Hague: Cameron is best leader Tories have had since 1997

William Hague reminded viewers of his political skills this morning during a confident interview on Andrew Marr's BBC1 programme.  Swiping aside Mr Marr's questions on the cannabis revelations he said that David Cameron had the best all-round political skills of any of the men who had led the party since 1997.

The Shadow Foreign Secretary also said that Mr Cameron was right to focus on the centre ground.  The party needed to win over the people who were worried about the NHS and climate change.  Traditional Tory supporters should remember, he said, that the Tories still wanted to limit immigration, would share the proceeds of growth between extra spending and lower taxes, and still opposed the EU Constitution.

He said that he did not regret his vote for the Iraq war.  If Saddam hadn't been deposed the world would have been facing another Iraq crisis as the recently executed dictator would have been trying to 'escape his box'.  Big mistakes - not enough troops at the beginning, a failure to secure Iraq's borders and the disbandment of the army - had meant, however, that Iraq was much worse than he had expected.

84% of Tory members are satisfied with William Hague according to the latest ConservativeHome survey.  15% are dissatisfied.

Conservative Party members continue to rate David Davis the most effective member of the shadow cabinet.  Since last April he has topped the poll.  55% are very satisfied with the Shadow Home Secretary and 35% are fairly satisfied.  6% are fairly unsatisfied and 2% are very dissatisfied.

Francis Maude's net satisfaction rating falls to -7% in the latest survey; 2% lower than Theresa May.

Outside of the shadow cabinet historical series the ConservativeHome survey found David Mundell at -1%; Peter Ainsworth and Oliver Heald at +7%; Cheryl Gillan at +8%; Hugo Swire at +9% (down by 7% since last month perhaps because of his response to the BBC settlement); David Lidington, Andrew Mitchell and Theresa Villiers at +10%; Philip Hammond at +12%; Patrick McLoughlin at +19%; Chris Grayling at +26%; Alan Duncan at +30%; and Lord Strathclyde at +42%.

Related link: Satisfaction with Cameron steady at 71%

Comments

[Alex Forsyth]

Didn't Brutus say something similar about Caesar?

[James]

David Cameron had the best all-round political skills of any of the men who had led the party since 1997.

Talk about setting the bar low!

[Gospel of Enoch]

The poll in the Sunday Times today shows 41% of voters think Camerloon would say "anything" to get votes. Not good, if they think he's as bad a spinmeister as Bliar...

[Jennifer Wells]

How long can Maude stay in situ with such dismal ratings?

Cameron needs a Party Chairman who can command the confidence of activists.

Glad to see Swire dipping because of his sucking up to the BBC.

[Tam Large]

Hague must be on the weed too, to make a comment like this...

[Cllr Francis Lankester]

DC looks like a modern leader (as Blair does). This has pros & cons. Never believe our own propaganda or image. Also, don't let's rewrite history. Given this governments' problems and incompetence we should be further ahead in the polls and there is a case for saying any leader would have delivered the same poll results because Labour are finally in trouble on many fronts.

I agree that what DC did at school about cannabis is irrelevant now. It only matters if a politician is unwilling to crack down on drugs now because of what he himself may have done in the past. Does DC have a liberal attitude because of this which manifests itself in the wrong areas-the ludicrous and damaging "hug a hoodie" nonsense which is one of the reasons we are losing votes to the BNP?

[Thatcherite]

Editor wrote "Francis Maude's net satisfaction rating falls to -7% in the latest survey".

My humbled comprehensive education leads me to call that dissatisfaction!

Glad to another Old Etonian, the odious and condescending Swire, taking a pasting from the activists.

[DavidDPB]

I'd have thought going over to the BNP was hugging a hoody. Bunch of thugs that they are.

[Keith Standring]

Jennifer Wells @ 11:02 "How long can Maude stay in situ with such dismal ratings? Well put Jennifer. This is a question many grassroots Tories will be asking about Mr Fraude's future given his record to date.

[Nikki C]

I once met Maude, a man without any personality whatsoever and eyes like a fish. He was at a big party in a country home in Sussex.

He was wearing a thing that looked like a kind of silk kimono or something. As ridiculous as the man himself. Somebody had a row with him and he left soon after.

