Any questions for you?

Over the next 24/ 48 hours I'll be sending out the emails for the November ConservativeHome survey of readers.  What questions should I ask?  Thanks in advance.

Comments

[Michael Davidson]

Given today's Scotsman article:

"Would you approve of a formal coalition between the SNP and the Conservatives in the Scottish Parliament"?

My answer would most certainly be No.

[Tapestry]

What policy should the party adopt if the Lisbon Constitution Reform Treaty is ratified?

1. In/Out? referendum, as suggested by Iain Dale.

2. Renegotiation followed by in/out referendum.

3. GIve up and become compliant members of the EU.

4. Other ideas.

[CCHQ Spy]

Given the surge in support for LibDems, what about an open question on how they should be defeated?

[Joseph Brayson]

Do you think that Britain should participate in a potential United States led military assault against Iran?

[Cranmer]

Should politicians 'do God', or hypocritically pretend they do nothing of the sort while everyone knows full well that they do?

[John F Aberdeen]

One Question,
What are the most important steps a future conservative government can take to achieve DC,s aim of "Freedom from Bureaucracy"
1. Repatriate all lawmaking powers from the EU to the UK government and repeal ALL Eu based legislation.
2. Cancel all monies to the EU, scrap VAT, and council tax and introduce a local sales tax.
3. Introduce a personal allowance of £15,000 then a flat rate tax of 15% for all people and businesses,, cancel all means tested benefits. This to be in the first budget.
4. Give people a choice of either paying into National Insurance, or contracting out for their own insurance provision eg health, pensions.
5. Or all of the above.

[Tony Makara]

What can Conservatives do to clean up problem estates, many of which have become breeding grounds for anti-social behaviour and criminality? ASBOs clearly do not work, so what can be done?

[David Belchamber]

What can the tories do now to be able to restore competence and morale in the civil service when they get into government?

[Dick Wishart]

Do you believe in strict zero tolerance where crime is concerned & no welfare if you turn down job you are capable of doing.

[Jon Gale]

In foreign policy, which of the following terms do you think describes your attitude best:
"Neoconservative"
"Liberal Interventionist"
"Liberal Conservative"
"Realist"
"Isolationist"
Other

[Malcolm Dunn]

I would second Dick Wishart's question about welfare. This was mentioned by David Cameron in his conference speech but seems to have disappeared as an issue since.

[Graeme Archer]

How much more strongly do you feel motivated to:

(1) vote

and

(2) campaign for your local Conservatives

since Gordon Brown became PM, compared to that which was the case when Tony Blair was PM?

(a) Much Less
(b) Somewhat Less
(c) No difference
(d) Somewhat More
(e) Much More

[Two separate questions, to tap into how much animus there is against Brown and its impact on our activity. I *suspect* the result will add to Mr Brown's woes :-0)].

[Sam R]

A suggested half-dozen (=6):
1/ Would you approve of a British Bill of Rights and Duties to replace the EU Human Rights legislation?
2/ Do you support the notion of applying a zero-tolerance approach to policing and a three-strikes sentencing policy?
3/ Do you think that all Ministeries/Deaprtments should carry the title "Royal Ministry/Department of ...?
4/ Should parents be made answerable and prosecuted for their children's crimes?
5/ Would you approve of the Conservative PM, on winnnig the election, making a national broadcast to explain to the British People the mess he has been left by the Labour lot?
6/ Choose between a referendum on:
(a)the Euro Treaty/constitution;
(b)the repatriation of powers essential for our functioning as a sovereign nation and (a);
(c)accepting unconditionally all further moves towards integration and (a);
(d) whether or not we remain within the EU as at present.

[Oberon Houston]

These ten Conservative MPs have had a positive impact on the opposition effort over the last month, which do you think has had the biggest positive impact for the opposition effort?

[list a top ten, with reasons, from a scan of positive media exposure during November]

[Comstock]

Do you believe in .... no welfare if you turn down job you are capable of doing.

'Capable' is a very difficult term. For instance I'm in good health. But I would struggle with a labouring job on a building site or many heavy factory jobs.

I'll bet the majority of contributors to this website have quite good jobs in clean environments- I know you have Malcolm for a start

[Tony Makara]

The threat of benefit sanctions, which could probably be ruled illegal if challenged in court on human-rights grounds, as it is subsistence money needed to live, is not a good idea.

We have to understand that with 1.6 million on JSA and only 600,000 vacancies available at the better end of the economic cycle it will not be possible to get everyone off benefit.

However if JSA is replaced with a training allowance and people are given the opportunity to sign-up for nine-month training courses at college it will be a way to re-skill the long-term unemployed in particular. Jobcentreplus would have to allow people to complete the training and drop the demand to be 'actively seeking work' for the nine-month college year.

All talk of stopping benefit is naive, especially if the claimant has children. It only takes one savvy person to challenge it through the courts and a governments whole approach would be undermined.

