Gazette

EXCLUSIVE: David Cameron about to become member of MCC after 25 year wait

Tim Montgomerie

He's been waiting 25 years and I understand that The Rt. Hon. D.W.D. Cameron (1987 B6 250) will become a formal member of the MCC, the world's most famous cricket club, in the next few days.

Sport has been a big part of David Cameron's public profile recently.

Last week the PM entertained the world's leading tennis players at Number 10 and almost damaged a chandalier during a knockabout with Andy Murray.

This week the PM will be joining David Beckham and Prince William in Zurich in a 72 hour push to win the 2018 World Cup for England. That bid hasn't been helped by the BBC's decision to schedule a perfectly legitimate probe into FIFA at the worst possible time (see Henry Winter in The Sunday Telegraph).

With England fighting back overnight in the Ashes, Cameron's MCC membership is perfect timing.

Full list of the latest appointments at the NO2AV Campaign

By Jonathan Isaby

This morning's newslinks noted much of the below, but for reference, here is the full list of latest appointments to the NO2AV Campaign:

From the Conservative Party, four Patrons have been named:

• Ken Clarke MP
• William Hague MP
• Steve Norris
• Baroness Warsi

From the Labour ranks, Margaret Beckett becomes President of NO2AV, with the following as patrons:

• David Blunkett MP
• Lord Falconer
• Lord Prescott
• Lord Reid
• Emily Thornberry MP

Additionally, former Labour MPs Joan Ryan and Jane Kennedy have joined the campaign as Deputy Director and National Organiser (Labour) respectively.

They join a team which already includes:

• Matthew Elliott – Campaign Director
• Peter Botting – Director of Communications
• Dan Hodges – Press Officer
• William Norton – Referendum Agent
• Stephen Parkinson – National Organiser (Conservatives) and Head of Research
• Andrew Sells – Treasurer
• Dylan Sharpe – Head of Press
• Charlotte Vere – National Organiser (Events and Digital)

Welsh Assembly Tory leader Nick Bourne announces changes to his Shadow Cabinet

By Jonathan Isaby

Nick Bourne, leader of the Conservatives in the Welsh Assembly, has conducted a mini-reshuffle of his frontbench.

David Melding has stepped down as Shadow Minister for Economy and Transport in order to expand on the detailed work he is doing on the party’s manifesto for next year's Welsh Assembly election.

Darren Millar takes on the Economy and Transport portfolio in his place, whilst he is replaced as Local Government spokesman by Jonathan Morgan, who makes a return to Nick Bourne's Shadow Cabinet.

Menawhile, William Graham returns to the frontbenches as Shadow Minister for Regeneration as Mohammad (Oscar) Asghar takes on the Heritage portfolio, while retaining responsibility for Equalities.

Nick Bourne said of the changes:

“As we get closer to the Assembly election, the group has agreed that we should take the opportunity to allow David Melding to expand his work on the party’s manifesto. I want to take this opportunity to thank David for his very hard work as Shadow Minister for Economy and Transport. As ever, he continues to be an integral part of our team. Similarly, I am very pleased to be able to welcome Darren to this important role and to have Jonathan back in the Shadow Cabinet as well. I know both are approaching their portfolios with the same kind of enthusiasm and vigour that all Welsh Conservative Assembly Members display on a daily basis.”

“It is a great pleasure to be able to welcome William back into the Shadow Cabinet. He is a hard-working Assembly Member and I know he will approach this new portfolio with great passion. Similarly, Oscar is an ideal choice to take on Heritage and will continue to make a very able Shadow Minister. Today’s changes clearly demonstrate that the Welsh Conservatives are a united team ready to fight for Welsh interests in the Assembly elections.”

Downing Street announces bank holiday for Royal Wedding on 29th April

Downing Street spokesman:

"The Prime Minister welcomed today’s announcement by the Royal Household of the date for the marriage of Prince William and Ms. Middleton. It was agreed by Cabinet that the day will be marked by a Public Holiday. Public Holidays are devolved in Scotland. The Scottish Government will be making proposals to the Scottish Parliament shortly."

The Prime Minister said:

"The wedding of Kate and William will be a happy and momentous occasion. We want to mark the day as one of national celebration, a public holiday will ensure the most people possible will have a chance to celebrate on the day. The costs of the wedding itself will be met by the Royal Household, with Government meeting any wider security or transport related costs."

Michael Howard replaces Douglas Hurd as Tory member of the House of Lords Appointment Commission

Press statement.

