London Tories still prefer Thatcher to Cameron...

...but target voters prefer Cameron.

That's a footnote finding in yesterday's YouGov poll for the London Evening Standard.  Make of it what you will but I found this on Anthony Wells' indispensable UK Polling Report:

"YouGov asked people if they would prefer David Cameron as Conservative leader to Margaret Thatcher as she was in the 1980s. Overall David Cameron came out on top, the first choice of 34% compared to 24% for the 1980s version of Thatcher. Amonst London Labour and Lib Dem voters the preference was strongly for Cameron, amongst London Tories ther ewas still a yearning for the Mrs T of old - 1980s Mrs Thatcher was the choice of 46% compared to 42% for Cameron."

Comments

[edmund]

says a lot how much Tories still love Thathcer given that Cameroun is at the moment so popular

I wonder waht the figures would be in the rest of the country-my gut feeling at least among Tories is that Thatcher would do better

[Matt Davis]

It's just a shame that in the wake of the New Labour experience perceived wisdom now is that it is the political parties that have to change to please the leader writers of the Independent and not that the parties exist to change the minds of the electorate.

[Old Hack]

Why does there have to be a contest? Cameron should be able to define himself and his mission without reference to, of repudiation of Baroness Thatcher.

He has been leader long enough now to perhaps grap that no every call and decision you make as Leader is easy. Why second guess Mrs T?

Britain was in a much worse position when she become Leader than when she left office, and the world was a safer place. Can't Dave be grown up enough to acknowledge those facts and then get on with the job?

What Margaret did in the 80's is virtually irrelevant to the challenges facing the UK today. She is no threat to Dave and he has little to gain (and maybe more to lose) by denouncing her.

[Tony Barton]

There's no comparison at all.

Baroness Thatcher is one of the great statespeople of our age. History will remember her as a truly great leader who forged her party into a winning team.

Cameron is a preening pipsqueak, ultimately destined for oblivion.

[Andrew Woodman]

What a strange question to ask. It's like comparing footballers or racehorses in different eras. It can't be done. Circumstances and techniques have moved on.

[Malvolio]

Actually Tony, David has the capability to be a leader of distinction. A kind of "son of Thatcher" if you like.

That's why I have always supported him.

What we need to do is to detach him from the Wets and other "Bluelabour" elements who have come out of the woodwork lately and reattach him firmly to the Conservative Freedom bandwagon.

In other words we need to hear more from Redwood, Whittingdale and others committed to a Freedom Agenda and less from the likes of Stephen Dorrell who produced the reactionary policy review report on public services.

Dorrell is one of yesterday's men, a former leading light in the wet-left Tory Reform Group.

Which really says it all.

[Matt Davis]

Malvolio could you please explain how it is going to be possible to detach Cameron from the New Labour with a blue rosette brigade who are currently dominating his thinking and direction?

[Will T Power aka The Orator]

As an Aussie my observations tell me that there is London, and there is England and never the twain shall meet. The Tories did well in London under Micheal Howard. The extra London votes we get by becoming the Lib Dems (India over the US, what a joke) will not make up for the votes we lose everywhere else. Dont forget in the recent (country-wide) ranking of PMs Thatcher was voted numero uno.

The New Tories are determined to show through polls that they are in touch with public opinion. I would rather they were in touch with reality - the reality of the threats we face and the need to stand firm. These polls show that the one person who is in touch with reality is in touch with the people, John Ried.

[Justin Hinchcliffe]

Old Hack is so right!

[Jonathan M Scott]

A few posts here are less than complimentary to Cameron.

However, the historical fact is that Margaret Thatcher was a surprise winner of a leadership contest, and wasn't that highly rated initially...

... until, that is, she won the 1979 general election and gained popularity with the right to buy, Falklands etc.

Some historical parallels - except that target voters really like Cameron. They didn't think much of his predecessors.

Good omen for the next general election I think.

[Jack Stone]

People on this site really take the biscuit sometimes fot re-writing articles and polls to suit there own opinion.
The poll actually says that Labour with Reid in charge would actually lose to a Cameron lead Conservative which I think gives a good indication who is actually in tune with public opinion

[James Maskell]

Between Thatcher and Cameron, I have absolutely no doubt in calling Thatcher the winner. Camerons got nothing on her.

[Sean Fear]

Given that Cameron is repudiating so much of what we've stood for over the past 30 years, I think it's safe to say he'd be no Thatcher in office.

[G-MaN Wild]

Well I dont think one can judge James. For a start Cameron hasnt even been Prime Minister yet.

[George Hinton]

Not surprising really when you have that prize tosser, Livingstone in charge of the London Assembly.
No doubt, i like many, recall the election that saw Red Ken sieze power in an overnight putsch from the elected incumbent Mackintosh. That was a fatal moment for the old GLC and Londoners generally, who saw a policy of absolute lunatic proportions. Left wing schemes and social re-engineering saw our rates sky rocket and ordinary people become marginalised in the face of the beginings of PC.
I'm still not sure what Dave stands for, but their was no mistaking the policies of Margaret Thatcher, clear, positive and enounced with conviction.
Perhaps Dave can take some lessons and improve his image, or he will lose votes to UKIP with their single issue of exiting the EU which finds support across all party barriers, no matter what the politico's say.

