One of the constant refrains about the Cameron project has been ‘where are the policies’? Now we have a various assortment of policies, this has changed to ‘where is the thread linking this all together? Where is the narration? What is the Tory story?
I am not surprised that this is the case. Why? Because being a Conservative is not an easy thing to explain. If you are a socialist, everyone knows why you are one – to help the disadvantaged through redistribution. If you’re a member of modern liberal democrats, it’s because you believe in civil liberties and a softer version of redistribution. If you’re a member of UKIP, everyone knows you want to get Britain out of the EU. But for Conservatives, whilst there are common areas of unity (lower taxation, smaller state), is there really one thing that defines us?
Unlike Marxism, Socialism or modern liberal democracy, there are no detailed blue-prints as to what Conservatives are all about. Of course, there have been great Conservatives throughout history who have given a special definition, whether it is Wilberforce (the liberty of the individual), Disraeli (the elevation of the condition of the People), Churchill (for democracy over dictatorship) and, Thatcher (economic freedom). But, even with hundreds of years of an extraordinary Conservative History - and being the most successful Party in the Western world - there is still no over-arching theme.
Does it matter? I think not. I have always believed that Conservatism is not an ideology or doctrine. It is a way of life. A certain disposition. It’s more about characteristics, habit and values than philosophy or even politics. It’s no accident that we don’t have a written constitution or ‘Clause 4’ to remove.
I was reminded on this, by the recent death of a truly great and generous spirited man, the President of Harlow Conservative Association, Mr Alan Pond. Now Alan, was a Conservative, through and through, and a successful entrepreneur, having founded what was possibly the first self-service petrol station in Nazeing, Essex many years ago.
But Alan’s Conservatism, whilst strongly held was not at all ideological. That didn’t mean he lacked principle, far from it. Indeed, he campaigned relentlessly for conservation of our green belt and was fierce in his views about an over-mighty European Union. In fact two days before he died, he was campaigning in Harlow town-centre with me, for a referendum on the EU Reform Treaty.
But however important these things were, they were not central to his modus operandi. What was essential was Alan’s character. He believed simply in doing the right thing. That didn’t just mean working hard, which he did or caring – and acting - to assist those less fortunate, which he would always do.
But it did mean behaving in a way, which some might describe as old-fashioned – or conservative with a small ‘c’. To take one memorable example, I remember sitting in a Roydon village pub with him one lunch-time. We had a lovely seat by the window. The best table in the Pub. Suddenly two old ladies came in. Alan said to me: Rob, “we have to move”. I was comfortable and thinking why on earth do we have to change tables? Alan said: “this table is these two old ladies favourite spot”. He then bought the two ladies a glass of wine each.
As we moved to another part of the Pub, I thought, only someone with Alan’s decency would have done such a thing. For him, being a Conservative was really a way of life – respect, manners, generosity, kindness - preferring the tried and the tested to the unknown and chaotic.
Alan was a traditionalist too. Not in the reactionary sense and not even because he believed in tradition for its own sake. For him, tradition was about placing an anchor between one generation to the next. Giving families and communities something to hold onto in the face of uncertain futures. So he was unhappy that a wonderful Corner shop in Roydon had been taken over by a chain and metamorphised into a ‘Boozebusters’. Again, it wasn’t because he was against all change, but because he knew that the old Corner shop was a vital link in keeping the community together.
So just may be Mr Alan Pond and many other Conservatives from every part of our country, provide the answer as we try an explain what we are about.
Perhaps we shouldn’t be trying to find a grand Tory narration to define our policies or set out what we stand for in a series of hard to explain principles. We all know that an ever-wise electorate have become toughened to any kind of political fireworks that don’t resonate.
It might just be instead, that we should be attempting to define our policies – whether it be welfare reform, elected police chiefs or cutting inheritance tax, in the context of a Conservatism that is seen as a way of life, a disposition that is in harmony with people’s sense of decency and desire for opportunity and aspiration. Of simply doing the right thing.
