CentreRight

The 'right' always see it coming first

I see that Baroness Neuberger has concluded that exhaustive checks are putting people off coming forward to volunteer to help charities. She is calling for an end to the "obsession with risks."  All good stuff but is it not her party and Labour that are the first to regulate? Is it not off the tongues of Labour and LibDem MPs that the most vacuous phrase in politics 'make sure this never happens again' trips most frequently?

The 'right' always sees the danger of excessive regulation and warns of the consequences at the time.  We are derided and ignored.  Then the problem arrives and the 'left' have the answer.  In this case Gordon Brown set up a new quango last month to advise on how to aviod 'systemic risk aversion.'  As is said 'you couldn't make it up.'

I think I also saw somewhere today that record numbers of British citizens emigrated last year. No wonder.

If we keep talking about the elephant in the room maybe people will see it

I've only just seen Dan Hannan's excellent article in yesterday's Telegraph.  Dan powerfully makes the case that people have stopped voting because they think that politicians no longer exercise the important powers.  Restoration of the clear link between politicians and state action is the route to engagement with the public.  He gets it spot on in this extract,

"It all comes down to taking responsibility. These days, almost the first instinct of our politicians, faced with a tricky problem, is to bung it at someone else. Did Peter Hain misbehave? That's in the hands of the Electoral Commission. When do embryos become human? Let's ask the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. What drugs should be available on the NHS? Over to you, Nice. Are A-levels easier? One for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. What should we be paid? Let's set up yet another wretched quango, further devaluing the democratic process. In consequence, elections stop mattering and people stop voting."

This is the real 'elephant in the room'.  Maybe if we keep talking about it people will see it.  Well said Dan! The full article can be seen here.

The 'Celtic Trinity' - time for 3 to become 1?

As I sit at my desk with the PM programme on in the background I'm enjoying listening to news on the reshuffle.  I enjoy reshuffles - although I prefer our ones more.  (Tempting as it is I will refrain from any advice to DC if he plans to reshape his pack after this).  No news thus far on the new Secretary of State for Wales.  I'm on tender hooks waiting for that one! We Conservatives always (or at least used to always) talk about 'smaller Government'.  What about taking this opportunity to do the blindingly obvious - abolish the positions of Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland? What are they for? What do they do?  There are now First Ministers in all parts of the 'Celtic Trinity' and they are, in theory, running devolved issues on the ground.  I suppose we would get the usual fuss about Scotland/Wales/Northern Ireland's voice not being heard on defence or foreign policy.  Thats easy to solve - create a full-time cabinet post of Secretary of State for devolved areas. Liberates a lot of civil servants, reduces the size of the cabinet, allows us to have a full time Secretary of State for Defence, makes Shaun Woodward unemployed and saves a few quid. So of course it won't happen.

Stick on trust and don't foam

Last Sunday I had the great honour of making the final of the Maidstone and the Weald selection just missing out to the refreshing Helen Grant.  There was an interesting dimension to the process in that we all faced an interview by Ian Hislop in-front of the membership.  It was a surprisingly enjoyable occasion and interesting to see he thought us of more talent than he expected (although his expectations may have been very low!).  There was an interesting moment when he turned to me and said, "Europe."  I looked back at him and said nothing.  He then said, "You are not answering the question."  I replied, "You have just said a word not asked a question." A little banter ensued before he asked, "Right the EU."  There was a clear expectation that at the mere mention of 'Europe' a Conservative candidate would spontaneously start to foam at the mouth.

Sometimes I think that we have not really understood that our Euroscepticism is now where the moderate mainstream of public opinion is and we no longer need to speak of it with the same passion as we did 10-15 years ago.  Thats why I believe that the ratification of the new treaty is such an opportunity and such a danger.  If we can keep the focus on the flagrant breaking of a manifesto promise and the pushing through of a treaty that we believe is bad for Britain then this debate will enhance our reputation with the public.  If we allow some of our more single issue friends on the airwaves then Ian Hislop's expectation of spontaneous foaming will be met and our reputation will be diminished.  Watching the excellent clip Tim put up earlier I'm sure William will get the balance spot on.

A reminder of why I'm in politics

Its been annoying me all week and I thought I'd share it.  I was out canvassing last weekend and met an elderly lady - probably about 75 years old.  She was fiesty and very angry. She told me that her local council are withdrawing travel tokens for her and her husband now that the Government are insisting that they get a free bus pass. She explained to me that she is still robust enough to walk to her local supermarket but not strong enough to walk back carrying her shopping.  So she used the travel tokens to pay for the return trip by taxi and to take her frail husband to the optician and to hospital.  Now they were being taken away.  But could she not now take the bus?  Well no actually because the nearest bus stop was 3 streets away.  And this is in a large town not a rural village.

The core of her complaint was simple and should resonate with every Conservative. She wanted to maintain her independence and look after her husband.  Yet due to a decision from on high that was being robbed from her. She has been in my head all week. That couple and all the others who suffer from arbitary decisions of the all powerful state are why I wanted to come into politics.  I'm pleased I met her.

The worst of 'New Labour' is alive and well under the clunking fist

I've just read that two Labour MPs I've never heard of (they claim to be called John Mann and Kevan Jones) have just reported 80 Conservative MPs to the Electoral Commission for failing to declare donations in the 'right way'.

I've always held to a rather old fashioned notion that the overwhelming majority of people who go into politics on all sides are motivated by a genuine desire to do the right thing. And I still believe that.  So what is the real purpose of this action?  I reckon it is right out of the New Labour handbook.  Permatan is up to his neck in the £103k mess from the think tank that has not thought up any ideas or published any reports (maybe they have been behind the advice to Brown which could explain his car crash of a Government?) so these two backbench stooges decide to try and throw a lot of mud at the other side to distract attention.

The result?  Even more people will be saying on the doorstep 'you are all the same' or 'you are all in it for yourselves'.  And these same muppets will be popping up on television lamenting the declining turnout and proposing commissions to hear from the likes of Polly Toynbee and Baroness Kennedy about how we can 're-engage' the public.

How very, very depressing.

Will the Democracy Task Force recommend democracy?

I’ve just finished reading through the findings of the Democracy Task Force headed up by Ken Clarke. Some interesting and laudable suggestions such as abolition of the grotesque £10,000 re-election budget ‘communications allowance’ for sitting MPs. Interesting to see that the MPs pension scheme will be closed to ‘new members’.

The report is called ‘Restoring Trust in Politics’. But I can’t help but wonder if the answer to the problem actually lies in the name of the Task Force: Democracy. It has often struck me that the reason people increasingly are turning away from politics is that they think that voting doesn’t actually make much of a difference. So many powers have been given over to unaccountably bodies: the EU, Regional offices, local Government officials, Agencies and Quangos that often elected politicians have very little scope for real decision making.