[Malvolio]

The poll actually says that Labour with Reid in charge would actually lose to a Cameron lead Conservative which I think gives a good indication who is actually in tune with public opinion

Maybe we should have a poll on how the Tories would do with Jack Stone in charge, or at any rate somebody with his nutty "bluelabour" views.

Somewhere a long way behind the BNP and Respect, I would imagine.

[Malvolio]

As an Aussie my observations tell me that there is London, and there is England and never the twain shall meet

Too true Will.

BTW it's called "Londonistan" these days.

[David Sergeant]

Just thought I'd make the point that Thatcher won in 1979 without promising tax cuts and promptly put up taxes. I guess that the same people blogging about how good Thatcher was against Caneron also blog on about how Cameron should promise tax cuts. Thatcher knew how to win elections and face down suicidal party hacks, I suspect Cameron can as well, hence, he will win.

[Jon Gale]

"Given that Cameron is repudiating so much of what we've stood for over the past 30 years"

Like what? Does he oppose strong law & order? - No, wants to build more prisons and create a border force, Homeland security minister.

Not promising specific tax cuts? -"sharing the proceeds of growth between public services and tax cuts" does indicate tax cuts at some point. And BtL promises flatter, fair, simpler taxes.

Scrapping the Patients Passport? Talking about the environment? Opposing unlimited immigration from Romania and Bulgaria perhaps? Deregulation? Not promising to build a load of new Grammar schools - who was the last leader to do that?

[Jarod Weaver]

The big difference between Mrs T and DC, is that Mrs T did what she believed in, (i.e Conservatism!) And she followed it through, come what may. Whereas DC is a man of platitudes, soundbites and love me, love me, tieless interviews, windmill on his house, red dot on his forehead in "mumbai". The man is a fake, he is not a Conservative and anyone who had the slightest hint of respect for Lady Thatcher, keith Joseph and Lord Tebbitt and the wonderful things they did for this country, should dump this prat and his cohorts, (Letwin, Maude, May et-al) These people aren't Tories they are trend followers. god help the party I used to love. I have no party now.

[Jarod Weaver]

I've just seen a blogger with the title "make socialism history". If I had a blog called "Make Cameron history", It would be the same site with a different name?

[James Maskell]

I have a bias for Thatcher having been born and having my formative years under her leadership. I started school under Major (I started at the end of the first year) and became politically active and aware under Blair. Under Cameron and Howard Ive become truly aware of what is happening to the world, thus why Cameron gets a hard deal by me.

The problem I find is that Cameron wont even explain the intellectual case behind what he is announcing. When Thatcher said something there was a key theoretical foundation below what was being planned which gave it a lot more credibility. Of course it meant opinion became more polarized due to it, but on key issues polarization happens anyway.

What is the key theoretical foundation upon which these announcements are being made...what is the thinking and logic behind it?

[Og]

What a bloody silly question to ask. I'm disappointed that most respondents didn't tell YouGov to go away and think of something more worthwhile.

[Kristian Shanks]

It's a bit of a stupid question seen as one of those names led the party to three enormous election victories, turned the country around from the total mess it was in 1979 to the far more tranquil and prosperous it is today, and was leader of the party for 15 years, whereas the other has only been in power for 9 months and hasn't even had to fight a General Election yet.

How popular was Thatcher amongst Tories in November 1975 after she'd been leader for 9 months? That would be a more worthwhile comparison than this nonsense.

[Arhin Gamel]

Families have been distroyed by Labour. It's almost 2 years now, I have never seen my children, nor know where they live. My wife took 4 children away because she said, she was advised and promised by the social services that if she divorce and live as a single mother, she will be given a big house and get a lot of benefits from the state. Several times she asked me to leave the house so that she can claim benefits, during a deliveries in the hospitals, she also told me she wanted to tell them that she is single just to claime benfits as a single mother. I refused in all these occasions and because of that, I was treathend several times with the police, and thrown out of my house all for the sake of the benefit system.

Finally, she took all the children away and told the police not to let me know where she lives. The children has been calling want to see me but she refused that if she allowed me to see the children, her benefits will be stopped.

This is very common thing in the country especially women brought to this country and knowing that the system favours women more than men.

I'm not only in this but many men who has become victems of the benefit system and the unfair law of this country against men.

I will be verygrateful and over the moon to be invited by David Cameroun (The Tory Leader). I have a lot to tell him which will help him in his campaign against the labour party.

There are many men I know whose houses has been taking away and they are refused to see their children because of the benefit system. Some of the men are seeing counsellors for help now. Some died with heart attack.

Please, we will vote for you David, do something in this area because many children are soffering.
and have never seen the

I have never voted Conservative but have been dispointed by labour to the extend that, not only would I vote for Conservatives but would campaign for the party to win.