ConservativeHome's ToryDiary

Tim Parker resignation overshadows Johnson's dismissal of broken society narrative

Boris Johnson yesterday casually dismissed the chiefly Conservative notion of a broken society and demoralised youth as "piffle" in his Telegraph column, referencing the success of Britain's young athletes. While it would appear obvious that celebrating Olympic success hardly requires denying that social breakdown can exist on a large scale alongside it, Johnson was explicit:

"If you believe the British press, the youth of today is aimless, feckless and hopeless, addicted to their PlayStations, lacking in respect and lacking in the emotional discipline needed to cope with a big match occasion.

"If you believe the politicians, we have a broken society, in which the courage and morals of young people have been sapped by welfarism and political correctness.

"And if you look at what is happening at the Beijing Olympics, you can see what piffle that is."

Johnson has faced conflict with Conservative leaders in the past, with both William Hague and Michael Howard facing flak when Johnson's journalism contradicted the party line. In each case, the damage appeared inadvertent. On this occasion, some of today's press did pick up on the comments after they resurfaced on journalists' blogs yesterday afternoon. But the potential conflict with David Cameron's message was largely overshadowed by the resignation yesterday of the Mayor's deputy Tim Parker.

1pm Addressing Demos for his speech on Fairness, George Osborne was asked about Boris Johnson's comments. To the obvious scepticism of some present, He replied Johnson had made clear his words had been completely misinterpreted, and that Johnson completely agrees with David Cameron. He said that he and Cameron also agree with Boris Johnson that young people need role models.

Tim Parker resigns as Boris' First Deputy Mayor

Two weeks ago we wrote this (emphasis added):

"Hope for the future: The team that Boris Johnson is building. It's high calibre. We think of Tim Parker (most of all), Kit Malthouse, Dan Ritterband, Simon Milton, Anthony Browne (soon) and Guto Harri."

So we cannot be as sanguine as Iain Dale in hearing the news that Mr Parker is standing down as Mr Johnson's Number Two.  We understand the change is a friendly one and ConHome was offered a conversation with Mr Parker earlier to confirm that it was. 

But, for all the reasons we expressed at the time of his appointment*, Mr Parker will be hard to replace.

* "In terms of meeting the big challenges we can take a lot of encouragement from Boris Johnson's first moves.  On Thursday the new Mayor of London announced that Tim Parker had been hired as day-to-day chief of City Hall.  Mr Parker has a great record of cost-cutting in both the private and public sectors.  Unsurprisingly, the left doesn't like this inspired appointment.  A record that he'll now bring to London after years in which Ken Livingstone allowed costs and council tax to get out of control." (ToryDiary, 25th May 2008).

Alan Duncan attacks the "vulgar and pointless" protest of Parliament Square

The protest in Parliament Square against the Iraq war has gone on for a number of years.  The protest's ringleader Brian Haw has become a hero of the left.  But is it time we said that he and his anti-war fellow protestors should move on?  Alan Duncan thinks so.  This morning's Guardian reports:

"Protesters camped outside Westminster have "no justifiable democratic purpose" and should be moved on permanently, a Tory frontbencher said today. The shadow business secretary, Alan Duncan, said the camp - where anti-war campaigner Brian Haw has lived since 2001 - had become a "vulgar and pointless display"."

The Daily Mail's Ben Brogan salutes Mr Duncan for offering testimony that secured a harrassment conviction for Barbara Tucker:

"Mrs Tucker is one of the loonies gathered around Brian Haw who have turned a section of Parliament Square into a passionate statement for liberty and individual rights an eyesore. Her daily rallying cry of "Genocide is a war crime, Tony Blair is a war criminal" is wearisomely familiar to those along the Burma Road, and many of us have filed complaints to the police about her. Final word to Mr Duncan: "The whole encampment has become a vulgar and pointless display which is utterly demeaning for the Westminster Parliament. It is nothing to do with freedom of speech or the right to protest. It no longer has any justifiable democratic purpose. It is time to stop it." Dunky has always been a bit of a have-a-go chap; I remember watching him try to arrest the protestors who covered Brian Mawhinney's suit in paint years ago. Full marks to him for standing up to this nonsense."

