ConservativeHome and ConservativeIntelligence have just polled the 250 Tory candidates in our most winnable seats. We are publishing the personal priorities of the 141 that answered the survey as a taster for other exclusive material that will be published on Wednesday 20th January within our Guide to the 2010 Tory manifesto conference and publication. Click here to order the manifesto guide or/and to attend the conference.
The survey finds that in terms of personal priorities, cutting the deficit is top-of-the-league. Helping small businesses is priority two and reducing welfare bills is priority three.
Interestingly, three issues associated with the modernising agenda (civil liberties, defending the NHS and fighting poverty) score above winning powers back from Europe and reducing the level of immigration.
At the bottom of the league table of personal priorities is a reduction in Britain's carbon footprint. Just eight adopted candidates said it would be a top priority for them in the next parliament. It was the only policy goal that fell below 3.0 (the middle ranking). If the Tory leadership presses ahead with a decarbonisation strategy it will need to redouble Greg Clark's tactic of emphasising the wider benefits of all green measures (eg in terms of energy security or household fuel bills). Candidates' 'green scepticism' is shared by the Tory grassroots. 76% of Conservative members want Cameron to focus on energy bills above climate change.
One of the exclusive surveys which will be published at Wednesday's conference is the result of a vote of fifty Westminster insiders, ranking the likely priorities of a new Conservative government in its first 100 days.
Tim Montgomerie
The candidate results are presented below. The actual question asked was "Please say for you, personally, which of the following policy goals will be most important for you in the next Parliament if you are elected. Please choose close to 1 if the goal will not be important to you and close to 5 if it will be very important."
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The wealth of data collected by ConservativeIntelligence about the next generation of Conservative MPs can be read by scrolling down this page.
