Hague and Osborne bounce back in latest ConservativeHome survey

Processing snags associated with the new software underpinning the ConservativeHome Members' Panel means the latest results are only being published today.  November's questions - all focusing on David Cameron's first year as Tory leader - will go into the field next week and will be turned around at the usual speed.

The latest overall results are bullet-pointed below:

• Satisfaction with David Cameron rose slightly to 76% and dissatisfaction fell by a similar amount (by 3% to 24%).  The net satisfaction rating of 52% is the best for three months.
• Both William Hague and George Osborne saw strong increases in their standing.  William Hague's rating (+70%) is still below top-ranked David Davis (+84%) but he has reversed some of the slippage that followed his management of the delay to EPP exit and his criticism of Israel's response to the Lebanon crisis.  George Osborne's rating (+50%) is the highest since March.  Both Hague and Osborne may have been boosted by strong party conference speech performances.
• Andrew Lansley appears to be benefiting from the extra exposure that Tory health policy has gained since the party conference.  Members are seeing more of Andrew Lansley and are liking what they see.  His rating of +33% sees him better education spokesman David Willetts (+31%) for the first time in this series.  Only this week Mr Lansley was leading the Tory charge against Labour's failure to end mixed-sex wards.
• Other rankings: Francis Maude +7% (who benefited from a flattering blog post by Watlington this week); Theresa May +9%; Oliver Letwin +18%; Caroline Spelman +25%; and Liam Fox +51%.

Comments

[Olly Lloyd]

George Osborne has definitely had a great month. His government transparency bill, his internet and politics speech, and the personal debt policies - all excellent contributions to the political debate.

[Cllr Green (Rep-Kent)]

Wait for it......just wait for it.....
The naysayers and nattering nabobs of negativity will be here shortly, saying that Cameron should be up higher....that Osborne should be up more because of all the exposure he's recieved. Just wait for all the criticism that "he's not up enough."
Just you wait....

[TFA Tory]

Watlington brown-nosing of Maude was amazing. He must have applied for candidates list.

As for Mr Osborne, the activists will take a dim view of the "Tory tosser".

[David Belchamber]

Having criticised Osborne in the past, I am delighted to see him turning into a much more substantial performer. His voice has improved and so too has the content of his speeches and articles.
In last Wednesday's Telegraph he wrote:
"We are developing a tax policy that puts stability first, simplifies taxes and reduces them when we can".
It is the final bit that is encouraginp[articularly

[James Maskell]

Cllr Green clearly doesnt like debate. Heaven forbid that we might disagree on this site...

[Matt Davis]

The figures I'd like to see are how many people have left the party in the last three months and how many have joined.I suspect that there will be a net gain in membership but it would be very interesting to see the actual numbers, especially if broken down geographically. Do CCHQ have the courage to tell us?

[Maisie Martin]

Do CCHQ have the courage to tell us? That's optimistic Matt! Do CCHQ Know? CCHQ membership department is a shambles.

[Jamie Oliver's Sausage]

>>Francis Maude +7% (who benefited from a flattering blog post by Watlington this week)<<

I've just followed this link to the said piece of "brown-nosing"

Would somebody care to tell us who "Watlington" is, why anybody should have heard of him/her, and why anybody would want to pay the least attention to his/her vacuous opinions?

[Carl Silverwood]

Given that the people surveyed could only have been either satisfied or dissatisfied with David Cameron, by whatever margin satisfaction has risen, dissatisfaction must surely have fallen by an identical, not similar, amount, else the total percentage would be more or less than 100%, which is logically impossible.

[Editor]

There are a very small number of 'don't knows', Carl.

[Dontmakemelaugh]

Wait for it......just wait for it.....
The naysayers and nattering nabobs of negativity will be here shortly, saying that Cameron should be up higher....that Osborne should be up more because of all the exposure he's recieved. Just wait for all the criticism that "he's not up enough."
Just you wait....

Posted by: Cllr Green (Rep-Kent) | November 25, 2006 at 08:42

I think we have waited long enough........ speaking as a naysayer and nabob let me draw your attention to UKIP, The English Democratic Party and last but not least BNP. Worrying, isn't it?

[houndtang]

Of course Mr Hague and Mr Osborne are doing well, all men want to be them and all women want to be with them.

[Ted]

James @12.13
Don't think Cllr Green was saying anything about debate but recognising the truth of many posts. CHome was a better site for debate last year than it is today. The level of so called debate on social justice - with most posters relying on their take on second hand spun opinion, having not read either the original paper or DCs speech - was poor.