Full list of new peers published

by Paul Goodman

Here's the complete new list of peers announced by Downing Street this morning -

Working Peers list

Conservative Party

• Tariq Ahmad – businessman and former Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party
• Sir Robert Balchin DL -  Pro-Chancellor of Brunel University
• Elizabeth Berridge – Director of the Conservative Christian Fellowship
• Sir Michael Bishop CBE – career in civil aviation, Chairman of The Michael Bishop Foundation a charitable foundation
• Alistair Cooke OBE – career in education, authorship and politics
• Sir Patrick Cormack – former Conservative MP
• Michael Dobbs – author, presenter and adviser to Margaret Thatcher and John Major
• Robert Edmiston – businessman and charity campaigner
• Sir Reg Empey OBE – Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party 2005 – 2010
•  Andrew Feldman – businessman and Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party
• Julian Fellowes DL – actor, novelist, film director and screenwriter
• Stanley Fink – Chief Executive of International Standard Asset Management and Chairman of Earth Capital LLP.  Treasurer of the Conservative Party 
• Howard Flight – career in finance; held various positions in Conservative Shadow Cabinet, Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party 2004 -2005
• David Gold – senior litigation partner at Herbert Smith LLP
• Michael Grade CBE – past Chief Executive of Channel 4 Television and former Executive Chairman of ITV plc
• Rachael Heyhoe-Flint OBE DL – past captain of England women’s cricket team, currently public relations and sports marketing consultant 
• Anne Jenkin – charitable and political work for the Conservative Party
• Sir Michael Lord – former Conservative MP and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons  
• Rt Hon David Maclean – former Conservative MP; held a number of Ministerial posts; Opposition Chief Whip 2001 – 2005
• George Magan – career in finance; former Conservative Party Treasurer and Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party Foundation
• Sir Bernard Ribeiro CBE FRCS – retired Consultant General Surgeon; member of the Health Policy Research Advisory Board of the American College of Surgeons
• Fiona Shackleton LVO – lawyer specialising in family law 
• Richard Spring – former Conservative MP
• Tina Stowell MBE – former Head of BBC corporate Affairs; past Deputy Chief of Staff to William Hague as Leader of HM Opposition
• Nicholas True CBE – past Deputy Head of the PM’s Policy Unit; former Private Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords; Leader of Richmond Borough Council
• Patience Wheatcroft – Editor-in-Chief of the Wall Street Journal Europe
• Gordon Wasserman – internationally recognised expert on management of police forces

The Queen has also been graciously pleased to signify Her intention of conferring a Peerage of the United Kingdom for Life upon General Sir Richard Dannatt GCB CBE MC DL, Former Chief of the General Staff. Sir Richard has elected to sit on the cross benches.

Liberal Democrat Party

• Dr Sarah (Sal) Brinton – Executive Director of the Association of Universities in the East of England
• Dee Doocey OBE – Chair of the London Assembly
• Qurban Hussain – Deputy Group Leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Luton Borough Council
• Judith Jolly – Chair of Executive Committee of Liberal Democrats in Devon and Cornwall
• Susan Kramer – former Liberal Democrat MP
• Raj Loomba – businessman and campaigner for widows’ rights
•  Jonathan Marks – commercial and family law QC with specialist interest in human rights and constitutional reform
• Monroe Palmer OBE – Liberal Democrat Councillor and Chair of Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel
• Jenny Randerson – Liberal Democrat Member of the National Assembly for Wales for Cardiff Central, former Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government
• John Sharkey – Chairman of the Liberal Democrat 2010 General Election campaign
• Nicol Stephen – Former Deputy First Minister of Scotland (2005 – 2007) and leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats (2005 – 2008)
• Ben Stoneham – Liberal Democrat HQ Operations Director
• Mike Storey CBE – Primary School Head teacher, former Leader of Liverpool City Council, Liberal Democrat Councillor and former Lord Mayor of Liverpool;
• Paul Strasburger – businessman and philanthropist 
• Claire Tyler – Chief Executive of Relate

Labour Party

• Dame Joan Bakewell DBE – writer and broadcaster
• Ray Collins –  General Secretary of the Labour Party
• Maurice Glasman – Senior Lecturer in political theory at London Metropolitan University and for his work with London Citizens
• Jonathan Kestenbaum – businessman and Chief Executive of National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts
• Oona King – Head of Diversity at Channel 4 Television and former Labour MP; currently journalist and presenter
• Ruth Lister – Emeritus Professor of Social Policy at Loughbrough University
• Eluned Morgan – former Labour MEP representing Mid and West Wales;  currently Honorary Distinguished Professor at Cardiff University and for her work on low carbon energy
• Sir Gulam Noon MBE – Chairman and Founder of Noon Products and of the Noon Foundation
• Stewart Wood – former Downing Street and HMT special adviser, lecturer at University of Oxford; previously Fellow of Magdalen College and co-founder of Nexus
• Bryony Worthington – career focusing on promoting environmental and social change

Plaid Cymru

• Rt Hon Dafydd Wigley – former Leader of Plaid Cymru; Honorary President of Plaid Cymru

Eight of those nominated in ConservativeHome's "Search for 100 Peers" are present: Robert Balchin, Alistair Cooke, Michael Dobbs, Reg Empey, Robert Edmiston, Stanley Fink, Howard Flight and Patience Wheatcroft.

