I'm right-wing, Tory and George W Bush is one of my biggest political heroes – but I can't support the fake conservative Donald Trump

I was the only person at my school who backed the Republican candidate John McCain. At university in 2012, I was one of the very few students supporting Mitt Romney. But as an active Tory member myself, I find it deeply disconcerting to see fellow conservatives supporting Trump's candidacy

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally (AP)

Like many Brits, I take a keen interest in American politics, and I watched on in horror as Donald Trump clinched the Republican nomination for president. Here is a man who bullied and insulted his way through the primaries without offering any sort of substance whatsoever. Along with his deplorable statements about Mexicans, Muslims, women and virtually every other demographic under the sun, he has also demonstrated some extremely disconcerting and un-conservative policy positions on both domestic and foreign affairs.

At the height of Obamamania in 2008 when I was just 15, I was the only person at my school who backed the Republican candidate John McCain. At university in 2012, I was one of the very few students supporting Mitt Romney. George W Bush, a president almost universally reviled in the UK, is among my contemporary political heroes. My views and attitudes may have matured somewhat since 2008 but my position on the political spectrum remains unchanged: firmly right-wing.

For the first time in modern history, the Republican Party now has a presidential candidate who attacks rather than champions free trade and free markets. While the Republicans used to be known for their desire to promote democracy abroad and confront dictators, their nominee is now cosying up to Putin and questioning the validity of Nato.

Donald Trump is no conservative. Anti-trade, anti-liberty, pro-dictator and fiercely nativist; he is an authoritarian populist who occupies a unique twisted corner of the political spectrum. Despite this, however, he enjoys support in the UK, not just from a number of Ukip activists but also from many in the Tory grassroots.

As an active Tory member myself, I find it deeply disconcerting to see fellow conservatives supporting Trump's candidacy. There is a striking lack of overlap between Trump's values and the values of the Conservative Party, or indeed the Republican Party. For many it is a classic case of supporting what they see as the lesser evil, although it is hard to see in this case how Trump could possibly be the lesser evil. Clinton after all is a relatively moderate democrat and in some areas more conservative than Trump – she is no socialist firebrand like Bernie Sanders.

Astonishingly, many on the right are welcoming Trump's hijacking of the Republican Party with open arms. In one revealing exchange with a Trump supporter (and fellow Tory), I was told that Trump would "stand up to the liberal establishment" and that by refusing to support him that meant that I too was part of this liberal elite. Never mind the fact that Trump has long been close to the Clintons and backed John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election.

It is understandable that many on the right are drawn to Trump. His tough talk on terror and political correctness can be appealing, particularly when some leaders refuse to acknowledge the nature of the threat we face. But it is all just bluster and empty slogans. Far from defeating terrorists, Trump's policies would only embolden them. When President Bush embarked on the War on Terror 15 years ago, he took tough action but also made the point of stating clearly that the West was not at war with Islam as a whole and that indeed we needed Muslims on our side. Strength is not buzzwords and indiscriminate hate – it is standing up to a very real threat while preserving the principles we hold dear.

As conservatives we stand for certain values: democracy, smaller government, free markets and the rule of law. Time and time again Trump has shown little regard for these values and principles. He is poisoning our movement and corrupting our ideology. This is not about ideological purity; rather it is about saving it from oblivion. If Trumpism prevails, conservatism could forever become tainted with the stench of hate and authoritarianism. If the price of defeating it is a Clinton presidency then that is a steep price worth paying.