[matt wright]

This confirms what some of us have been saying for a long time ie that the vast majority of Conservatives support DCs approach and that there is a highly negative minority who repeatedly post on some of the threads on this site largely with the express intention of disrupting the party.

Matt

[Cllr Green (rep-Kent)]

Thanks Ted (20.20) you got it pretty much right. It was also meant to be a spin on people who leap at any opportunity (no matter how vacuous) to criticize DC and company.
Lets face facts...for the first time in a very long time, People prefer the tories to the nuLab group. Credit where credit is due!!

[disillusioned activist]

How interesting it is to read that, now more people are seeing through Cameron and saying so on these threads ,his supporters jump up and down complaining that' the 'standard of debate has dropped.' No it's the standards of the Party that have dropped and are still doing so

I was also intrigued by the term 'nattering nabob of negativity' as used by the Councillor. Great alliteration but meaningless in the context. We may now live in the Far East but we and others like us are certainly not nabobs

One definition of a 'nabob' is a retired very wealthy) person employed by the East India Company ~ particularly between 1757 and 1772. Somehow, I don't think there are too many of these people still around to post on CH.

Another meaning is 'any ostenationaly wealthy person'...Surely this description applies more to someone who has always had everything handed to him on a plate, rather than a middle class critic of that person

btw matt ~ how do you know that 'the majority of Conservatives support DC's approach?' Have you asked every party member or those who usually vote Conservatve? Read the comments on the Mail in line, for example. I know in some quarters ,it's fashionable to sneer at the Mail and its middle England readership but if these votes re lost then Cameron need nit think about ever moving to no 10.

I care about freedom of speech and that is why I think cameron et al SHOULD be criticised. Would you rather we lived in a State like North Korea where no critisism of the Dear Leader is tolerated?
I, for one, am exteremly unhappy with the current leadership and its attitudes and shall continues to say so. After Toynbee and the vulgarity of the 'tossers' piece~patronising to the young, who without the benefit of wealthy daddies or friends in the right places are struggling to make a start in life; vulgar crude to the rest of us~ the final straw is not too far off for me.

[disillusioned activist]

oops ...i meant to type 'ostentatiously' and 'not'

[Cllr Green(rep-Kent)]

I'd refer Disillusioned to the leadership campaign in which DC slaughtered DD. Cameron was entirely forthcoming as to what he proposed. The conservative party voted to install Cameron by a large margin, ergo, he enjoys their support.
And btw, I was quoting the "nabob" from Reagan (i think it was reagan)

[TomTom]

I was quoting the "nabob" from Reagan (i think it was reagan)

understandable with you being such a "reaganfan"

[Tory Loyalist]

I doubt very much whether Cameron would slaughter anybody if he were standing now, nothwithstanding the views of his obedient cheerleaders such as Messrs Davis and Green (is his first name really Cllr?)

Here's a report of a discussion last week between an unattached former senior local Tory turned UKIP now disillusioned with both, and the Chairwoman of the constituency association of a very prominent shadow cabinet member.

I have deleted the name of the MP purely to give the chairwoman some protection against vindictive Cameroons.

I had a laugh today. I went to the local dump and met the local Tory Chairman. She said she had attended the Conservative dinner in the neighbouring Village where ***** was speaking. She said "One of your members arrived the worse for drink and attacked **** , his pockets were full of UKIP leaflets. Later he jumped on the stage and started ranting and raving.

I was in fits. I told her I was no longer involved with UKIP, but she could forget about me joining the Tories whilst that prat Cameron was in charge.

She told me she was very disappointed with Cameron for whom she had voted, he was very weak. I told her to get rid of him before he destroyed the country. I said "I suppose you've heard the latest" No. "Well Cameron is telling people to ditch Churchill and adopt Toynbee". She nearly had a fit.

I don't think I've laughed so much for ages.

[matt wright]

Re: the above story as "I had a laugh today..... she nearly had a fit".

Why anyone would think this funny or clever is beyond me. There have always been a minority of whingers in Associations who drift in and out of oprganisations or find fault rather than do anything.

As to Cameron supposedly saying "ditch Churchill" etc this is complete rubbish as the poster knows and is yet again an example of the way some on this site distort and exaggerate debates for their own ends,

Matt

[Tory Loyalist]

For your information, Matt, the author of the passage in italics was a member of the Canservative Party for 40 years and a former officer of the same association as the woman to whom she was talking, who is the current Chairman.

