ConservativeHome: Thursday 6th December 2007

"Attempting to improve security in Afghanistan has exposed fundamental weaknesses in NATO’s first venture into operations outside Europe. ISAF forces have divided into those whose governments are willing to fight and those that are not. For example, 3,100 German forces are not allowed to patrol at night and 1200 Turkish forces are not even allowed leave their barracks. This has placed an unfair burden on countries such as the US, Britain, the Netherlands and Canada who have consequently borne the brunt of the casualties..."

Tobias Ellwood MP on Platform: Is Afghanistan on course to implode?

Columnist Louise Bagshawe: Exhuming bad news

LondonMayor: Boris Johnson writes to Livingstone about waste and alleged "trousering" of £2.5 million by organisations connected with ideological ally

Local government: Conservative-controlled Hammersmith and Fulham promise 3% council tax cut for second year

Parliament: Nick Herbert responds to Jack Straw's statement on prisons

Tories seek micro energy generation revolution

"At least 1m households and businesses in Britain could be generating large amounts of electricity for the grid within a decade, but it will need an overhaul of the electricity supply industry, the Conservative party said yesterday. The party would create a mass market for decentralised "micro-energy" by encouraging everyone to invest in their own solar power and other renewable electricity generating schemes. A guaranteed price for the electricity generated in homes would be paid, with a further guarantee to run the scheme for at least 20 years." - Guardian

"Among the measures they would take would be to allow domestic wind turbines and other renewable technology to be installed without the need to seek planning permission, with the exception of listed buildings." - Times | BBC

"The reforms could help a future Conservative administration avoid building more nuclear power stations if it was successful in reducing carbon emissions." - Independent

PDF of David Cameron's speech on Energy Revolution

Tories want Whitehall £150,000pa advisor sacked for "superior young toff" attack on David Cameron

"The Conservatives have called for Paul Myners, the prominent businessman who is head of the Personal Accounts Delivery Authority (PADA), to be sacked after he attacked the party during an edition of BBC1's Question Time last week." - Telegraph

"On BBC television’s Question Time last week, Mr Myners contrasted the competence of Gordon Brown, the prime minister – to whose leadership campaign he donated more than £12,000 – to the “arrogant, superior, young toffs in the Tory party who have not done a day’s real work”." - FT | Independent

Cameron must take the chance to develop a story

"If Mr Cameron wants to be a convincing premier-in-waiting, he must seize the moment presented by Labour's evident exhaustion and the Liberal Democrats' search for a new leader. It is time for him to set out his stall. Right now this does not involve detailed policy announcements. That would offer a distraction from the government's discomfort and hand Labour ideas or ammunition. Instead it means communicating a clearer sense of what an incoming Conservative administration would stand for, as Margaret Thatcher did so successfully when leader of the opposition in the 1970s." - FT leader

Home Secretary will announce new terror detainment plans today - BBC

Unskilled workers from outside EU will be banned from taking British jobs - The Sun

"Dave's Dissidents"

Revolts.co.uk reveal the extent of Tory rebelling during David Cameron's first two years of leading the Conservative Party: "The first two years of this Parliament have already seen 84 Conservative MPs vote against their party line at least once (77 of them under David Cameron’s leadership), some 43% of the parliamentary party. The comparable figure for Labour is 39%. David Cameron is therefore facing dissent from a broader group in his parliamentary party than do the Labour whips, and the almost certain prospect of facing dissent from a broader group of MPs than did either Michael Howard or Iain Duncan Smith. The figure for the 1997 Parliament, however, was 78 percent; Cameron can be fairly confident he will not hit that level." (PDF here).

The claim that Browne isn't a full-time Defence Secretary is specious

"He should not be both Defence Secretary and Scotland Secretary, but not for the reasons argued yesterday by David Cameron, fellow Tory MPs and the gallant galaxy of former chiefs of defence staff in a recent Lords debate." - Peter Riddell in the Times

Faith schools dominate schools performance league

"The academic superiority of faith schools was underlined today as they dominated top positions in new league tables for 11-year-olds. Two thirds of the 250 primaries in England achieving "perfect" test results were Church of England, Roman Catholic or Jewish schools." - Telegraph

Professor David Jesson provides an explanation of faith schools' success for The Telegraph.

Tory MPs attack axeing of councils

"Furious MPs have attacked a move to axe four councils. Senior Conservative Michael Ancram said the decision to create a new super-council for Wiltshire was the most perverse he had seen in 30 years. Local Government Minister John Healey said the scheme would save £18 million a year, money that could be used to cut council tax or boost services." - Western Daily Press

Boris Johnson warns that innumeracy isn't just a problem for individuals but for the whole economy - Telegraph

Donorgate

"Labour officials helped lawyers acting for David Abrahams to draw up complex covenants that allowed the millionaire businessman to pay up to £650,000 indirectly to the party, the Guardian has learned."

"Wendy Alexander will find out within days whether she will face a police investigation into the illegal donation to her campaign fund, it emerged last night." - Scotsman

"Could someone possibly explain to me why her error is deemed so heinous while Lord Ashcroft, the billionaire Tory deputy chairman, is able to give his party some £2.5 million, and play a leading role in its counsels, even though he has declined to say whether he is resident in this country and that he pays tax here?" - Stephen Glover in the Daily Mail

Simon Hoggart is finding it "painful" to watch Brown being mauled at PMQs - Guardian | Yesterday's PMQs highlights

Please use this thread to highlight other interesting news and commentary...