Your nominations and citations are sought for the 'Local Hero' award of the Inaugural Conservative Movement Awards. This award seeks to award someone who has championed the 'small is beautiful' tradition within conservatism. It might be an outstanding local councillor or council. It might be a local campaigner who has taken on overmighty bureaucracy. It might be someone or some group that has championed localisation. Please submit your ideas on the comments thread below.
Yesterday we sought nominations for 'National Campaign'. Tomorrow we'll be focusing on 'One To Watch'.
I would nominate Adrian Hilton
He understands the importance of 'individual' and 'local', especially minority faiths. He is a respected teacher at Slough Grammar School, inspires all his students to engage in politics, took on the 'overmighty' CCHQ at the last election helping to bin the 'contract' forced on all candidates, and is presently attacking Labour in a stronghold ward of Slough. He deserves victory.
Posted by: Nadim | April 27, 2006 at 09:47
A very strong candidate has to be Neil Herron. One of the Metric Martyrs, he has been a formidable campaigner against regional assemblies, and over-bearing authority generally. For more on him read his blog http//neilherron.blogspot.com
Posted by: Derek | April 27, 2006 at 10:10
I would nominate the Direct Democracy group for the impact it had at Conference last year. I'm sure it helped push the recent drive in Tory policy towards localism.
Posted by: Andrew Woodman | April 27, 2006 at 10:59
Neil Herron had at best only a marginal impact on the North East referendum result.
Posted by: William Norton | April 27, 2006 at 13:00
If we don't get a few more nominations for this category it will be difficult to justify having it!
Any more suggestions of innovative councils/ councillors?
Posted by: Editor | April 27, 2006 at 15:03
Can I nominate the Civitas think tank for their successful New Model Schools and supplementary schools? Or does it have to be an individual?
http://www.newmodelschool.co.uk/
Posted by: Richard | April 27, 2006 at 15:43
This category is looking a bit stretched.
Posted by: Chad | April 27, 2006 at 15:48
Cllr Martin Johnson, Wandsworth. Must be at least 105 years old and a councillor since he was 8. As Cabinet member for Housing he is the Champion of Wandsworth's Hidden Homes Initiative that has created quality public housing out of nothing. Also runs a Council Housing Department that has won 90% approval ratings from its tenants, continues council house sales despite the efforts of John Prescott to end them, and maintains some of the best council housing stock in the country through high levels of investment supported by capital receipts from those sales.
Posted by: Victoria Street | April 27, 2006 at 16:43
How about Grant Shapps? Has proved that strong local campaigns will be effective. Has served the Conservative Party well, and simultaneously done much for drawing attention to the issues that matter in local areas.
(Don't know if that's exactly the kind of nominee you were after, but in the absence of direction...)
Posted by: Louise | April 27, 2006 at 16:51
Hmm, its a darn sight easier to make a list of councils and councillors who should definetly not be on the list!
I guess my local MP, Jim Paice has done a better job than most on raising awareness on farming issues, and bringing attention to the payments fiasco, although calling him a 'hero' might be stretching it a bit, when he's just doing his job.
Also the Taxpayers alliance is doing a good job of trying to educate the public that the big government input=output approach to government is somewhat flawed. The public seem to be finally cottoning on to the fact its now probably doubtful Labour has delivered value for money on health
However, If theres any crusader out there that i dont know about campaigning fearlessly for greater transparency in Party funding without advocating state funding then my votes with them.
Posted by: PassingThru | April 27, 2006 at 16:55
In fact any of those ideas i just listed would have been more relevant yesterday. Apologies. Most of the local decision makers i know of seem to be fairly dire.
Posted by: PassingThru | April 27, 2006 at 17:00
This is suprising. For a grass-roots blog, I'm disappointed there aren't more grass-roots nominations. Of course there a local heroes out there who deserve recognition, and the lack of nominations should not be taken as a lack of justification for this category.
I'm sure any of the local operatives above are worthy, but you might also consider John Strafford.
He has campaigned for Conservative Democracy for over a decade, organises regular conferences on the matter (John Redwood speaking at the next), and was a key player in the retention of one-member-one-vote in the leadership election.
Posted by: TT | April 27, 2006 at 22:12
Sandy Bruce-Lockhart - showed real innovation & vision when leader of Kent CC
Posted by: Simon C | April 27, 2006 at 22:20
The trouble is the frame of reference provided by the Editor above is too narrow - it seems to be defined as local political campaigning based (if that makes sense) rather than local issues based. My idea of a local hero would be Ray Lewis, but I'm not sure he fits into the given frame of reference.
Posted by: Daniel Vince-Archer | April 27, 2006 at 22:20
I nominate Cllr Simon Rouse, the first Conservative to be elected to Tower Hamlets Council.
As branch chairman on the Isle of Dogs he oversaw the engagement campaign which led to the local Conservatives establishing links with many community groups; as candidate in a by-election in Sept 2004 he spear-headed the campaign which achieved a historic Tory win; and as Group Leader he has inspired an inventive and vigorous campaign which is on course for significant and sweeping Conservative wins in an inner-city borough.
Posted by: William Norton | April 28, 2006 at 00:51
I nominate Cllr John Williams of Taunton Deane Borough Council. Reason: for leading a council that has received an excellent status award, continues to increase its efforts for better recylcing of household waste, managing to raise taxes by only 0.5% above inflation where other councils are far higher, and taking extremely difficult decisions under difficult circumstances.
Posted by: Chris Palmer | May 18, 2006 at 22:25
Oh, Sandy Bruce-Lockhart. Thats not a bad option at all... His work for the LGA has been top-notch. Im annoyed that I couldnt meet him in Canterbury at the Univeristy of Kent, but Ill get over it...eventually!
Posted by: James Maskell | May 18, 2006 at 22:49