Yesterday we noted the Tory grassroots' strong Euroscepticism and their overwhelming preference for spending cuts rather than tax increases for budget deficit reduction. Today we unveil the Tory membership's other policy instincts.
The Manchester United of the policy league table is a Civil Liberties Bill that overturns ID cards and other illiberal measures passed during the Labour years. That wins 95% of Tory members' support.
The teaching of British history to become a central feature of every classroom gets the backing of very nearly as many; 94%.
A freeze in the BBC licence fee until further notice is also very popular. 89% of Tory members sign up to that.
Maintenance of Britain's nuclear deterrent comes fourth in the league table: 86% agree that "A nuclear free world is an illusion. Nuclear weapons cannot be disinvented and Britain should maintain its independent nuclear deterrent."
There is also a strong message to the leadership about climate change. 86% agreed with this statement: "Within the next few years the average voter will be much more worried about the cost and availability of energy than they'll be worried about climate change."
So far, so familiar perhaps. Our grassroots poll all shows that party members are also committed to the broadening of the Conservative message that David Cameron has delivered in recent years – 84% support more general environmental measures, 81% support action against loan sharks, 70% support high-speed rail links connecting the north and south and 62% support investment in energy efficiency.
The other policy hopes are all listed below:
- The unemployed should work for their benefits: 85%
- Conservatives should take the opportunity of the fiscal crisis to end national pay bargaining in the public sector. Pay should be set locally for local conditions: 84%
- Conservative councils should encourage recycling, protect green spaces and plant more trees: 84%
- A Bill to protect the very poorest from loan sharks: 81%
- Scrapping all public sector advertising in newspapers and moving them all on to a dedicated internet site: 80%
- Repeal of the foxhunting ban should be included within a wider Civil Liberties Bill that repealed the Hunting With Dogs Act and other freedom-restricting laws: 76%
- If the next Conservative government has to increase taxes they should be temporary and there should be a promise to repeal them within three or four years: 82%
- High speed railways connecting London, Leeds and Manchester will create a more balanced and successful UK economy: 70%
- A power to recall MPs (ie sack mid-term) mayors and other elected officials who lose the confidence of voters between elections: 68%
- Divorce law reform that would see a cooling off period introduced before a couple could legally separate: 63%
- Businesses should be able to run schools for profit: 62%
- The Conservatives should hold an immediate referendum on whether Scotland's voters want independence from the rest of the UK or not. We should choose the timing of the referendum rather than the SNP and Alex Salmond: 62%
- A nationwide loan scheme for household efficiency improvements that would be paid back through the savings generated by lower energy bills: 62%
- Proportional representation should be abolished for European Elections: 57%
- All major cities to have directly-elected mayors: 55%
- A £50m fund for relationship and fatherhood education and a £25m fund for financial education of 14 year-olds (to be fully financed by getting more National Lottery money to good causes: 51%
- Fixed-term parliaments to stop Prime Ministers fiddling with election dates: 49%
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