(4) Team Cameron has consistently pursued modernisation on ten fronts

Although the global recession and the Labour debt legacy have significantly disrupted Tory plans for government the overall consistency of the Cameron agenda is notable. In ten key areas there has been a steady discipline in the modernisation of the Conservative Party:

Social justice: The first act of David Cameron's leadership was to establish the social justice policy group under the direction of Iain Duncan Smith. A Department of Social Justice is a likely feature of a Cameron-shaped Whitehall. The pupil premium for inner city schools, the retention of the minimum wage and a commitment to eliminate the 'couple penalty' in the benefits system are examples of the many practical policies that have emerged from the modernisation of the Conservative Party's one nation tradition.

Promoting female candidates: Huge efforts have been made to promote female candidates.  If the party wins the next General Election with a simple majority there will be at least fifty Tory MPs.  Preferential treatment saw a number of women become Conservative MEPs in June.  Also expect an influx of Tory women into the Lords as the party rushes to ensure it has enough frontbenchers in the Upper Chamber.  Although the number of privately-educated candidates is set to decline efforts to promote candidates from lower income backgrounds have been inadequate.

Gay rights: In promising to restore a recognition of marriage in the tax system David Cameron has also said that gay couples in civil partnerships will benefit. In a blow to freedom of association the Tory leader said that Catholic adoption agencies should be required to place children with same sex couples. 

NHS protection: In his first Party Conference speech the Tory leader said his political priorities could be summarised with three letters: N H S.  The 'NHYes' campaign was an early indication that the Tories were determined to neutralise this once potent Labour issue.  Controversial policies like the Patient Passport were quickly junked and David Cameron has promised that the NHS will continue to win inflation-beating resources from the taxpayer despite the debt crunch.

Civil liberties: Some say that David Cameron is not a natural civil libertarian and key advisers (George Osborne and Michael Gove, for example, plus Nick Herbert) are relatively hawkish.  During the leadership race, however, David Davis led the party towards a libertarian position on ID cards and the issue of 42 days.  With Dominic Grieve the party's civil libertarianism is growing more and more established.

The environment: Many Tory members worry about the Tory leadership's position on climate change and it is not as big a part of the Tory message as was true in Year 1.  Nonetheless the next Tory government will green the tax system (after kicking green taxation into the long grass for the duration of the recession), stop the expansion of Heathrow, begin exploratory work on a high speed rail network and also oversee an innovative energy efficiency scheme that will see future reduced home energy bills pay for insulation measures now.

Northern challenge: The Tories made almost no progress in the north under Michael Howard and David Cameron appointed William Hague to ensure the northern party raised more money for more campaigning staff and had more of a northern feel.  'Campaign North' - spearheaded by Michael (now Lord) Bates - has done just that.  Despite The Telegraph's suggestion that the party remains stalled in the north, progress is considerable.

Global poverty: During the last recession Ken Clarke, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, cut international aid spending.  David Cameron has promised to continue the growth in spending that has characterised the Labour years and move progressively towards the target of spending 0.7% of national income on the world's poorest people.  Tory development policy will be distinctive, however.  Andrew Mitchell has promised a greater focus on the poorest Commonwealth nations and more transparency and more private sector involvement.

Immigration and asylum: The policy remains tough on immigration but the language has changed and the issue is given much less volume.  The cap that Michael Howard proposed for asylum seekers has been abolished and a proper distinction made in policy between those asylum seekers genuinely fleeing persecution and those migrants seeking economic advancement.

A change of tone: David Cameron has not always been able to resist the temptation of Punch & Judy politics at Prime Minister's Question Time - something he has conceded - and he now wears a tie more often than he did in the early days.  The Tories have shifted rhetorically, however.  The language is less aggressive and there is a reluctance to be calling for resignations.  "Let the Mail call for scalps," one senior Tory told ConservativeHome.

There was a time when the 'new messages' dominated the Tory message.  In the autumn of 2007 it left the party vulnerable to defeat if Gordon Brown hadn't bottled the honeymoon election.  Since 2007 there is more balance in the Tory prospectus with more emphasis on the full range of political issues.

