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Will Chris Grayling be monitoring the Conservative Party's record at delivery? Here is my scorecard:

+ Leave EPP within months. NOT DELIVERED. Running three years behind schedule. Some think it will never be delivered.
+ Achieve 50/50 balance of candidates. BEHIND SCHEDULE. Only 30% of candidates selected are women.
+ Select London Mayoral candidate by open primary. BEHIND SCHEDULE by at least six months....

Oh dear, oh dear. Now we have a 'Delivery Tsar'.

I think that we should realise that most people in Britain are all too well aware of NuLab's failures. Further resource devoted to exposing them is probably futile.

What the voter lacks, however, is any indication of how the Tories would be DIFFERENT. Until we tell them that, simply slagging off NuLab is pretty pointless and straight back to the "Punch and Judy" politics that a certain leader promised he'd get us away from. (DC breaking a campaign promise? Surely never, not that nice Mr. Cameron).

Rather than have a 'Delivery Tsar', why not appoint a 'Policy Tsar' who can monitor OUR failure to put out a coherent set of policies on Tax, Immigration, Welfare Reform, EU reform etc that the voters can compare us to NuLab on?

It's no longer a social stigma to be a Conservative, which is a step forward. But when I am asked what a future Conservative Governement would DO if elected, I'd love to be able to quote some promises of our own.

I think the initiative is brilliant.

I am fed up with New Labour stealing the headlines with Conservative policies but then not implementing them - usually because they have no concept of the underlying principles that are needed to make them work or because of inept management.
We need to clearly lay out what they have proposed to do and have not; some people still believe that if they said it it must be done/true.

Will the initial dossier be avaiable via ConservativeHome?

Is this part of phase 2- now we oppose - that will lead to phase 3 - proposing policies to tackle the deficiencies? We do need to get to Phase 3 soon.

Nigel, we've had 10 years (almost) to get to your promised land of 'Stage 3'. Why aren't we there now? NuLab's failures are well enough documented already.

The initiative is indeed 'brilliant', but who is assessing the delivery performance of the delivery tsar?

LOL, indeed Nasim. Who watchs the watchmen?

Shouldnt the Party already be aware of failed promises made by Labour? Weve used this form of campaigning since it began. We use it in our campaigning material for goodness sake!

Sorry but this is a waste of time and resources, both of which we are rather short of. We should already be very much aware of the promises made by Labour and how it has not kept them. Why do we need to spend more resources on finding out stuff that we should be able to find out through Parliament? Parliamentary question time and written questions arent just for show...

Is this why us members are being asked to hand over an extra 10 pounds per member? For those of us progressing from youth membership fees to full paying status this year, despite being strictly speaking a CF member, (whoever becomes Chair, sort that clear contradiction out!) our membership fees go up from 3 pounds a year to 25 pounds a year! If this is what we are paying for then I want a refund!

Grayling already has a role as Shadow Transport. He doesnt need another role. If hes not busy enough with his role as Shadow Transport and he feels he can fit in an extra job, then hes simply not trying hard enough in his role as Shadow Transport Sec.

Good idea if it crystallises for the public and not just for the in crowd what the party has been doing all too quietly. Shout a bit.

I am with Nigel C on this and a bit depressed by Jon White's comments.

"I think that we should realise that most people in Britain are all too well aware of NuLab's failures. Further resource devoted to exposing them is probably futile"
Great, and I thought our failure to be an effective opposition has been one of the most common criticisms levelled at the party in recent years.

"Rather than have a 'Delivery Tsar', why not appoint a 'Policy Tsar' who can monitor OUR failure to put out a coherent set of policies on Tax, Immigration, Welfare Reform, EU reform etc that the voters can compare us to NuLab on? I think we have had a very effective Policy Tsar over the last 10 years, you might have missed it because it went by the name of the British voting public!


... but can't find this on the party website under press releases, news or news headlines. Fingers out, please.
What on earth does that Tamzin Lightwater DO all day?

Chris D @23.47:

" I thought our failure to be an effective opposition has been one of the most common criticisms levelled at the party in recent years"

It has. Effective opposition however means giving the voting public alternative policies that they can judge, not simply pointing out the mistakes of the shower that are in now.

Grayling already has a role as Shadow Transport. He doesnt need another role. If hes not busy enough with his role as Shadow Transport and he feels he can fit in an extra job, then hes simply not trying hard enough in his role as Shadow Transport Sec.

Don't worry James, it's a role similar to that of chairing a committee. He'll be overseeing the process but that doesn't mean he will be personally scouring the newspapers and conference speeches!

I am happy to wait for new policies until nearer the election so NuLab don't steal them and then discredit the ideas by poor ill conceived implementation.

The in crowd may know NuLab's failing but the man on the street does not

I hope the Conservatives will support Stephen Byers new initiative on IHT..............it is good that New Labour is developing interesting policies

New Labour is talking about tax. Two cheers for them.

Now let's see our own Shadow Ministers stop runing scared and let rip with the raw meat we've been waiting for.

Tax cuts fuel prosperity. People spend their own money more wisely than the state.

Let's say it loud and proud and let's hear David Cameron shouting it from the rooftops.

George Osborne supported a flat inclome tax. Let's hear it again.

Less bunny-hugging. More genuine Tory policies for a prosperous future!

After reading thre update I have one question...how much did it cost the Conservative Party to do that? We already know about Labours broken promises. Weve been banging on about it all the time. This isnt new or innovative...whats the point?

Hi James nice to see you here. Didn't you used to post as Kenyan Lion on Conservative groups?

I don't know about you but I think we have a very real chance of success with David Cameron. I just feel he is being held back by certain negative elements in his own shadow cabinet.

