Have you a
burning question to ask the Chairman of the Conservative Party, Francis
Maude MP? If so then now is your chance. "Challenge the Chairman" is
back in 2007. Jonathan Sheppard Editor of Tory Radio will be putting
your questions to Francis next week.
- Is the party on the right track to win an election?
- Are the policy groups ready to report their findings?
- Is it time the A list was wound up?
If you have something you would like asked leave a comment below, or email [email protected]
UPDATE 12th January
Click here to listen to the interview, and click continue on this post to read Jonathan Sheppard's step-by-step synopsis.
Political correctness
"One persons political correctness is another person's standard of decency".
Criticises the move towards society being risk averse.
"What do we mean by it. Always very struck by what DC said. Is it political correctness to frown on people who talk abut spastics. I don't want my son to be described as a spastic. I don't want my neighbours who happen to be black to be called niggers. Is that political correctness? I just think that's behaving decently."
Plenty of examples of absurd political correctness.
BBC political coverage
They took the view that when TB went towards the centre, the differences between the parties was less and politics was less interesting, and it's there duty to make politics interesting.
"I think that's fundamentally wrong. I don't think it's their job interesting. I think it's the job of politicians to make politics interesting. It's the job of the BBC to present politics as it is."
Bournemouth Conference
We haven't made definite decisions at this stage. I won't hide that Bournemouth for one very specific issue was a disappointment to us last year.
5 places we can have Conference - Blackpool, Bournemouth, Brighton, Birmingham and Manchester. I think we should play the field.
A list – should local candidates not be allowed to apply for target seats?
No. I think it's a combination. Most of the candidates selected for target seats have been A list. It's going pretty well. Of the second tranche of selections, if you take out existing candidates reselected its running at 45% women. It's evidence of the Conservative party changing.
Could the A list be scrapped?
I would love us to be in a position where we didn't have to persist with the priority list as a permanent thing. For me the importance of it has been to break a mould, break a pattern and show there is a level playing field.
Bursaries for women (as proposed by women 2 win)
I do think if there were a bursary scheme it should not just be for women. I know Tim Montgomerie has made a powerful case if we are to be genuinely inclusive then we should be giving financially assistance to candidates from a disadvantaged financial background.
In an ideal world I'd love there to be a bursary scheme of this sort.
Priorities for the year
Two immediate priorities. Over the year it's to get us seriously going and to build in the North. We will have more to say on that in the next couple of weeks.
May local elections. Half of all Lib Dem councilors come up for re-election. We are doing quite well against the Lib Dems.
One of the reasons we've made less progress in Scotland., particularly in relation to the Holyrood elections, people see us less committed to devolution. (19:52)
The fact is we are now committed to making devolution successful.
"There is a huge swathe of Scottish people who want a credible and attractive alternative to three parties of the left, and its bloody irritating actually that so many people see the SNP as the moderate alternative to Labour, and we should be there and it should be us."
UKIP – 22:08
UKIP is not going to be mainstream party. It's a protest party, and it's a one issue party and not very attractive in many ways.
Does it worry me? It doesn't delight me.
I'm sorry to lose Malcolm Pearson and David Willoughby de Brooke. It's a pretty open secret that they've been hovering on the fringe of UKIP for a long long time including in recent elections. I'm sorry to see it. One aspect of it that I found slightly unattractive which was the suggestion that funders/donors to the party should try to throw their weight around to try to influence policy. That's bad news. That's one of the reasons why people distrust the way party funding is at the moment because there is the sense that someone can come along with a big cheque book and influence the direction the party goes.
Can members of the cabinet campaign against gov policy?
I was a minister fighting a marginal seat in the late 80s early 90's. there were some quite tricky issues that had a malign effect on my chances. You're either part of the Government or you're not….. It really is wanting to have your cake and eat it to have the sweets of office – remaining a minister, while having the freedom to campaign against your Government.
Politicians to lead by example?
It is difficult. I have sympathy with Ruth Kelly. She has four children I have five.
Much of my children's education has been in private school, but I don't belong to a party that opposes private education
Party finances….(Spectator article) 28:45
Spectator article is fantastically over the top. The bit in the Telegraph talks of a war chest of 21 million. That is utter fantasy. It's still quite a tough environment for raising money.
Labour financial straits – less likely for an early election? 30:55
No…. because they are in a bad financial way for sure. But they have got the Trade Unions. At the moment they get 70% of their funding from the TU's.
If Brown wanted an election in May or Oct of this year ….he can click his fingers and the Union will come running. There will be a price. The Unions will demand their price.
The Danegeld doesn't come without a price tag. The Union's tanks will be all over Gordon Brown's lawn.