Comments

[Ultimo Tiger]

You know, even though he gets critcised for some of the views he holds I admire him for having the courage to stick firm.

[Kevin]

Are you sure you haven't posted a Labour agenda document by mistake?

[Commentator]

In what sense is throwing even more money at an unreformed NHS a sign of modernisation? More like a sign of being reactionary in my book.

The business over Catholic adoption agencies showed that Cameron is quite authoritarian at heart. Had they been Muslim adoption agencies, I doubt whether he would have ridden roughshod over freedom of conscience. I am unconvinced that the modernisers would protect my civil liberties. David Davis has championed civil liberties but the modernisers hate him.

[Philip]

Like Commentator, I'm unconvinced that "modernisers" are particularly concerned about freedom. Instead, they seem more interested in promoting gay rights, which seem too easily to override freedom of speech and conscience. DC's supporting Labour's move against the RC adoption agencies is evidence for doubt a commitment to freedom. And of course there's the point about what is best for children - it's well known this is the traditional 'mum & dad' family, and I can't believe they'd be plenty such couples willing to adopt.

As for DD, I thought he was concerned more about detention of terrorist suspects without trial too long, rather than with Labour's curbing of basic freedoms of speech and conscience, but I may need to be corrected on that point.

[Philip]

To add on another issue, the high speed rail line proposal: for it to fulfil it's environmental benefits in reducing the need for domestic flights, it will need to go to Glasgow and Edinburgh and not stop at Leeds as in our weaker proposal. There are not many flights from London to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. And a detour via Leeds would add to journey times to Scotland, and Leeds and the NE would not too significantly faster than can be achieved on the current East Coast main Line. The line should go northwards from the Manchester area direct to Scotland. Leeds and the NE need a seperate direct high-speed line.

[Liz Richard]

I am sure there are things in that list that will give traditional supporters a touch of the vapours. But for floating voters such as myself these changes in approach are the reason that I will vote Conservative in 2010 for the first time since 1993. The devil is in the detail of course so I and the many like me who will deliver Mr Cameron his majority will watch intently to see just how deep the Conservative Party's modernising tendencies actually go.

[Ad]

If people really believe this is all "left wing" then God forbid what you think is right wing.

[Michael Parsons]

"If the party wins the next General Election with a simple majority there will be at least fifty Tory MPs"

I think you mean "at least fifty female Tory MPs"

[Klaus Jurgens, Member Conservatives Abroad]

While having been away for work abroad I recently spoke with many British citizens residing in Turkey. It is not necessarily the old cliché that Britain has become too expensive and hence they packed their bags; this analysis would be far too easy and misleading.

In Didim and Kuşadası where I will try to mobilize UK citizens to register to vote with the support of Conservatives Abroad many of those I spoke with told me that policies in Britain have made them leave their homeland.

Misuse of the welfare state, uncontrolled immigration, no jobs for British kids, non-EU citizens working for less than the minimum wage, a rise in crime and violence, a health system in crisis and expensive when going private and many other issues are mentioned to me when I am out and about.

While modernizing our party is of course a necessity as we can not live shielded away from developments in society we must tackle the underlying basics and frankly speaking Britain is heading towards the abyss under the present government.

It is a very complicated decision for David Cameron and his team of experts: how close shall the party get towards pleasing fringe groups in society while not overlooking the vast majority which would be our major target group?

[anthony scholefield]

Cameron has bet the farm on enticing over the soft Left but as fast as they join the Tory vote others leak out to the right.At present the Tory strategy-if one could call it that-is simply to coast on Labour's unpopularity.
I expect the Tories to 'win' on a low plurality but to implode after the election on any of the big issues,the EU,mass immigration or the financial situation.

[jack iddon]

Look, PLEASE STOP using the term "Team Cameron" it is worse than Haig and the infamous baseball cap, it is trite, a foolish attempt at trendy, it is silly and and does not portray the image we need to. STOP IT!!

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