Hi James nice to see you here. Didn't you used to post as Kenyan Lion on Conservative groups?

I don't know about you but I think we have a very real chance of success with David Cameron. I just feel he is being held back by certain negative elements in his own shadow cabinet.

It is never difficult to determine what the NuLab story of the week is, every Sunday since 1 May 1997 the Press Release has been read out verbatim on Radio 4 at 6.00am on the dot. Although there is more than a tendency for this to happen every day this is the only time when there is no editorial intervention.

So, what do our front bench do about it ?

Sweet FA - for over NINE years !

I am glad to see Chris Grayling doing this job - if he intends actually to do it. I hope it isn't just a NuCon press statment with no more follow-up than the bogus stories he is meant to be following up himself.

BTW - its a good job we have Iain Dale. The "shadow cabinet" seems to have taken a collective vow of silence. Or is it just that the great and good can't be a***d to get up at 6.00am on Sundays ?

I hope it isn't just a NuCon press statment with no more follow-up

It would certainly be a huge irony if this was the case, but I see no reason not to be optimistic about this initiative.

This is an excellent idea and for one reason that excapes anyone who follows politics as a matter of course.

Many of us here obviously know all this but the electorate doesn't!

When labour have said they are going to do something so many people believe that it equates to it having been done. What needs to happen is to point out all the things which people behave erroneously, when the emperor is shown to have no clothes then it is easier to usurp them.

The Yahoo Conservative Groups, yes. That was a fair number of years ago though. In fact it would have been about five years ago. I try to repress the memories of Yahoo Groups, but its just not working. I put it down to youthful exuberance...

Im afraid as one of the right wing nutters, I dont really agree with you. Im quite worried about our chances.

It has the potential to be a good initiative, they are all important issues and to highlight Labour's failure is important, however the electorate would also like to, and indeed should, be told what we would do.......assuming we know what we would do, that is!

I, myself, do not believe that we will win the next General Election, outright, by merely emphasising Labour's failings. Voters are aware of many of those failings, now seeing them for themselves in their everyday lives, however their attitude I'm sure is that unless the Conservatives can put forward convincing policies to improve the problems, there is little point in changing, it is the "better the devil you know" syndrome.

There are worries, certainly, and I share your belief that this mini-manifesto is not good enough.

Immigration is a key issue - that's been discussed elsewhere - but first and foremost we must proclaim our belief in a low tax economy.

Is there anybody here who doesn't agree with that?

Having read the BBC story link, I'm not sure how much work Grayling actually intends to do on this. I hope it's not too much because like other commenters, I think most people already know quite enough about this hopeless government's record of broken promises. The Party's challenge is to put up that compelling alternative.

I completely agree with the Dep Ed's comment that this looks like an ideal blogger job.

The belief that the majority of the voting public are aware of the success or failure of political initiatives is naive, to say the least.

At a by-election a fortnight ago, vast swathes of forests were sacrificed by at least 3 of the candidates, leafletting the Ward by the thousand upon thousand. There was also at least one loudspeaker van cruising all day.

At around 8.30pm, during the knock-up, at least 4 electors said 'oh, we didn't know there was an election on, yes, we'll come and vote, we always do!'.

What I find really exciting about Cameron is that I think that for the first time the Tories may be able to break away from what is nowadays called the "Neocon" element.

There's nothing new about Neoconism. The name may be new but the party has been in thrall to this overseas-orientated element for years.

It's time to break away and join the human race, and DC could be just the man to make it happen.

As I posted earlier, I think that this is a good idea, I like the idea of blogger's getting involved.
Also think we need to highlight reports/figures which the government like to slip out when the media is being dominated by a big story.
Just remember the Defence committee report a couple of weeks ago! Journalists were too busy being dazzled by John Reid talking tough on terrorism. Did anyone ask him about his failure as Defence minister to deliver for our armed services fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. These men are in immediate danger and must be given the best protection when carrying out their duty. John Reid can talk tough, I just wish that our soldiers equipment was tougher!

The Minister for Defence accepts that there are weaknesses with the supply of equipment to the Armed Forces and is working with (A) and (B) in order to meet those needs. The Government supports the British Armed Forces and is doing everything it can to provide all the equipment that the forces require."

Boom, nice and easy. The story ends there... Its not a perfect statement but you get the gist.

James@21:46, Never seems to be any sign of weakness in a NuLabour minister's ability to grab the headlines/find a TV crew when a policy is announced. It's amazing how a report into delivery of much heralded initiatives can be announced by a simple statement, when the media aren't looking of course. Gordon Brown has an amazing ability to disappear from view for long periods of time, ever seen him comment on the Tax credits fiasco?

When the Home Office is under siege with bad headlines about incompetence "its not fit for purpose".
When the security forces foil a terrorist attack, John Reid has a "good week"! You could not make it up.
But I suppose that John Reid is luckier than most minister's, he never stays around long enough to take the blame for his management weaknesses.
When John Reid deployed the extra troops to Afghanistan it made the headlines. But when the defence committee say the operation is being run on a "shoestring" alarm bells should be ringing. The situation is getting worse and I want to know if adequate resources are being made available to match the demands being faced by our soldiers both there and in Iraq.
I mean with the amount of military operations this government has mounted, they should be getting bloody good at delivery of the appropriate vital equipment and supplies needed.
If they are still not getting it right then they are not delivering for our soldiers!

Anyone else remeber Labour's Euro Roadshow? The wheels soon came off that one...

How naive.
No-one expects a politician to keep a pledge or promise.
We understand that it is rhetoric.
But you will be hoist by your own petard doing this. This is a Pandora's box.

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