I wrote earlier today that I'd want to congratulate my former colleagues and others, which I do, and that this list will doubtless prove controversial elsewhere for the main political parties.

The Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum is opened, saluting "the bravest of the brave"

By Tim Montgomerie

Cabinet ministers, MPs, journalists and military heroes attended the official opening yesterday evening of the new Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum. The guest of honour was the Princess Royal.

The Gallery houses the collection of Victoria Crosses (164) and George Crosses that Lord Ashcroft has been assembling over many years. Thanks to a £5m donation from the former Tory Treasurer to the IWM, as well as the unknown cost of purchasing the medals, the collection will now be kept in Britain and enjoyed by the public.

Speaking at the launch event Lord Ashcroft explained how his interest in extraordinary heroism had developed as young boy, listening to his father talk about his own terrifying experiences during the D-Day landings:

"As a small boy, I sat wide-eyed as he painted a vivid picture of his small landing craft crashing through the waves towards Sword Beach and as he conjured up the sense of fear as he and his men approached the inevitable hail of machine-gun fire that would 'welcome' them as they raced towards French soil. I felt a surge of pride that my father - Lieutenant Eric Ashcroft - had played such a courageous part in the war effort.

Gradually my interest in bravery grew and grew. Courage is a truly wonderful quality yet it is so difficult to understand. You can't accurately measure it, you can't bottle it and you can't buy it, yet those who display it are, quite rightly, looked up to by others and are admired by society."

New Tory intake sweep the board at Westminster Dog of the Year Show

By Jonathan Isaby

Every year the Dogs Trust holds a mini Crufts for MPs' dogs one morning in the gardens adjacent to the Houses of Parliament.

This year's event took place yesterday and members of the Tory Class of 2010 swept the board when the judges distributed the rosettes for the Westminster Dog of the Year.

Taking first prize was Charlie, the Border Terrier owned by Helen Grant; in second place was Jake Berry's Poodle, Lola; and coming in third was Dido, the Lurcher owned by Rebecca Harris.

Congratulations to you all!

Brian Cattell elected chairman of the Bow Group

By Jonathan Isaby

Last night the Bow Group held its AGM and a new officer team was elected who will serve under the chairmanship of Brian Cattell (pictured).

He has been active in Conservative politics for over ten years, during which time he has served as a Parliamentary Candidate and a councillor in the London Borough of Camden. Outside of politics, he has has been an entrepreneur, setting up his first business in Eastern Europe at the age of 22; a journalist; and also a business consultant to many large international companies focused on emerging markets. Tomorrow he will be wrting for ConHome about his latest research presenting the case for greater UK engagement in Latin America.

In being elected Bow Group chairman, he takes over from Annesley Abercorn and follows in the footsteps of a large number of well known names, including Geoffrey Howe, Michael Howard, Norman Lamont and Peter Lilley. At the general election in May, no fewer than five recent Bow Group chairmen were elected Conservative MPs for the first time: Andrew Jones, Damian Hinds, Sam Gyimah, Kwasi Kwarteng and Chris Skidmore.

Brian Cattell said last night:

“It is a great honour to have been elected as the Chairman of the Bow Group. I believe passionately in the Group’s heritage and its mission to influence the policy debate within the Conservative family. I am confident that we have a strong team in place and the talent to continue to produce fresh and innovative thinking that will help shape the policymaking process in this country.”

The full results of the officer elections were as follows:

Chairman
Brian Cattell - 48 votes   
Craig Rimmer - 20 votes

Research Secretary
Luke Powell - 36 votes
Mark Nicholson - 28 votes

Secretary
Alan Young - 41 votes
Daniel Valentine - 25 votes

Treasurer
Matt Eaton - 43 votes
Robert Westbrook - 18 votes

Social Secretary
Paul Mawdsley - 45 votes
Patrick Sullivan - 18 votes

Political Officer
Ben Harris-Quinney - elected unopposed

Commercial Secretary
Alex Hawley - elected unopposed

Membership Secretary
Jack Chubb - elected unopposed

Five elected Council Members
Stuart Carroll - 55 votes
Jennifer White - 54 votes
Camilla Hayselden-Ashby - 51 votes
Gary Jones - 48 votes
Mark Eastham - 33 votes
Tony Lodge - 27 votes
Tom Packer - 20 votes
Peter Cuthbertson - 17 votes
David Goss - 11 votes