Brian Jenner: Have the Conservatives changed enough?

A new term has been coined – the Bennites of the Conservative Party. Though at this fringe meeting they were notably absent. Steve Richards introduced the Independent debate, Have the Conservatives Changed Enough?

John Bercow stepped up to say no. He applauded the new emphasis on the environment. The Conservatives have to seek fiscal stability first and then regain their reputation for economic competence, before considering tax cuts. Though he did urge simplification of the tax system.

He spoke passsionately in favour of spending resources on rehabilitating drug offenders rather than containing their addictions. He drew attention to the very poor educational achievements of children in care. He said the fact that 60% of prisoners reoffended meant there had to be reform of the prison system. He pleaded for a more pragmatic relationship with America. Mr Bercow said he wasn’t an intimate in the Cameron camp, but he was very pleased with the new regime.

Tim Montgomerie warned that the Bromley by-election result, when a safe Conservative seat was only won by a small margin, indicated that to avoid mentioning immigration, tax and crime altogether risked losing voters. He welcomed the agenda of compassionate green Conservatism, and thought there should be a greater commitment to issues like global poverty and Darfur. He also said the Party need to welcome back the ‘one-nation’ Conservatives, which it was doing.

Oliver Letwin underlined that modernisation was not about appearances but actually what they are. He didn’t believe in creating an agenda that satisfies individual audiences. They needed to create policies and strategies that were right for this country. The Party was committed to the principle of ‘social responsibility’ and enabling people to do things. To many families in the country were struggling to live on £100 per week.

Steve Richards begged someone to ask a question which would challenge the agenda – and put the Bennite point of view. He couldn’t find anyone. Rather frustrated, he suggested the audience was self-selecting.

Another interesting idea to come out of this meeting was the ‘bully pulpit’. Often it’s more practical to deal with unpleasant things by changing the culture rather than the law. John Bercow said the voluntary sector could contribute much to this phenomenon. 

There were a series of excellent questions. The best one was about what exactly was, the ‘common’ ground. Oliver Letwin gave a very good reply focusing on understanding changed political reality.

All in all this was a fascinating insight into the cutting-edge of the Party’s thinking. These were sensible voices, having an extremely civilised debate.

Comments

[Michael McGowan]

Predictably stale cliches from Bercow. We can all point to the problems. We aren't stupid and we have been waiting for the Tory Party to acquire the balls to tackle them. Looks like we are going to have to wait quite a bit longer.

[James Hellyer]

John Bercow's Mastermind specialist subject must be the bleeding obvious.

Perhaps he can now suggest solutions rather than merely describing obvious problems.

[Michael McGowan]

Now now James, he hasn't had time in the past five years to think about solutions: he has been too busy helping the Labour Party.

[James Maskell]

To think that Bercow could be in Government running a part of the country in less than 3 years time...beggars belief!

[Chris]

I can just about take Cameron and Osborne, the new faces, banging on about 'change'.

What I can't take are the second (third?) rate old-timers queueing up to diss ideas and principles which they supposedly believed in only recently.

Letwin is a particularly annoying character in that way. His patronising delivery hardly helps.

[John Coles]

Who remembers the good old days when both Letwin and Bercow were outriders for Thatcherism? Don't times change?!
The thought of those two turncoats determining how the Party should change is too depressing for words.
Of course one should make allowances for Bercow: ever since his marriage to a Liberal Democrat activist he's been slowly developing the courage of his wife's convictions.

[greg]

Er, she was a Labour supporter.