Hardly the "whinging drifters" of your imagination.

If senior local members who supported Cameron last year are now disillusioned I think you have something to worry about.

[James Maskell]

The speech by Cameron didnt speak enough about helping people to help themselves, which would have helped to keep the more traditional members onside. That was a key part of the Churchill view, through the ladder of opportunity. The speech was purely referring to the State just handing out to the people with them bearing no responsibility for themselves. Its a completely different perspective to Churchill. Ditching Churchill is a valid way of saying it.

[stewart]

I am chairman of my local association. I can tell you that while we welcome the improvement in the opinion poll standings (allegedly) we are very concerned that the public at large are rapidly becoming increasingly Dissillusioned with DC and his project. People are not flocking to join the party and the recent exhortation to badge everything DC's Conservatives has gone down like a lead balloon. This leaves us extremely vulnerable when the brand is damaged as happened to Labour- Have we learnt nothing?

On the other hand there has been great rejoicing at Priti Patels recent comments on Law and Order and the Euro

[James Maskell]

stewart, which part of the country are you in? I dont mean that in an aggressive way, I mean it in a "is it a typical Tory area" kind of way....

[Old Hack]

I think you'll find it was Vice President Spiro Agnew who first coined the phrase 'nattering nabobs of negativism' in 1970.

[Tapestry]

I'm a tosser. Well I must be. I'm in debt to hundreds of thousands. If I wasn't I wouldn't have a house or a business. Debt is also known as leverage. To the question, 'are you a tosser?' I suppose I would reply 'No. I'm leveraged.' or maybe 'highly geared.'

The more people who leverage, the more economic activity and jobs there will be. There's a balance to strike somewhere.

Maybe slogan could be - 'don't borrow for show. borrow to grow.'

[John]

I'm probably one of the last of the Grammar School educated working class. I am right wing with the sympathy for conditions which which some of my relatives have to survive , such that I can understand that poor housing, poor education, drug and drink crime etc are not good, but I get really annoyed when I'm told that it is because of their environment that people become criminal etc. Most of my relatives didn't. If you want to help the working class, get Police on the streets walking the beat, in numbers, day and night. Recruit from the local community, men in their 40's and fifties if reasonably fit, BUT put them out in numbers, then if you catch the criminals, don't hug them, punish them hard. Re-introduce selection and LOWER the school leaving age provided the pupil can pass a basic matriculation exam in English and Maths. I wish Ian Duncan-Smith well, but if you haven't lived on council estates, don't preach to me, and certainly don't give me the garbage that criminals etc are misunderstood - well they are, but they aren't good, suffering bad conditions, they are evil, manipulative liars who care for no one but themselves, and laugh at the stupidity of judges and politicians. Me, I despair of the stupidity of Judges and Politicians. In the past 7 days my 90 year old neighbour had to fight off two burglars, my Wife's handbag was stolen and her car stolen and written off. My vote is up for grabs, I'm fed up of working myself to death to pay taxes, (particularly Council Tax, where I'm robbed legally), but I doubt any Lib-Lab-Con politician will get it. I've no intention of debating anything or even posting here again - this is how I feel, you make of it what you will.

[Cllr. Jeremy Zeid]

At last we are starting to say things that matter to the hard-taxed citizen. Now is the time to state loudly and clearkly that we will AXE a very large percentage of the pointless Quangos, think-tanks, regional assemblies, bodies, committees and even a couple of ministries spring to mind (Culture Media and Sport, DTI, Womens and Children Ministries for a start). Now TAHT would lay the foundation for savings of many billions to allow us to Axe Inheritance Tax and drastically CUT stamp duty on property transactions. No Home Sellers packs, No ID Cards, No Intrusive Databases, No tracking devices in our vehicles. Time to give the country back to it's citizens, not turn it into an open-prison. Oh Yes, and can we please stop harping on about "children" in everything, I detest this emotion blackmail and everything that has turned kids into "I know my rights" monsters. get rid of RIPA, the Civil Contingencies Act, The Human Rights Act. De-Politicise the police, there is no place in Britain for caving in to demands by unelected police chiefs for yet more powers, and that are turning us all into suspects. And last of all, let Councils do the job they were elected for and stop piling ever more responsibilities on them that inevitable costs residents in high Council Tax. Councils should provive core services such as street cleaning, repair, libraries, the BASICS and not become a poorly or unfunded arm of ministries.