[Matt Wright]

Sorry but in my view if you are healthy and can work on a building site and are offered that you should take it. This is about whether the state goes on paying welfare despite someone being able to work. You do have other choices including training and presumably there would be a run-up to the point a final offer of job is made. I just don't think the state should keep people when there is work around. Its completely mad. This Govt keeps claiming "unemployment" is down but in fact if you look behind the figures its about the same as its been for many years. The benefits culture is actually unhealthy for people.

[Malcolm Dunn]

So ? What's your point Comstock? Do you think people should be entitled to welfare payments under any circumstances?
Millions of men and women currently receive a variety of welfare payments as they are classified 'economically inactive'.Yet our hospitals, resturants, shops, hotels ,farms etc cannot find labour without going abroad.Is this state of affairs (a) sustainable and (b)desirable?

[Matt Wright]

Spot on Malcolm.

[Justin Hinchcliffe]

If you are a member of your local Conservative Association, how would you rate them?

Modern and dynamic?
Old fashioned and out of date?

Embraces changes and new technology?
Does not?

Wants to win?
Does not seem to want to win?

Campaigns well, but not enough?
Campaigns too little, too late?

Is a made of people of different ages, backgrounds, races and sexes?
Is mostly made up of middle-class, white pensioners?

Would do better if they had more help from the centre?
Is a basketcase?

The candidate is clued up, but not the Assn?
The Assn is clued up, but not the candidate?
Neither have a clue when it comes to fighting and winning elections?

Is united?
Is disunited?

David Cameron would be proud of it?
No he wouldn't?

Never hear from them?

[Tony Makara]

"This Govt keeps claiming "unemployment" is down but in fact if you look behind the figures its about the same as its been for many years."

Matt Wright, there will always be mass lumpen-unemployment so long as we don't have a large manufacturing base. For a population of our size the service sector cannot produce enough jobs. While the economy is structured this way the best we can do is try to ensure that the 600,000 vacancies that are available are filled, but again this is conditioned by geography. The reality is that no government has had a co-ordinated employment strategy. All efforts in this area have been made up by patchwork policies, stop-gap measures, there has never been a long-term strategy.

Training is certainly an area where government can be proactive, and I'm not referring to workfare or the NewDeal, how long would it take to teach a young man to be a decorator or a plumber? Its worth government investing in this type of vocational training and allowing the unemployed to study such courses unmolested at college for nine-months. This would cost the government of the day very little if JSA became a training allowance. Either we let people train for nine-months or the taxpayer will have to subsidize these people indefinitely.

[Matt Wright]

Agree with the 2nd para Tony. The local college were telling me that they are hindered by the current JSA arrangement.

[Tony Makara]

Matt Wright, the way things are set-up those on JSA cannot apply for an 'Adult learning grant' because Labour wants to shunt them off onto their showpiece gimmick the NewDeal. The reason for this is that those on the 13-26 week 'Work Experience' section of the NewDeal get their P45s back, which means they are officially no longer unemployed and disappear from the official unemployment figures.

Its a slight-of-hand by the Labour government to fiddle the stats to make it look like more people are in work. After the 13-26 weeks period is over the return to the dole, which they never actually left, and are added to the figures but are replaced by a fresh batch of NewDeal claimants. This is such a disgusting vice to con the public and it has cost the taxpayer 3.6 billion (billion not million!) so far. As David Cameron rightly says it is a revolving door.

The future Conservative government must scrap the NewDeal and replace it with proper vocational training programmes, so that the long-term unemployed are allowed to train while claiming benefit.

[Martin Cole]

"Should David Cameron repudiate the Lisbon Treaty before it is signed on 13th December in view of either/itscontents or method of negotiation on behalf of Her Majesties loyal opposition?"

To aid your readers in considering this matter a "Consolidated Version Latest Draft" is now available from Ireland in English as linked on my blog.

I believe your readers should be separately alerted to this text being available in view of the Government's refusal to provide the same to the House of Lords, giving credit of course to Mr Peadar ó Broin of the Institute of European Affairs:

http://www.iiea.com/publicationx.php?publication_id=33

[Robin Coomer]

Sorry, missed the the November deadline but some suggestions for December?

How do you feel about the following statements: (for 1-4 Strongly Agree... to ...strongly disagree as usual)

1) As a country, we provide much better resources for criminals in prison than we do do for the elderly and disadvantaged in care.

2) UK energy policy should push towards a mix of Renewables and Nuclear Power with minimal investment in 'fossil fuel' burning power stations.

3)We should build trade with the commonwealth and parts of the world who produce different goods/services to us at the expense of EU trade - much of which should be produced in the UK anyway to lower our carbon footprint.

4) Iran has as much right to nuclear technology for non-military purposes as any other state.

5)Would the UK's NET EU contribution be better invested directly in third-world countries - Yes/No

and finally...

6) Which of the following do you think would do MOST to combat the threat of terrorism and improve our security?
a)Compulsory Identity Cards
b)Better border controls/customs
c)Better foreign policy
d)Military action against 'rogue' states
e)A change of UK government