Campaign North is making progress

I've been very impressed by the progress that is being made by Campaign North - a campaign that was showcased during Conference this morning, by William Hague.

Here are some highlights of what Campaign North has achieved:

• After six months of operations, twenty extra full-time professionals have been recruited, including regional press officers, research staff, fundraising officers and campaigning professionals.  That's a doubling of staffing since the beginning of 2007.  A full-time CF organiser is about to be recruited.
• Every pound raised in the north now stays in the north.  That has encouraged a doubling of fundraising since the start of the year.
• Shadow Ministers have been appointed for Tyneside (Alan Duncan), Manchester (George Osborne), Liverpool (Chris Grayling), Hull (David Davis), Leeds/Bradford (Eric Pickles), Sheffield (Sayeeda Warsi) and Sunderland (Mark Hoburn).

During October Oliver Letwin will announce two policy groups that will report to him and Campaign North.  One will look at transport infrastructure and the other at manufacturing and engineering.  Paul Maynard, our candidate for Blackpool North, is now a full-time researcher for CN.

Although polls suggest that the 'Cameron Effect' is much weaker in the north, there are some signs of progress.  In May's elections the party did particularly well in Blackpool, Chester and South Ribble, for example.  The Conservatives now control more councils in the North West and Yorkshire than Labour or the Lib Dems.  The party also fielded more candidates in May's elections than either of the other two main parties.  The Campaign's focus in over seven to ten years, however.  It will take that long to fully build the campaigning infrastructure, improve the field of candidates and develop a full range of policies that will meet the north's challenges.  The Campaign couldn't have a better chief executive than Michael Bates (William Hague's Deputy on the Northern Board).

The Campaign now has its own website.

Comments

[Justin Hinchcliffe]

Excellent news, although there's no need for complacency. A lot more needs to be done - small seeds, big trees etc.

[601]

"The Conservatives now control more councils in the North West and Yorkshire thean Labour"

In Yorkshire they only control more councils than Labour because they are in coalition with the Lib Dems.

Tories have been flatlining in Yorkshire in the polls and have actually gone backwards in west Yorkshire when it comes to local election results in the last two years.

[Neil Reddin]

The "seven to ten years" timespan is key. The Lib Dems achieved their (now largely historical) successes by planning for the long term - not just piling in a few months before the election day.

[Traditional Tory]

* After six months of operations, twenty extra full-time professionals have been recruited
* Every pound raised in the north now stays in the north.
* Shadow Ministers have been appointed

Isn't that the easy part?

How many new members do they have?

[HF]

Sounds a lot more promising.

We should expect to see progress next May and in the 7 years thereafter.

Any news on what the Scottish Tories are doing?

[Yet Another Anon]

There is success at a local level, the Labour recovery though started before the Local Elections, the Labour vote in 2007 was stronger than in 2006 in Local Elections and there have been modest net gains by Labour since. In the last parliamentary by elections the Labour vote held up quite strongly.

Labour in 1980/81, 1985/86 and 1988/89 made gains and in 1983 the Labour vote in the Local Elections held up at 35%. The Liberal Democrats got 30% in the Local Elections a few years ago and the Conservatives were close to 40% of the vote in Local Elections under William Hague and Michael Howard.

Also on 27% turnouts and given that they are elections for very different things it is hard to say how it relates to support at a General Election.

[Yet Another Anon]

There is success at a local level, the Labour recovery though started before the Local Elections, the Labour vote in 2007 was stronger than in 2006 in Local Elections and there have been modest net gains by Labour since. In the last parliamentary by elections the Labour vote held up quite strongly.

Labour in 1980/81, 1985/86 and 1988/89 made gains and in 1983 the Labour vote in the Local Elections held up at 35%. The Liberal Democrats got 30% in the Local Elections a few years ago and the Conservatives were close to 40% of the vote in Local Elections under William Hague and Michael Howard.

Also on 27% turnouts and given that they are elections for very different things it is hard to say how it relates to support at a General Election.

[David Parker]

I agree very much with the comments of 'Traditional Tory'.
Recruiting new (paid) helpers is`merely a necessary first step, but don't let the party establishment start boasting about this as an achievement until there are some positive results to publicise.
Seldom has a Government had a worse, or more dishonest record to defend than the present one, but equally despicable, seldom have we had such a poor, indecisive or divided opposition party. Cameron has one last chance this week to prove whether or not he is` worthy to lead a once great party.Equally however, this is the last chance for that same party to demonstrate whether it is more interested`in principles rather than perception and (possibly) self preservation.

[Bishop Hill]

Traditional Tory

Quite so. Measure outputs, not inputs.

[John Leonard]

In The Herald: Interesting Scottish perspective on current events.

Herald Comment

More food for Brown to think about.

[Richard North]

"Campaign North is making progress"

News to me!

[Bradford]

"Campaign North is making progress"

News to me!

Posted by: Richard North | September 30, 2007 at 21:06

They'll probably win Richmond in North Yorkshire if Hague keeps up the momentum !

[HF]

"Yet Another Anon", Labour lost 500 councillors in May 07 throughout the UK. They now have just 25% of councillors the lowest share in more than 34 years.

In comparison, Conservatives with 42% have their biggest share since 1983.