How much longer do we true Tories have to put up with the "Hug a hoodie/druggie/husky" brigade of leftists?

These people may talk to their flowers every morning but as far as I am concerned they are just plain socialists.

[Editor]

Nikki: Can we try and elevate the conversation a little please?

[Simon]

I'm sure FM is a very nice man, but he's not exactly an 'inspiring' political figure! Give his job to Boris Johnson and give FM Boris' job as a 'thank you'! BJ would be much 'safer' in the party chairman's job anyway!

[mark]

Hague stated that the Tories still wanted to limit immigration, could he please explain how we do this whilst we are still in the EU.
Milliband has said this morning that we aren't even allowed to stop importing turkeys from Hungary to protect this country from bird flu because it would be against EU rules.

[BJ For Chairman]

"BJ would be much 'safer' in the party chairman's job anyway!"

But not the women staff at CCHQ - LOL!

[Tapestry]

Hague finds Cameron a good leader because he allows him (Hague) to fudge all the key issues, which pleases the BBC and other media. It might be working as a political strategy, in that taking on the British media is usually counterproductive for a politician, but I don't think the word 'leadership' comes into it.

The one leader that did lead and set the party on a new course, sticking to his guns despite withering fire was IDS. Cameron's a better politician I would agree, butas a leader he is not one especially.

[Don H]

As someone who is knocking on doors on a regular basis canvassing for the local elections, I have noticed a welcome gush of support for Conservatives, many people citing Mr C as the reason. This simply can not be ignored.

However, can I recommend a quick squizz at 3 articles in today's S Telegraph (I can supply links if permitted)?

1. C Booker's Notebook - the secrecy of the Parliamentary European Scrutiny Committee
2. EU directives will soon prevent HGV drivers from participating as TA volunteers
3. According to new research not entirely poo-poohed by the tree hugging establishment, global warming can be greatly attributed to cosmic ray inactivity.

I am holding my fire until after the May elections, as far as our general direction is concerned. But that does not stop me from suggesting a revision of the 'stop banging on about Europe' and the 'green tax' policies.

[simon]

Re: BJ for chairman. At least everybody in CCHQ will know what they are in for!

[Og]

Maude is a gloomy and pessimistic character and probably doesn't give a stuff about Con Home surveys. Chirpy, cheerful Oliver Letwin, however, is such a nice chap I suspect he is smarting at his relative unpopularity. Unlike Maude, who has always been a pinko, it is Letwin's Portillo-like journey from sound rightwingery to anguished liberal wringing wetness which has caught the eye of ConHome voters. No amount of being assured of his cleverness will cover up the fact that he used to excite the centre-right, and now disappoints them, or worse - infuriates them.

[Don H]

Links to items from earlier post:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/11/nbook11.xml

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/11/nreserves11.xml

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/11/warm11.xml

[TomTom]

Chirpy, cheerful Oliver Letwin

Back at Rothschilds what do you expect ?

I wonder if William Hague believes there will ever be another Conservative Leader or if Cameron is the last ?

[jorgen]

Hague: that the Tories still wanted to limit immigration

Wow, so even Cameron himself has become a "closet racist"!!!

[Jon White]

What a strange comment by Hague. By quoting 1997 as his benchmark, it implies that he feels there were better leaders BEFORE 1997.

I recall that the incumbent of the post 'twixt 1990 and 1997 inherited over 370 seats when he took over from our greatest ever leader. When he stood down, he had managed to reduce that to just over 160. The same leader who (as Chancellor and then as PM) destroyed our position as the party of economic competance, who pushed through the Maastricht Treaty past a reluctant house on a confidence vote and refused a referendum to the country despite many of our European partners being given the opportunity, allowed the 'sleaze' to taint us in the eyes of the public for a generation because of his weakness and inability to crack down on it, surrendered to the IRA, etc etc etc.

And yet, Hague thinks he was a better leader than DC. Strange, I'm no fan of DC, but even the most anti-Cameroons must agree that he is a huge amount better than Major.

[ToMTom]

By quoting 1997 as his benchmark he obviously refers to the failure to win elections since that date and nothing more

[ToMTom]

By quoting 1997 as his benchmark he obviously refers to the failure to win elections since that date and nothing more

[John Dowson]

If permitted, I'm curious to know how many people take part in these ConHome surveys...
Mr. Editor?