George Osborne drives Tory tanks up to Gordon Brown's front door

When on Black/ White Wednesday we lost our reputation for competence we were truly sunk as a party (until now).  If Labour loses its reputation for fairness then it will head for as bleak a time.  That's the political importance of Iain Duncan Smith's social justice agenda (although, of course, the agenda is much more than political).  It's tanks-on-Labour's-lawn-time.  Chief tank driver today is George Osborne.  Overnight he's launched a dossier that documents the extent to which Britain is becoming unfair under Labour - it wins widespread attention, including in The Sun and Guardian.  Labour hate these attacks.  Just like the 10p tax fiasco they hit at the party's core self-image.  This weekend's Observer reported Labour "fury" at the suggestion that they weren't the party of fairness anymore.

The full Tory dossier can be read as a PDF here.  In his introduction to An Unfair Britain Mr Osborne highlights four main trends:

1. 900,000 more people in extreme poverty than in 1997 and the gap in life expectancy is greater than in Victorian times.
2. Stealth taxes have fallen most heavily on the poor.  Mr Osborne asks: "Is it fair to reward enterprise and effort, yet for someone earning £100 a week, for every extra pound they earn they take home just 6p?"
3. Failure to undertake schools reform means that the gap between the poorest and richest pupils is widening.
4. A shift of burdens from today's Britons to the next generation: "Rising public borrowing and economic incompetence is putting unfair burdens on future generations."

Most of Unfair Britain is a new presentation of existing data but it does contain one important new finding, quoted by Nicholas Watt in The Guardian: "Osborne claimed that this year's 4.2% increase in the guarantee credit - a minimum income for poor pensioners - would be "eaten up" by inflation, which hits pensioners harder. Inflation for pensioners is between 5.2% and 5.6%, meaning that a couple will lose £98 this year and a single pensioner £90."

Twice as many voters prefer Cameron to Brown as PM

The Conservatives are 15% ahead in an ICM poll for tomorrow's Guardian.  The Guardian is choosing to lead on the fact that twice as many voters prefer Cameron to Brown as PM:

"Asked to say which of Cameron and Brown would make the best prime minister, 42% of those polled say Cameron, 21% say Brown and 23% say neither. When voters are asked to choose between Cameron and Miliband, 40% say Cameron, 19% say Miliband and 18% say neither."

Peter Cuthbertson is now in charge

Tim Montgomerie writes:

"I leave for Washington tomorrow and then after 48 hours in the city of politics I'm in LA for just over two weeks with friends. I'll be working part-time; I plan to blog most days - particularly about the Democrat and Republican Conventions.  I'll also be writing half of the morning newslinks but at 5pm, West Coast time - by which time UK newspapers are online.  We still haven't got a start date for Jonathan Isaby so Peter Cuthbertson will be holding the fort while I am away.  Any questions please email them to him.  He's just bought a new iPhone so will be keeping a close eye on everything!"

More than half of the members who voted for David Davis regret their 2005 vote

In the most recent ConservativeHome survey we asked readers to revisit their vote in the 2005 Conservative leadership result. It was a somewhat complicated exercise as we went back to the email addresses we captured at the time to ensure there was no distortion of the outcome. The scale of the results are stark.

It would be wrong to assume that the scale of regret among David Davis voters has translated into general negativity towards the former Shadow Home Secretary.  (It is probably more of an acknowledgment of David Cameron's success.)  During last week's survey - answered by 1,587 members - we also asked for respondents' general view of David Davis now.  More than two-thirds of members feel positively towards Mr Davis; 42% said they had a very "positive view" of him and 29% said a "slightly positive" view.  20% had a "slightly negative" view and 9% a "very negative" view.

White van man attempted to push Cameron in front of a car

Tomorrow sees the publication of Cameron on Cameron; a book edited by David Cameron and GQ's Dylan Jones.