[lewis.birt]

Interesting that the delightful lady of Indian extraction was selected as the candidate for the next election over a number of "heavyweights", her subsequent published views were heavily applauded by my family and many friends and colleagues

[Fergus Adams]

In my opinion David Cameron is losing the plot if he thinks Polly Toynbee is a good role model and someone we should all listen to. He simply cannot grasp the fact that the majority of the people he is trying to appeal to will never vote conservative, full stop ! However, what he will acheive in double quick time, is losing my vote and many more besides. It gives me no pleasure at all to predict that come the next election the Scots, Welsh, Northerners, Half-wits, etc will still be voting Labour, and he will have persuaded a good portion of Conservatives to vote elsewhere. Wait and see !

[Tony Williams]

In North Norfolk we are selecting a cadidate. The initial meeting was the biggest cock up since the relief of Mafeking!Hailed as a Big Event it had to be scaled down rapidly. Apparently only 5 applied and one dropped out so we had a choice of 2 A list,and 2 local candidates. The meeting started late - again. We were instructed that we most vote for 3 names - including the 1 woman A lister!Both A listers peformed without inspiration (indeed the woman looked bored as she obviously knew she didn't have to try.
The one local businessman candidate who performed with passion, humour, and committment obviously didn't get through.
Now next week they're inviting the local public to choose our candidate........
I wonder what's on telly that night!

[Tony Williams]

In North Norfolk we are selecting a cadidate. The initial meeting was the biggest cock up since the relief of Mafeking!Hailed as a Big Event it had to be scaled down rapidly. Apparently only 5 applied and one dropped out so we had a choice of 2 A list,and 2 local candidates. The meeting started late - again. We were instructed that we most vote for 3 names - including the 1 woman A lister!Both A listers peformed without inspiration (indeed the woman looked bored as she obviously knew she didn't have to try.
The one local businessman candidate who performed with passion, humour, and committment obviously didn't get through.
Now next week they're inviting the local public to choose our candidate........
I wonder what's on telly that night!

[Grandmother]

I am absoluely in agreement with Tapestry.
This is true, the crooks are uncaring, liars who have no wish to be anything else .
There are young people who need direction, less sex education, a TV which does not idolize crooks, and marital treachery. Any one who has a broken family and so watches TV see only these. ASBOs will not cure the nrgative culture we have developed!

[JOHN PRESTON]

David Cameron and his team are making progress. I think more should be made of facts that work against the current government and its attitude of contempt both for the people and for the truth.
Being in opposition is a tough assignment. A more spirited attempt to defend the Conservative record in the period 1990-97. This applies especially to the state of the economy under Kenneth Clarke. Pity he has been excluded - particularly also for his experience of the EU and sensible attitude to it.

[Stewart]

In response to J Maskell (28 November) I'm not sure what constitutes a typical Tory area.

What you need to understand is that our District council while Conservative controlled was until recently Labour controlled with help from their friends in the Liberals. In the early 1990's we took every seat on the council then lost them all a few years later thanks to John Major, John Gummer and a few other worthies.

Do not underestimate the capacity of the public to see through vacuous attempts to "change" when all the public wants to see is a willingness to say what you mean and then walk the talk. They do not care how many women, ethnic minorities or others are MP's they really don't. All they are interested in is straightforward honest talking people who will make their lives better and leave them to live in peace without interference.

[Roy Seeman]

When are we going to object to the donations totalling BILLIONS of pounds to other countries, when our hospitals are closing, crime is on the increase because of lack of Police presence, Council Taxes are spiralling out of control, and are destroying the lives of OAP's and all those on fixed income.
Give more help to our own people who have been put out of work, through no fault of their own.
CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME.
The Government were never given a mandate to give our money away, when the country is falling down around our ears. It was never in their Manifesto!

[Cllr. Gavin Ayling]

Matt Davis is wrong about membership. It is highly likely that the total membership has reduced. More worrying still is Mr Cameron's apparent complicity in agreeing that state-funding of parties is acceptable. That there is some now is apalling; that there may be more is criminal.

I strongly urge everyone to oppose state-funding of political parties that is only needed because the parties don't represent the people.

[Ross]

John, of the grammar school education and council estate background, is spot on. People to whom selective schools gave a chance will not vote for this Cameron character who wants to level down.
Patriotic working class folk despise the Tories' pandering to uninvited intruders who won't assimilate and to mincing 'gays' who appear to be the objects of the Tory leader's adoration.
The North Norfolk farce epitomises the decline of conservatism in the 'Conservative' party.