[Jimbob]

"How much longer do we true Tories have to put up with the "Hug a hoodie/druggie/husky" brigade of leftists?"

This kind of self-righteous ranting really annoys me. The hardliners who think you can only be a 'true' Tory if you spend every waking moment ranting about immigrants and homosexuals clearly don't know much about the history of the party they claim to belong to. Every election-winning Tory leader since 1945 with the exception of Thatcher have won from the centre-ground. Even Thatcher had quite a moderate manifesto in 1979. The tradition of One Nation Toryism goes back 150 years, and those of us who subscribe to it are just as much 'true' Tories as the Thatcherite right.

So, seeing as how all of us moderates have been loyal while the right-wingers have led us through 9 years of stagnation and defeat, is it too much to ask that you guys should be loyal now that the moderates are in charge and the party is actually in the lead?

[Tam Large]

Nikki C said "I once met Maude, a man without any personality whatsoever and eyes like a fish. He was at a big party in a country home in Sussex.

He was wearing a thing that looked like a kind of silk kimono or something. As ridiculous as the man himself. Somebody had a row with him and he left soon after"

I've met him too, on several occasions, and the above description is 100% accurate and characteristic of the man.

[Nikki C]

"Every election-winning Tory leader since 1945 with the exception of Thatcher have won from the centre-ground."

Rubbish. Sir Winston would be turning in his grave if he could see what Cameron is up to.

[Thatcherite]

JimBob has a selective memory. Ted Heath won in 1970 with a radical, free market manifesto. He did not implement it - the notorious u-turn - and was defeated twice in 1975.

[Thatcherite]

Sorry for typo - the Grocer was defeated in 1974.

[matt wright]

Agree with DonH. On the doors there is a good reaction and nothing like the pessimistic nonsense that some people post on this site. People, especially women, cite DC as the reason they are coming back to the party. They didn't like the shrill approach we had before.
As for NikkiC, as has been pointed out ad nauseum, Cameron did not say hug a hoodie, it is a slogan invented by Labour which you seem to want to repeat. Cameron said celarly, and most sane people would agree, that there are 2 ways we need to tackle crime involving both understanding the problems and tackling offenders as well.
JimBob is partcially right about winning from the centre but in fact Thacher did too, in the sense that Labour had gone so far off the rails that what she offered was sensible and centreground at the time. Also bear in mind that before she was elected her messages were policy light, the radicalism came afterwards. As regards Winston he was also a liberal and helped institute social reforms. A great and complex man and not easily stereotyped as "right-wing" (whatever that means).

Matt

[Alex Forsyth]

As regards Winston he was also a liberal

Not after he returned to our party, he wasn't.

Clearly you know nothing about his fight against Indian self-government.

Nor some of his off-colour (so to speak) racial remarks.

Even in his own day Churchill was regarded as a reactionary.

[Don H]

Matt is absolutely dead right about the incoming Thatcher revolution; I distinctly remember during the last couple of years of the failing 'Sunny' Jim Callaghan government how the news boys were so frustrated with the lack of Conservative policies to rubbish, esp economy and taxation ones. It is surprisingly creepy how the parallels compare with today.

However, instead of trades unions crippling this country it's Europe with its tentacles strangling almost everything.

In those days we only had daily news papers and the News at Ten telling us what was going on, unlike today when we expect minute-by-minute updates and can vent our frustration, which was every bit as strong in '77 to '79, in blogs and comment sites such as this.

I am as guilty as anyone of expressing my anger and frustration with the leadership due to sheer impatience as much as anything. But I think that if we knuckle down, bite the bullet and work for our PPCs, after all no matter what we think of the government we work for an MP (or in my case a candidate) and should not forget that. Our job as activists (and supporters) is to select a candidate who best serves our constituency first and the country a close second.

Most would agree that the country is best served by pulling out of Europe so it is also our job to make sure that the MP best reflects that view, too.

[Richard]

"The tradition of One Nation Toryism goes back 150 years, and those of us who subscribe to it are just as much 'true' Tories as the Thatcherite right."