The Telegraph's Rosa Prince has been reading through her advance copy and gives us this nugget from David Cameron:

"I was on my bike the other day and this white van had been following me, stopping and starting. I got rather nervous about it so I turned down a road I don't normally go down, and I slowed down and sort of pulled in behind a line of parked cars and as this van drove by this hand came out and just bashed me in the back with the aim of pushing me in front of the car. Luckily I managed to put the brakes on."

Ms Prince also notes Mr Cameron's low opinion of Nick Clegg:

"Asked for his favourite "political joke," Mr Cameron says: "Nick Clegg, at the moment."

The Mail on Sunday published an extended extract from the book earlier today.  We learnt that David Cameron is a fan of the hit BBC comedy Gavin and Stacey.  He's particularly keen on Stacey.  Amen.  Here's a taste of the tidy comedy...

Another day, another 20% lead

The Sunday Times also has these interesting findings:

"With the economic news getting gloomier by the day, Cameron and George Osborne, the shadow chancellor, enjoy a two-to-one lead over Brown and Alistair Darling when people were asked whom they trusted to run the economy.  But public opinion appears to be still in a state of flux. Asked whether the Tories would be better at handling Britain’s current problems, only 33% thought they would, while 36% said they would not."

David Cameron, in Georgia, warns Russia that it will be held responsible for atrocities carried out in areas it has invaded

Earlier today David Cameron met with Georgian President Saakashvili during a flying visit to Tbilisi.

He issued this statement:

"I'm here as a politician representing one of the world's oldest democracies to show support for one of the world's newest. We are absolutely right to stand by a country, its democracy and its territorial integrity when it has been violated in this way."

He also said this to the BBC:

"What I've heard is there's a real danger that the militias that are in the areas that the Russians occupy may well be carrying out appalling atrocities.  Reports are beginning to come in, obviously we need the evidence, but a very clear message needs to go out to the Russians that while they are in control of this territory - which they shouldn't be - anything that happens there is their responsibility. If atrocities have taken place, they will be held to account for that."

ConservativeHome comment: "We join with Iain Martin, The Sun and others who have been impressed by David Cameron's resolute response to the Russia-Georgia crisis.  Mr Cameron has been the most prime ministerial figure in British politics over the last week.  He identified Russia as the principal villain of the affair on Monday and then used his press conference on Tuesday to set out a range of measures that the world's democracies should be willing to take against Russia.  He was right to go to Tbilisi today and to show solidarity with the Georgian people.  We must all hope that reports of atrocities in Russian-controlled territory are untrue."

> Watch a video of David Cameron talking to the BBC (three minutes).

David Cameron explains his support for late term abortions for a 'disabled foetus'

At one of his 'Cameron Direct' meetings, on Wednesday evening in Barrow-in-Furness, David Cameron was asked if he would favour "unborn children who are disabled [having] the same protection under the law as currently enjoyed by all other children".  Current law stops a pregancy from being terminated after 24 weeks unless the foetus has a disability.  Mr Cameron's answer was "no" (confirming reports from March) and John Smeaton of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children has blogged the Conservative leader's full explanation:

"A short answer first then a longer one. My personal view about that is no. I think abortion votes, and votes on embryology, and votes on all of those things should be free votes. They are matters of conscience and on the last embryology bill we’ve just had I pushed very hard (if you remember, the Prime Minister wanted to have whipped votes like they had whipped votes in the House of Lords) and I said this is wrong; this is a conscience issue; this is one where MP’s have got to examine their consciences, listen to their constituents, and explain their positions and it should always be a free vote. So it should always be a free vote. My own view is yes, I think that we should change the abortion limit down from 24 towards 20 weeks; I voted that way and I think it would be right to do that. But in the case of parents who have medical evidence that they may have a very disabled child, I would not want to change that. And I speak as someone, I mean, I’ve got a six year old boy who is severely disabled has cerebral palsy and is quadriplegic and he’s a sweet boy, he’s a lovely boy Ivan, and, you know, it is though incredibly tough bringing up disabled children and I don’t want to kind of put myself in the position of saying to other parents you’ve got to go ahead and have that child or you can’t have an abortion or you can do this or you can’t do that. Personally Ivan, he’s brought incredible things to my life but it is an enormous challenge and I don’t think it’s right to sort of tell other parents if you hear that you’ve got a very disabled child on the way, that actually doing something about it isn’t an option. That’s my view.”

