Nominations for Environmental Champion

Today is day ten of the nominations process and this tenth award - for an environmental champion within the conservative movement - illustrates the evolving priorities of the party and movement.  Yesterday we sought nominations for a taxcutter.  Tomorrow it will be for a patriot and on Friday it'll be our compassionate conservatism award.

This award could recognise a politician who has championed the environment...or a local council... or a green-minded think tank.

When you make your nomination please remember to add a citation of not more than thirty words explaining your suggestion.

Comments

[Chad]

My nomination will probably cause a few heart-attacks of shock, but you surely have to nominate Cameron for putting the environment high on the agenda.

Whether it is Cameron who promises real, effective proposals or not, it doesn't matter if Cameron himself is being superficial as the net result has been all parties seeking to flex their green credentials which can only be a good thing.

[Suggestion]

I nominate Oliver Letwin, because of his important work with LibDem MP Norman Baker. His foresight is to perceive that the environment is too serious for party politics and we should seek common ground wherever possible.

The electorate demands this sort of seriousness from politicians on this issue and hates to see point scoring on something so vital.

The Rt. Hon. Oliver Letwin MP gets my vote for this one!

[Andrew Woodman]

I would go for David Cameron on this one as he's made the running on the issue since he was elected leader. Others to consider are Oliver Letwin and Zac Goldsmith.

[James Maskell]

Tories at that level of the Party should not go up for this award. The environmental policy is to prioritise greenfield land for housebuilding, in complete contrast to the environmental policy of saving the environment.

[Suggestion]

It certainly is not. It is to build carefully and enhance the environment at the same time. Think Poundfield in Dorset, think 'Woods and Homes' as recently suggested by a think tank.

[Suggestion]

Even Country Life recently had low cost housing on its cover, showing what can be done in the country that is both cost-effective and beautiful.

[Hmmmm]

Okay yah! How can you think about anyone other than the totally yummy Zakky GOLDSMITH!!! He's just soooo dishy, especially when he gets his wallet out, and he just got so much, well, integrity man...a lifelong supporter of..err...the party of course. He's a mega rich guy with a heart, who cares about bunnies n stuff, and he's so CUTE!! I dont really understand half of what he says, but there again neither does he, and who cares....floreat Etona I say, especially for rich, cute, rich ZAKKY!! Yah!!

[Jonathan Sheppard]

Nomination for Steve Hilton

Steve Hilton, one of DCs closest advisers is instumental in getting the environment back on the agenda. Without doubt one of the biggest influences on Conservative policy at the moment.

[James Maskell]

Look at Camerons speeches on the environment. He says that the priority should be for greenfield sites not brownfield sites.

[Annabel Herriott]

David Cameron, for raising the profile of the environment.

[Chad]

Nomination for Steve Hilton
Surely not. Hilton will surely be working purely on an electoral strategy basis not with any particular concern for the environment.

Although Cameron might simply be following that (and probably is), I nominated him because however superficial it might be, as leader of the opposition, he has kicked the other parties into action.

[Jonathan Sheppard]

Chad

Steve Hiltons CSR credentials lead me to believe he is a big influence over policy and one of the reasons DC recognises the importance of the environment, and has taken a lead in campaigning on the issue.

I could be wrong....

I remember on this site Tim asked who were Camerons closest advisers and I suggested Steve Hilton. It later came out how much (true I dont know) Mr Hilton is paid. I think that shows just how important he is in the Cameron team.

[Chad]

I totally agree. However, is he paid as an environmental advisor (in which case what are his credentials for this role) or as an electoral strategist?

My point was that raising the environment is a good electoral strategy, but it does not make him an environmental campaigner.

[Chad]

What, my one? ;-)

[James Maskell]

No the one named Steve Hilton...

[Jonathan Sheppard]

No Chad - yours would be too intelligent to have come from me:o)

I still stick with my nomination as I think without SH there wouldnt even be a Conservative environmental campaign.

Now if only I could get him on Tory Radio!

[Editor]

If you're confused... the 09.11 comment from Jonathan Sheppard was accidentally posted by JS as being from Steve Hilton. I've corrected it.

[Chad]

I did realise, but was just pulling Jonathan's leg. But now it has been corrected so this all looks a bit mad and will probably be deleted too. So there.

[Selsdon Man]

I would Steve Milloy at junkscience.com and Fred Smith at the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

[Green Sceptic]

I nominate Julian Morris of the International Policy Network for talking some sense about the environment and deflating the over the top claims made by some environmentalists. Alternatively, why not Bjorn Lomborg or Richard D. North (By the way Richard D. North's book "Rich is Beautiful" is a fantastic antidote to the current obsession - by the likes of Alain de Botton, Oliver James, Layard and a new BBC Radio 4 series - that we are all getting miserable because we are getting richer, so called Affluenza.

[Green Scaptic]

Or we could have Prof. Philip Stott for his blog Envirospin Watch (greenspin.blogspot.com) and his numerous Radio 4 appearances

[Patsy Sergeant]

I second David Cameron's nomination as environmental champion, after all ever since he was elected Leader of the Tory Party, he has worked hard to bring MORE environmental awareness to the average person in the street, and probably successfully.

[Daniel Vince-Archer]

For similar reasons to my 'taxcutter' nomination for David Davis, I guess it would have to be David Cameron in this category.

[Henry Whitmarsh]

I know I should nominate David Cameron, but only for the mature way in which he stood up to Humphreys on the Today programme. Having a wind turbine on your house is one thing, but as leader of the opposition he's shown willingness to expend some real political capital to address a serious issue which was previously thought to be "hands off" for Conservatives.

[VT Dasgupta]

I nominate Boris Johnson, for cycling even before cameron.

[Will]

Yes, Boris Johnson - for his tireless work pushing friction as a power source, and his continuing experiments to find an effective way to harness it.

[scepticofeurope]

Julian Morris? Oh come off it. IPN just promotes a few corporate interests. It has been totally discredited.