One Nation Toryism had nothing to do with hugging hoodies, huskies and druggies. Nor do I suspect Disraeli would have been happy that One Nation Toryism came to embrace the welfare state. The 19th century Tories were sympathetic towards the poor and improving their ghastly working conditions but they were strongly opposed to national insurance and similar socialist measures.

[DavidDPB]

"they were strongly opposed to national insurance and similar socialist measures"

Luckily we've moved forward. We can thank Churchill a bit for that, being part of the Liberal government that introduced such measures.

Disraeli would have pursued the policies he felt best gave him the chance to achieve power. He first stood for parliament as a Radical. For him, pragmatism was the only principle. He was after all the politician who led the charge against one reform bill on the grounds that it was unconstitutional and dangerous in order to topple Gladstone's government, then the next year pushing through a bill that was more radical. Ironically he lost the first election held under it.

[Stephen Tolkinghorne]

"Most would agree that the country is best served by pulling out of Europe so it is also our job to make sure that the MP best reflects that view, too."

So why not join a party that is for pulling out of Europe ? The Tories got us into it, and ever deeper from there on. They're not advocating withdrawal, so why support them ? It sounds like so many Tories labour under some mis-guided dogma that if they keep turning out for the MPs, those MPs will eventually vote in Parliament as the membership want them to.

It isn't going to happen ! The Tories are a pro-EU party, they've a pro-EU leader and cabinet, they're pro-full membership and will never be anything else.

[TomTom]

of the failing 'Sunny' Jim Callaghan government

If he had gone to the country in 1977 Callaghan would have won the election....had the Falkands been invaded in October 1982 after the aircraft carriers had been sold off - Thatcher would have lost heavily in 1983

Timing

[Matt Davis]

No actually it isn't true that you have to be a homophobic immigrant hater to be a true Tory but you do have to be a believer in a small state, individual rights and responsiblities, low taxation and the necessity of the supremacy of the British parliament.

[Don H]

TomTom is right about the serendipity of events but I still stick to the point that the Callaghan government was ignominiously booted out because of its failure over the long term. Pepole were counting the hours to the election after bodies stayed unburied and rubbish was piled up in public parks - 'The winter of discontent'. Callaghan, of course, was also famously mis-quoted when he returned from a jolly in the Carribean.

When the press asked him what he was going to do about the crisis at home he was supposed to have answered,"Crisis, what crisis?" Thanks to the Sun, whose headline next day this was, that is Jim's legacy. Anyway, this is not the place to expound political history - check Wikipedia. But, and we are talking leaders as the subject in hand, Cameron will have learnt all this and has to be ultra cautious, hence, Steven Tolkinghorne, my giving him the benefit of the doubt.

This link to 18 Doughty Street

http://doughty.gdbtv.com/player.php?h=26efa04cc6c8c90ff2eb78fc16439a46

sums up exactly my view of the EU question. It's an interview with Roger Helmer. Check it out.

I say, again, as I have said before and at length, I would pull out of Europe tomorrow if I had the power but, as there will only be either a Labour or Conservative government after the next general election and the Labour party's record is one of unremitting betrayal of this country to Europe, we have to stay inside the Conservative Party's tenet.

This bitterness is compounded, of course, when we remember the betrayal and lies doled out by Heath over Europe. I don't think that sense of betrayal has gone un-noticed by the upper reaches of the Conservative Party, whatever their public utterances.

To end on a positive note, I would suggest that another 'policy examination group' be set up, headed by Roger Helmer, to formulate the next Conservative government's policies towards Europe.

[Ali T]

Yet another batch of right-wing whingers set about attacking Cameron, for no other reason than he has dared to challenge them and has tried to drag this party of ours back to the middle ground.

It is so disappointing and yet so predictable that even after all this time and with the policy reviews still to produce their final reports that these people have disengaged with the process that will shape our party.

I wonder were these the same people who attacked Mrs Thatcher in the 1970s for not having every policy worked out and for taking her time to develop the right policies for our Country as it was then.

Instead of sniping from the sidelines these people should be engaging with this policy process and making sure that their views are heard and debated.

I am also struck by the parallel of the 1980s when Labour finally realised that it had to retake the centre ground and to ditch the militants who had cost them dear. There willingness to shout first and ask questions later has a striking resemblance to those who they ridiculed during the Thatcher Governments, so the more that these critics kick and scream the more I think that Cameron must be doing the right thing.