The Daily Mail takes up the story this morning and quotes Jim Dobbin MP's disapproval of the Tory leader's position.  Mr Dobbin, a Labour MP and chairman of the all-party Parliamentary pro-life group, said:

"This is an equality issue. His statement allows abortion up to birth for the disabled and this sends out a horrifying message to people with disabilities. This is telling people with disabilities that they have fewer human rights than people without disabilities. Many people with severe disabilities have contributed greatly to humanity."

Caroline Spelman slumps in shadow cabinet league table

ConservativeHome now carries out its shadow cabinet surveys just once every two months.  The latest ratings are below with most recent on the right and reflect the votes of 1,587 members.  For new readers the percentages equal the number of members who say they are satisfied with the individual minus those dissatisfied.

Some movements of note:

• Eric Pickles has moved into second spot after shooting to near the top of the league after Crewe and Nantwich.  The Telegraph's Iain Martin has reported some briefing against Eric Pickles in recent days from key Cameroons.  They are trying to paint Eric as some sort of media tart who doesn't share credit.  ConHome spoke to Eric on most days during the Crewe campaign and he constantly paid tribute to the work of others, not least Stephen Gilbert.  This nasty briefing should stop.
• Michael Gove actually moves up one percentage point, suggesting no knock from his controversial 'Zoo' and 'Nuts' remarks.
• Andrew Lansley has now completely restored his standing following the slump that followed his interview to The Times about NHS spending.
• Dominic Grieve - who members most wanted in the shadow cabinet at the turn of the year - earns a first rating of +40%.  Perfectly respectable but well down on former Shadow Home Secretary David Davis' final rating of +87%.
• It's good to see solid improvements in the standings of Owen Paterson and Andrew Mitchell.  Members must have noticed Mr Mitchell's leading role in the hugely successful Rwanda trip and Owen Paterson's pivotal role in the new alliance with the Ulster Unionists.
• After so long rated poorly, Francis Maude is now scoring +18%.  His important preparations-for-government work may be the factor.
• The survey is obviously bad news for Party Chairman Caroline Spelman.  More members are now dissatisfied with her than satisfied.  From the beginning we have believed in Mrs Spelman's integrity but only a 100% exoneration from the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is now likely to restore her standing.

1. William Hague +87% | +89% | +83%
2. Eric Pickles +42% | +76% | +82%
3. George Osborne +66% | +72% | +75%
4. Chris Grayling +62% | +64% | +70%
5. Michael Gove +55% | +62% | +63%
6. Liam Fox +64% | +71% | +62%
7. Alan Duncan +57% | +65% | +58%
8. Lord Strathclyde +51% | +55% | +52%
9. Andrew Lansley +32% | +42% | +50%
10. Nick Herbert +44% | +45% | +49%
11. Philip Hammond +35% | +44% | +48%
12. Pauline Neville-Jones +38% | +39% | +44%
13. Dominic Grieve N/A | N/A | +40%
14. Patrick McLoughlin +20% | +33% | +35%
15. Jeremy Hunt +26% | +30% | +31%
16. Oliver Letwin +20% | +31% | +29%
17. Owen Paterson +19% | +21% | +26%
18. Andrew Mitchell +18% | +16% | +25%
19. David Willetts +22% | +23% | +22%
20. Peter Ainsworth +20% | +24% | +21%
21. Francis Maude -9% | +15% | +18%
22. Sayeeda Warsi +27% | +20% | +16%
23. Theresa May +10% | +20% | +15%
24. Cheryl Gillan +13% | +16% | +14%
25. Theresa Villers +10% | +8% | +10%
26. David Mundell -2% | +3% | +1%
27. Caroline Spelman +30% | +32% | -7%

Sandy Bruce-Lockhart has died

Tim Montgomerie writes:

"News has reached me of the death of one of the most likeable and principled of modern Conservatives. Lord Bruce-Lockhart died this morning after a long battle against cancer. He was an innovative Conservative leader in local government and a passionate supporter of the party's social justice agenda. He'll be hugely missed. Much more to follow."

