Strategic Insight Award

This is the one awards category where the Davis-ites sweep the board. 

In third place is Mr Davis himself with his wristband generation speech.  Some visitors to this site were a bit sniffy about the idea but Davis (and IDS who originally provided the idea) know that people don't vote out of crude interest alone; they vote for a party that is 'good for them and for their neighbour'.  The party must pass what David Davis called the Decency Test.  DC certainly passes it but DD put it very well.

In second place is Paul Goodman MP's recent Platform blog.  Mr Goodman suggested that the Tories - led by Mr Cameron - might rejoin the establishment.  Mr Cameron certainly seems to be inching much closer to the establishment's views on issues like the environment, taxation and civil liberties.  Some of us don't welcome that and will be vigilant against it.

The winner is David Davis for his 'sell early and often' insight:

"If I became leader of this party I wouldn’t spend half of this parliament setting up commissions.  I already know what I believe.  I believe today what I believed six months ago.  I believed six months ago what I believed five years ago.  I know that Britain’s economy needs lower and simpler taxes and the first budget of the next Conservative government must begin to deliver them... And I know that free trade, good governance and property rights are the key to progress in the third world.  I will spend all of this parliament explaining those beliefs to the British people.  Some of them may not look popular now but time and the facts are on our side.  This parliament is still young.  I have the determination to spend the whole of this parliament selling an authentic, socially-just conservatism to the British people.  In the last two parliaments our policies became as timid as the limited time we gave ourselves to sell them.  There will be serious policy development under my leadership but I’m not willing to spend three years in a policy vacuum – and spent one year filling it.  Our main policy priorities need to be communicated and explained now.  The role of free trade in making poverty history will be a top priority."

On the Patients Passport and tax Mr Cameron has sometimes appeared reluctant to sell difficult ideas to the British public.  I hope Mr Cameron's leadership won't be characterised by Major-like caution.  We'll soon see.

Comments

[Gareth]

Given that DC looks set to win this election on the basis of an unashamedly modernising agenda, it is rather surprising not to see this 'insight' offered an award.

[wasp]

Tim this is crazy.

Davis's strategy has been terrible, thats why he has lost. He has consistently jumped the gun without realising that we should be at the start of a policy making process not at the end of it.

Davis at 16% percent from me, but then again thats enough to pass a GCSE nowadays.

[TC]

Anyone know where you can get a "Stop Blair" wristband?

[a-tracy]

"Davis's strategy has been terrible, thats why he has lost."

Has this been announced yet? There is a little mean part of me that would love a Davis win just to read the shock from you lot!

[Sean Fear]

How about a "Shoot Blair" wristband?

[wasp]

The thing is a-Tracy I don't think he's lost by much, but I do think he's lost.

[Disappointed Eurosceptic]

I think the Editor meant "insight into strategic issues to enable the election of a Conservative Government" not "the right strategy to win the leadership election".

Who disagrees with the following three points:
(a) the Tory Party must offer a prospectus which is 'good for me and good for my neighbour'
(b) there are dangers for the Tory Party in rejoining the [left-liberal] establishment
(c) the re-election of a Tory Government will require a long sustained slog selling campaign over several years, not the last few months of a parliament prior to a general election.

See what the Editor was getting at?

If still in any doubt, ask yourself this tie-breaker question: what would it mean in practice to share the proceeds of growth between tax cuts and public services (giving supporting attributed quotes from any member of Team Cameron)?

[Selsdon Man]

Does DD's appointment of Andrew Mitchell to handle press relations count for a "lack of strategic insight award"?

[Selsdon Man]

Surely the best strategic insight, if the romours are true, was the Cameron camp's decision to ask some MP supporters to vote Davis to kick Liam Fox out of the final run-off.

[wasp]

Thats tactics not strategy

[Selsdon Man]

Fair point Wasp but it was a key decision.

[Clausewitz]

It would be more accurate to say: group of right-wingers vote Fox to knock out Clarke, ensuring that Clarke's vote transfers en bloc to Cameron, injecting further momentum. If Fox had gone out first, where would his votes have gone with Clarke still in contention?

[Peter Franklin]

"Mr Cameron certainly seems to be inching much closer to the establishment's views on issues like the environment, taxation and civil liberties. Some of us don't welcome that and will be vigilant against it."

Who do you mean by the "establishment", Mr Ed? If you mean Magna Carta and all that, then DC is very pro-establishment on civil liberties (DD too!). If you mean New Labour and the Association of Chief Police Officers, then the Conservative Party is getting daringly anti-establishment.

[William Norton]

Don't be dull, Peter. Perhaps he meant "our friends in Soho/Notting Hill/Hampstead [delete according to prejudice]"?

[Simon C]

Editor,

Isn't David Willetts's early point that, to reduce the size of the state, you need to reduce the demand for the state, worth a mention?

[Editor]

Yes, Simon C - although I've put it under an awards category yet to be announced...