ConservativeHome: Tuesday 3rd October 2006

Graham Smith's review of BBC1 's conference coverage
"Miss Seagull's" nightlife diary
Wat Tyler on "The Big Beef Speech"
Nick Cuff continues his coverage of Local Government events

2:30pm Bournemouth06 updates: Simon Chapman on the Conservative Party's International Office and Hannah Parker reviews yesterday's events for candidates

Lunchtime Bournemouth06 updates:

James Cleverly on ideas for Police reform
Cameron Watt: Pisani gets a surprise in drugs debate
Brian Jenner: Have the Conservatives changed enough?
Douglas Carswell MP on Direct Democracy at Bournemouth
Oberon Houston: Tory Reform Group (TRG) - Rebuilding Britain Part I

"Conservative activists have voted overwhelmingly against a motion claiming that alcohol does more harm than drugs." - BBC

"Iain Duncan Smith today claimed social justice as a natural Conservative cause as he accused Labour of failing to help society's most vulnerable." - Guardian

"Tories in Edinburgh have chosen a group of David Cameron-style new-look Conservatives to fight next year's city council elections. At least eight of the new candidates who will stand next May are in their late twenties or early thirties." - Scotsman

George Osborne speech to conference - Conservative Party

"David Cameron's video blog has been targeted by cybersquatters supporting the UK Independence party who have posted a spoof video set to David Bowie's Changes." - Guardian

"DJ Fatboy Slim has scuppered David Cameron's attempts to look hip, by refusing the Tories permission to use one of his records at their party conference this week." - Daily Mail

"William Hill have opened a book on when David Cameron will become Prime Minister and make 2009 their 11/8 favourite, with 2006 the 100/1 outsider." - William Hill bookmakers

BLOGS

ToryDiary: Davis and Osborne move to reassure core Tories with pledges on prisons and marriage

Seats and candidates: A-lister failed Parliamentary Assessment Board but was still fast-tracked

Bournemouth06 updates:

Adrian Owens reviews last night's BBC1's Ten'o'clock news
Peter Franklin reviews last night's World Tonight
Theresa May MP's view
Tobias Ellwood MP: Peers and CFers lend their hand to church project

GREEN TORIES

By 57% to 43% Tory conference-goers threw out a motion that said "cheap flights are a false economy" - The Guardian

SECURITY POLICY

A wise warning from Rachel Sylvester in this morning's Telegraph:

"Mr Davis admitted in an interview yesterday that Mr Blair was, when it comes to security, "in the politically and tactically advantageous ground". And there is likely to be little change of direction if Gordon Brown becomes prime minister – the Chancellor has promised to be tough on terrorism and indicated that he supports detention without trial for 90 days. Although the Tory approach to security has not yet grabbed the headlines, it could end up being more important than the party's attitude to tax cuts. It has the potential to divide the Conservatives from the voters, as well as among themselves."

COMPOSITION OF A-LIST

"Some 52% of the 100 were privately educated - compared to 59% of the Conservative MPs elected in 2005 - and 28% were educated at Oxford or Cambridge. And there were relatively few "fresh faces", with 89% having worked for the Conservative Party in some capacity or stood in previous national or local elections as Conservatives." - Daily Mail

ED VAIZEY MP ON DAVID CAMERON'S POLITIC OF EXHORTATION

"Cameron's approach is much more fundamental. He is engaged in nothing less than redefining the role of politics. He is the first mainstream politician to understand that the politics of exhortation and example can be more effective than those of targets and prescription. He has recognised the frustration so many people feel about having their lives micro-managed. He realises communities are yearning to shape their destinies." - Guardian

>>> Related definition: Bully pulpit

RICHARD LITTLEJOHN ON DAVID CAMERON

"OK, Dave, we get it. You're a modern man, you've got a young family, you cycle to work and you've got a windmill on your roof. People seem to like you. But what's in it for us? If all a Cameron government would offer is a bit of tinkering around the margins, voters might just decide to stick with the devil they know."

Richard Littlejohn likes David Cameron but wants to know that it'll be worth voting for him. The Daily Mail columnist drafts a speech for the Tory leader to draft tomorrow.

OTHER NEWSLINKS

"Oliver Letwin has rounded on critics who accuse the Tory leadership of lacking substance and dragging its feet over setting out a programme for government. The party's policy director insisted it was working through its plans in "awesome detail" and would not be bounced into making premature announcements." - Independent

"Mr Leigh, MP for Gainsborough and chairman of the Commons public accounts committee, will give warning today that the disillusioned Tory supporters could defect to the UK Independence Party, or even the British National Party, if Mr Cameron moved too far to the centre. He will tell a fringe meeting that the party should make the case for robust Conservativism, saying the party must respond to people's "anxieties and aspirations" on issues such as immigration, crime and Europe. Otherwise it could become a "recruiting agent for UKIP." - Telegraph

"A subtler criticism of the Cameron approach has come from Tim Montgomerie, editor of conservativehome.com, now a central online forum for party debate. He argues that Project Cameron is in danger of becoming almost as unbalanced as Michael Howard’s approach at the last election, in believing that the party has a choice between new issues such as the environment and old ones such as immigration. He argues that this is a false choice: that strict immigration controls are compatible with fighting global warming, and lower taxes with social justice." - Peter Riddell in The Times

ConservativeHome's Tory grassroots poll for The Independent features in The Times of India.

WebCameron hit by 'cybersquatters' - Guardian

Have we missed any important stories?
Please use the 'Comments' to tell other visitors about interesting links...