1.45pm Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP pays tribute:

"Sandy was a hugely successful leader of Kent County Council, often blazing a trail on welfare reform and other aspects of policy which even the Labour Government learned from. He was an iconic example to Conservatives around the country, during our ‘wilderness’ years,  as he showed how, whilst still staying true to Conservative principles of delivering taxpayer value, it was also possible to be compassionate and use the power of Government to deliver to the worst off in society. Under Sandy, Kent was a very well run model of local government working for local people.

"Yet Sandy showed us something else. In this celebrity obsessed media age, Sandy was able to show that it is character, not superficial charisma that count when the public needs well run government. His polite and soft spoken manner belied a steely determination to get the job done, with the minimum of fuss, which is the hallmark of a true leader.

"However it is as a friend and supporter of my Centre for Social Justice, that I will always remember him. Right from the start when few people wanted to know about the project, Sandy volunteered to help the Centre, certain in the belief that putting Social Justice at the heart of Conservative politics was critical to its future. He was a committed friend and his advice and support was invaluable, for which I will always be in his debt.

"I have lost a remarkable friend, the Conservative Party has lost a political giant and the country has lost a loyal, honest and true public servant.

"God speed you Sandy.  My thoughts are with his family at this difficult time."

3pm Tribute from Party Chairman Caroline Spelman:

"I am very sorry to hear of Sandy's death. He was an exceptionally able local government leader, and Kent will forever be in his debt for his innovative ideas. I was particularly impressed by the way he used his skills to fight the corner of councils throughout the country as chair of the LGA. He and John Prescott, with whom he frequently dealt with in Government, were unlikely sparring partners, but I think John would acknowledge the elegant way Sandy led the LGA .   Sandy came from a diplomatic family and this really showed when he was negotiating."

6.15pm: Tribute from Party leader David Cameron:

"Sandy Bruce-Lockhart was a visionary leader of Kent County Council and put forward powerful arguments about empowering local government which all parties have listened to.  He made a huge contribution to public life as chairman of English Heritage and head of the Local Government Association and will be sadly missed.  My thoughts are with Tess and the family at this sad time."

Gove highlights north-south gap in A-level results

CCHQ has just released Shadow Children's Secretary Michael Gove's reaction to this year's A-level results:

“These results reflect the hard work of students and teachers. The individual achievements of the thousands who have done so well should be celebrated. We wish all those that have applied for university the best of luck with finding a suitable place.”

But Mr Gove's more interesting remarks focus on the fact that 29.1% of passes in the South East were Grade A but only 19.8% in the North East.  CCHQ research suggests that "the Grade A pass rate has improved by 6.1% since 2002 while it has improved by only 2.1% over the same time in the North East."  Mr Gove commented:

“It is very worrying that there is such a large gap in achievement between different areas of the country. The Government is letting down children in the more disadvantaged areas who, as a result, fall behind throughout their time in school. It underlines yet again the need for reform to create new good school places so that children in the less well-off areas get the same opportunities as others."

John Major is going to be judged a lot more kindly by history than by the press of his time

Daniel Finkelstein pens a provocative piece today: "The British voter never gets it wrong. At every election in the past 80 years the right party has won."

Our proposition for the day is a little more modest: John Major is going to be judged a lot more kindly by history than by the press of his time.

Sandwiched between one of Britain's greatest-ever Prime Ministers and by one of the world's most formidable politicians, John Major had to withstand some challenging comparisons.  But Gordon Brown is probably coming to his rescue.  Rob Wilson MP has already noted that comparisons with John Major flatter the current PM.  But Gordon Brown's greatest gift to Sir John may yet to arrive.

The consensus is that John Major led the Tories to one of the worst election results in British history.  Undoubtedly true by any historical comparison but what if Labour loses comparably badly in 2010?  John Major's defeat will look less unusual and more a product of volatility in the electorate and of a mood for change that sets in after a long period of one party being in power.

In time historians may remember John Major not so much for 1997 but for the strengths and weaknesses of his time in power.  The downs were Black Wednesday and his government's awful role in the break up of Yugoslavia.  The ups were Michael Howard's successes on crime and the golden economic legacy that Brown squandered.

