The conservativehome.com blog: I believe...

Do you remember Michael Howard’s January 2004 statement of beliefs? They were criticised at the time for their motherhood-and-apple-pie character but they did amount to an aborted CCO attempt to embrace positive politics. I recently came across a Canadian ex-blogger’s beliefs statement and I thought I’d try one of my own. I’ve outlined at least one belief for each of conservativehome.com’s main ten themes:

‘Home and family’:

I believe that the extended family is society’s most important source of education, health and welfare.

I believe that government should help couples to build healthy marriages.

I believe that people of every sexual orientation deserve respect and compassion.

‘Prosperity’:

I believe that tax is but one instrument of economic policy but that low taxes underpin a nation’s ability to compete in the global marketplace.

I believe that a free and independent Britain can and should flourish outside of the eurozone.

I believe that capitalism does not, by itself, nurture institutions like the family and behaviours like honesty, upon which its health depends.

‘Compassion’:

I believe that the highest form of charity teaches a man to stand on his own feet, walk tall and achieve his potential.

I believe that every member of society has a personal responsibility to help vulnerable people.

‘Security’:

I believe that imprisonment does work by stopping persistent and serious offenders from harming society but prisons need to become much better at rehabilitation.

I believe that tolerance of drug abuse and so-called minor crimes leads to the growth of much more serious crime.

‘Humanity’:

I believe that every human person of every background, race, age and nation - born or unborn - is significant.

I believe that abortion, cloning and euthanasia are morally wrong and diminish all humanity.

I believe that ending hunger in the third world is a pro-life issue.

‘Faith’:

I believe that Judeao-Christian values sustain strong societies and are preferable to secular fundamentalism.

I believe that religious freedom – including freedom to change religion - is one of the most fundamental of freedoms.

‘Conservation’:

I believe that man has a responsibility to safeguard the environment for future generations.

I believe in a ‘blue environmentalism’ of clear property rights and making-the-polluter-pay.

‘Media, culture and technology’:

I believe that culture and religion are more powerful than politics.

I believe that every broadcaster, artist and religious teacher hold biased worldviews and that new media offer great opportunities for competition between worldviews.

‘Britain’:

I believe that Britain should renegotiate its relationship with the European Union and become freer and less controlled.

I believe that Benjamin Disraeli’s goal of one nation should be the mission of every conservative.

‘World’:

I believe that free nations need to form new alliances to pre-empt security and environmental threats.

I believe that rich nations need to open their markets to poor nations; abolishing the protectionism of programmes such as the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy.

I believe that arms sales to repressive regimes like China and Saudi Arabia should cease.

***

What do you believe?

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