Fifteen reasons why even Peter Hitchens and Simon Heffer should vote Conservative

Some right-wing critics of David Cameron often suggest there are no good reasons to vote for today's Conservative Party. In my opinion there is much in the breadth that David Cameron has given the Conservative Party that should appeal to traditional conservatives, particularly the commitments to decentralisation, government transparency, social reform and conservation of the local environment. But there is also a great deal of much more familiar Tory fare. Most Tory members appear to agree. In the end-2009 ConservativeHome survey I listed fifteen more traditional Conservative 'red meat' commitments and asked for the 1,994 respondents to say how much each policy enthused them on a scale of 1 to 10 (where 10 was most enthused). These are the average results:

1. An end to taxpayer subsidy of the trade union movement*: 8.76
2. Abolishing ID cards: 8.78
3. An annual cap on immigration from outside the EU: 8.31
4. An independent medical examination of every incapacity benefit claimant: 8.13
5. A recognition of marriage in the tax system: 8.10
6. Abolishing regional government: 8.09
7. Replacement of the Human Rights Act with a British Bill of Rights: 8.08
8. Moving public sector job advertising away from The Guardian and on to the internet**: 8.03
9. The abolition of inheritance tax for all but millionaires: 7.95
   
10. The protection of private schools from interference from the Charity Commission: 7.93
11. Freezing the BBC licence fee: 7.53
12. A 10% reduction in the number of MPs: 7.24
13. The repeal of the ban on foxhunting: 6.61
14. Full renewal of the Trident nuclear deterrent: 6.47
15. A free vote on reducing the time limit for abortion: 6.18

Tim Montgomerie

* The end of the Trade Union modernisation fund.
** An idea touted by George Osborne but not yet firm policy.