For the first time in over a decade we are ahead in the polls and we are making steady progress in local elections and in attracting back the voters we had lost in the 90s. Yes we need to make further progress and I am confident that we will, but we will not do this by having wobbles every three and half seconds.

So lets get back to doing what our Party was known for…backing our leader and putting forward policies that our right for our country now, today, rather than putting forward the same old policies that lost us previous elections.

We will only start winning general elections again if we all pull in the same direction!

[Don H]

Just another memory of 'Uncle' Jim Callaghan: he crawled on hands and knees into a hut to meet that other avuncular African figure, Genaralissimo and Supreme Ruler Idi Amin of Uganda.

[Don H]

Just another memory of 'Uncle' Jim Callaghan: he crawled on hands and knees into a hut to meet that other avuncular African figure, Genaralissimo and Supreme Ruler Idi Amin of Uganda.

[Alex Forsyth]

Interesting to see that the far left of the party in the form of the ridiculously-named Ali G are anxious to declare war on traditionalist centre-right Tories, or as he would put it 'right-wing whingers'

Well all I can say is that if these leftists want a fight they can have one.

The battle for the soul of the party has scarcely begun but as far as I'm concerned it is long overdue.

[Michael McGowan]

Ali T talks about putting forward policies that are right for our country. Which ones might those be? I must have missed them.

[Alex Forsyth]

Oh yes Ali T not Ali G.

Just as infantile.

[Scotty]

"The battle for the soul of the party has scarcely begun but as far as I'm concerned it is long overdue."
Well it is obvious you don't intend to let a little thing called democracy get in the way of your aim to fight what you term the lefties in the conservative party rather than the ones in the present government.

[TomTom]

after bodies stayed unburied and rubbish was piled up in public parks

Stop exaggerating - In Liverpool they froze bodies in the ice rinks because gravediggers were on strike - IN LIVERPOOL. It is probably a contingency plan anyway in case of epidemic to freeze corpses in ice-rinks.

Callaghan could have put the Army into the Northwest where the T&G were stopping food deliveries by road.

Actually, a bit of backbone and Callaghan could have sorted it. Let us recall that the Govt had a 5% Pay Norm at the time and the Leader of the Opposition Margaret Thatcher encouraged Ford workers who were wanting 20%...

[Gospel of Enoch]

"So lets get back to doing what our Party was known for… backing our leader"

That would be the stabbed in-the-back Margaret Thatcher, John Major (who resigned because he felt he din't have enough support from MPs) and another stabee, IDS, then?

[Alex Forsyth]

Selective memory on 'loyalty' these leftists, eh, GOE?

My formative years were spent under Thatcher when the people who now control the party were dreaming plot after plot to damage the leader and wreck her plans.

The "Tory" left are poison, and cowards with it.

The party has never recovered from the betrayal of Margaret Thatcher.

[Alex Forsyth]

Well it is obvious you don't intend to let a little thing called democracy get in the way

"Democracy" Scotty?

A minority of the membership voted for Cameron. Sounds like his/your idea of democracy is right up there with that of the late Saddam Hussein.

Still at least you are marginally more democratic than the Cameroon who calls himself "Malcolm". He's the guy who want people who disagree with him thrown out of the party.

I suppose even that is an advance on putting them through a shredder.

[Gwendolyn]

I would just like to add my support to the postings of Jimbob, DonH, Matt Wright and Ali T, and in defence of Malcolm, though I am sure he does not need my help. The aggro on here takes my breath away. Why cannot people put their arguments in a civilized manner instead of delivering nasty jibes at other people's views. By the way I voted for Cameron, and thought he won by a rather large majority, and still at 71% seems to be holding his own. If anyone replies to this in terms of the kind of personal abuse used in other posts, don't bother, I am off out and don't propose joining in a shouting match.

[Gareth]

"A minority of the membership voted for Cameron. Sounds like his/your idea of democracy is right up there with that of the late Saddam Hussein."

Did you have a liquid lunch Alex? That's the only explanation I can think of for this risible suggestion that the votes of members who couldn't be bothered to vote should be counted as votes against Cameron.