'David Cameron's favourite think tank'

ConHome's Tim Montgomerie has worried about this before but it's been obvious for some time that Policy Exchange and the Conservative Party had grown too close. Both are at fault but PX itself needs to take the lion's share of the blame. Outgoing PX Director Anthony Browne (outgoing because he's off to join a host of other ex-PXers working for the Tories) cultivated the idea that they were 'David Cameron's favourite think tank' - at least once suppressing material that could be uncomfortable for the party.  A recent analysis of their press coverage revealed that one of their top reasons for press mentions was their (genuine) closeness to Team Cameron.

The Tory leadership will be reconsidering the benefits of having a 'favourite think tank' when they survey this morning's (unthinking) press cuttings...

The press cuttings refer to a report edited by PX's Oliver Marc Hartwich on the difficulties of government policies that attempt to thwart profound changes in the geographical balance of the UK economy.  It's a thoughtful report (debated over at CentreRight) and exactly the sort of report that PX should be publishing.  But Chris Grayling had to disown it this morning - concerned to avoid the report overshadowing David Cameron's tour of nine marginal northern seats, beginning today.

As PX Chairman Charles Moore considers who should replace Anthony Browne he should think of appointing someone who has no ambitions to be a Tory MP or a Tory adviser.  He needs someone of independent mind and someone who will be happy working at Policy Exchange for a number of years to come.  If rumoured applicants like James Bethell, Camilla Cavendish or Alice Thomson fit that bill, all well and good.  Mr Moore also needs to find someone to replace Chief Economist Dr Hartwich.  Graeme Leach, Chief Economist at the IoD, would be perfect.  Economic issues are back in spades and Mr Leach would provide the kind of challenging advice that the Tories need to hear.

None of this is to say that PX isn't a successful think tank.  It is.  PX's research on school choice, housing and Islamic extremism has added handsomely to the public square.  But they must not be tempted to follow the model of the IPPR.  The IPPR enjoyed incredible access to Labour ministers during the Blair years but many suspected that their advice was conditioned by needing to maintain that access.   Britain's challenges are too considerable for a less-than-frank conversation between the Conservative Party and centre right thinkers.

Vote now in the ConservativeHome survey

The latest ConservativeHome survey is now live. This month, in addition to the regular questions, we ask if you are still content with the vote you made in the 2005 Conservative leadership election. We also seek your views on recent Tory statements on 'Nuts' and 'Zoo' and cinema certification. The survey is also your first opportunity to rate the new Shadow Home Secretary, Dominic Grieve.

Click here to take survey.

Apologies if you have already voted. During last week a control population was invited to take the survey. If you have voted please don't vote again. The software only allows one vote from any IP address.

Cameron sets out action plan against bullying Russia

A very bronzed David Cameron has just completed his monthly press conference. Highlights are posted below.

The summer grid: Mr Cameron noted that the Tories were continuing to fire on all cylinders over the summer.  He noted initiatives by Chris Grayling on cities, Michael Gove on education and by Nick Herbert and Dominic Grieve on crime.  George Osborne would be back next week and would be unpacking elements of the Conservatives' economic recovery plan.  Later today the party would be holding a conference on the future of the housing industry.  He condemned Labour's "reckless" briefing on stamp duty and its effect of "freezing" the housing market.  Tomorrow Mr Cameron begins a three day tour of nine marginal seats in the north west of England.  His tour will include two of his 'Cameron Direct' meetings.

Georgia: The bulk of Mr Cameron's introductory remarks focused on the crisis in Georgia.  He revealed that he had spoken to John McCain yesterday and to the Polish Foreign Minister.  He repeated his view that Russia has used massive and disproportionate force and that he feared that Russia was intent on toppling  a democratically-elected government and crippling a sovereign country.  The crisis had "profound implications" he said and if Russian aggression was unchecked there would be more problems in the future.  Would Russia seek to exert control over territories inhabited by Russian citizens in Ukraine or the Baltic states, he asked?  Although Georgian strategy had been "misguided" the real villain was clearly Russia.  He suggested:

• A debate of the situation at the UN General Assembly
• Suspension of visa access to Britain for certain Russian nationals
• Possible suspension of Russian membership of G8
• A clear timetable for Georgian membership of NATO.