[John Irvine]

"Matt Davis is wrong about membership. It is highly likely that the total membership has reduced."

Even under Maggie membership declined. Every time there is a new leader some lapsed members rejoin and a few totally useless people join because they want to be part of something vaguely new they heard about on TV - like soap powder.

Needless to say, they never renew those subscriptions.

As a matter of fact, while there are certainly deluded and self-obsessed Tories who imagine that there's "something in it for them" with Cameron, I have yet to meet anybody outside party circles who has any favourable opion of him, though to be honest most people have no opinion of him at all.

[Keith Williams]

I am beginning to feel lonely in my wish to vote Conservative, not New Labertive, not Conservour but Conservative. Will there ever be another chance?

[Roy Attree]

I would like the tory party drop that phrase the "nasty party" by and large I'm proud of what party stands for and what we have achieved, thats why I joined the party,

[john trent]

i realy think we should stop propping up cameroon the nitwit and his smug peabrained supporters. they have already lost us the next election , (unless g brown is found molesting a goat in the middle of tescos)and even then it would be a tied result. nobody should vote tory at the next local elections, let cameroon see the power of the ordinary voter and let him go on and out of this party.

[malcolm]

You're not very bright are you John Trent?

[Roger Taylor]

Nor are you Malcolm. When my constituents, who have never voted for us ever, are laughing all the way to the ballot box it says something. Cameron in 12 long months has turned the party of greats into the joke of the 21st century. He is trying to win over those who will never vote for us and is driving the rest to BNP/UKIP. If there is one vote I really now regret it was voting for this **** to be leader. I hang my head in shame and he'll probably cost me my council seat come May. Come back Michael Howard, at least you made Blair uncomfortable, this **** is in bed with him!

[dcj]

I am interested in the points made by Mr Cameron's supporters that as a huge majority of party members supported him he has a mandate for what he is doing. I am afraid that to some extent that is correct - but I think it could be argued that the mandate was obtained by "deception by omission." While he said that he would change the Party he never actually said how he would change it. I strongly suspect that many of those who voted for him in 2005 would not now do so. Anecdotally, I am aware of many loyal members who feel this way - and I know of at least three stalwarts of my local Association who are now busily working for UKIP and BNP.

Having said all that - as I've said before, while I'm convinced David Davies would have been a better Conservative leader, Mr Cameron *is* the Leader, we cannot - MUST NOT - change him before the election (imagine the fun that either Brown or Reid would have) and unless we want 5 more years of Labour we must support him.

Incidentally, there is of course the danger that if we lose the next election there might never be another free election again. Imagine - a Labour minority Government brings in PR on a STV system: Lib/Lab rule in Britain and control from Brussels in perpetuity.

[malcolm]

'When my constituents who have never voted for us ever.....' Somebody who could make this utterly ludicrous statement has the nerve to question my intellect! What has the Conservative party ever done to get the support of such people?
I do have some sympathy 'though for your argument dcj.

[Richard Carey]

O/T but

I know of at least three stalwarts of my local Association who are now busily working for UKIP and BNP.

It would appear that your definition of a stalwart is different to mine.

Some excuse can be given to voters taken in by the plausible faces these parties are getting a bit better at projecting. When, howver, a supposedly politically-aware activist defects to them, I'm not sure there's much of a justification.

If someone who is politically aware is still attracted by the odious BNP, I would suggest they're probably welcome to them.

[dcj]

Perhaps I should have said "former stalwart" - people who walked round a Council estate in the rain, people who manned polling stations or organised committee rooms, etc. Yet one-time Conservatives who despair of Mr Cameron's touchy-feely greeny Notting Hill party. And how many more will stay at home?

UKIP is I think a much bigger danger to us: they put forward a plausible "old-fashioned" middle-class set of values - much like those with which William Hague saved us from meltdown in 2001 by motivating our core vote to get out and vote. Now Mr Cameron (more like Mr Maude and Mr Hilton) think the core has nowhere to go so they can be ignored. Just let them look at houses which once had blue posters now sporting purple UKIP in lower-middle-class areas and BNP posters on the Council estate.

What terrifies me is that the BNP will one day unearth a leader with a brain cell and a bit of charisma. Anyone else remember "After all, this is England" (Penguin, 1968 or thereabouts)