smile”, as he made his leadership bid at the party’s conference.

As part of his pitch to members, the former minister claimed he was the candidate who is “feared the most” by other party leaders and pledged to scrap “bad taxes” such as stamp duty.

Mr Cleverly also ruled out any deals or mergers with Reform UK, branding the party a “pale imitation” of the Tories.

“Let’s be enthusiastic, relatable, positive, optimistic. Let’s be more normal,” he told the party’s conference in Birmingham.

Pushed on his point about needing Tories to be “more normal”, Mr Cleverly told journalists: “We have got to make sure that people look to us and think these are people that I can vote for and who I trust to lead the country.”

He added: “I want them to go to the ballot box smiling, happy, confident, knowing that the Conservative Party under my leadership is focused relentlessly on them and not on ourselves.”

Elsewhere in his speech, Mr Cleverly urged Tory activists to “sell the benefits of Conservatism with a smile”.

Mr Cleverly had opened his speech with an apology to members, saying: “We need to get back on track but before we can do that, there’s something we need to say: sorry.

“Sorry on behalf of the Conservative parliamentary party who let you down, and we have to be better, much better, and under my leadership, we will be.

Let’s be enthusiastic, relatable, positive, optimistic. Let’s be more normal

“The British people are never wrong. The British people told us to go and sort ourselves out. Let’s not make them tell us again.”

He added: “There is no time to lose, and I don’t lose. So if you want a winner, choose one. Choose someone who can deliver results, who can communicate effectively and who campaigns relentlessly.

“Choose someone who you know and who is tested and who doesn’t hide from the media. Choose someone who is not afraid of the public, but is popular with the public.

“And choose the candidate who Starmer, Farage and Davey fear the most, because I will not accept the status quo, I will not accept defeatism and I will not accept defeat.”

On deals with Reform UK, he said: “They’re just a pale imitation of our great party.

“And never forget Reform didn’t deliver Brexit, we did. Reform didn’t cut immigration, I did. And mark my words, we will beat Reform by being the best version of ourselves, not a pale version of anyone else. So no mergers, no deals.”

The leadership hopeful also received applause as he pledged to scrap “bad taxes like stamp duty”.