Dominic Grieve to make it easier for police to conduct surveillance

The Guardian reports that Shadow Home Secretary Dominic Grieve is to propose amendments to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act so that it is simpler for the police to conduct surveillance on those suspected of non-terrorist offences.  The article quotes Tory concerns that one police officer recently spent thirteen-and-a-half hours filling out paperwork in order to follow a burglar with three previous convictions.

According to The Guardian Mr Grieve wants the police to have automatic rights to:

• "Use covert video or listening devices in premises or vehicles.
• Watch premises to identify or arrest suspects.
• Conduct visual surveillance of public locations.
• Patrol, in uniform or plain clothes.
• Use thermal imaging and X-ray technology.
• Conduct surveillance using visible CCTV cameras."

Earlier in the summer the outgoing chair of the Local Government Association, Sir Simon Milton, highlighted local authorities' use and misuse of surveillance powers.

Mr Grieve's is the second announcement of a week that is dedicated to crime in the Tories' summer media grid. Yesterday's announcement was from Nick Herbert on stricter bail conditions.

'Go to conservatives.com now and decide which tax you want cut...'

Will it be Hillary? No. Will it be John Edwards? Not any more. Will it be Bill Richardson? Possibly. Will it be Evan Bayh or Tim Kaine? Both men come from key states and are more likely.

Barack Obama's pick for the Vice Presidential slot is one of the most hotly-discussed issues in American politics.  And who will know first?  Unless it leaks it will be all those Americans who sign up for email or text alerts from the Obama campaign.  As The Guardian notes, this is just the latest example of Team Obama's revolutionary use of the internet to produce the best-funded and best-supported campaign in US political history.

Last week we discussed what CCHQ should do with conservatives.com.  Here's another idea.  David Cameron cannot recruit email addresses with a promise to reveal his VP pick but what if he gave voters the opportunity to decide two or three key aspects of his manifesto?  For example:

• George Osborne could decide that the Tories would cut £3bn in his first budget (forget for the moment that tax cuts are probably off his agenda) and he could ask voters whether they wanted the relief to be targeted on, say, council tax, higher income tax thresholds or a cut in stamp duty. People could take part in an online debate and then vote. The vote would be binding.

It would be important that these online votes weren't used to determine core beliefs.  Conservatives.com wouldn't be asking people to decide whether the party was a tax cutting or tax increasing party, but which tax could be cut.  Such online votes would be the first serious steps by a British political party to acknowledge the internet age.  Votes could also help to decide which Bills would be the first priority of an incoming Conservative government.  What do you think?

Cameron attacks Russia's "disproportionate and despicable" behaviour

PoliticsHome has captured David Cameron's description of Russia as a "dangerous bully".

"We should be working with our European partners and making clear that what Russia has been doing and is doing is completely unacceptable.  What Russia has done is use massive and disproportionate force. It is acting as a dangerous bully. I think there's a simple point here - the only language that bullies understand is when someone stands up to them. Think of the implications for the Baltic states, Are we going to allow Russia to behave in this way in relation to other countries? What Russia is doing is disproportinate and is despicable."

In terms of actions, Mr Cameron made it clear that NATO should have been more positive about Georgia's accession:

"I think part of the problem here is that NATO was rather unclear over whether Georgia could have accelerated membership. I think that if Georgia was a member of NATO we'd have greater leverage over how it behaved. We need to speed up NATO membership. Let's be clear that it is Russia who has violated Georgia's territory. There are very worrying consequences if Europe doesn't act, NATO doesn't act, and speak clearly with one voice."

What a welcome contrast with Mr Hague's early caution.  The next step should be to warn Russia that it risks expulsion from the G8; a threat already made by John McCain.

This development will leave ultra-loyalist website Platform10 in a quandary.  It rushed to William Hague's defence this morning, applauding William Hague's caution.  We applaud Mr Cameron's solidarity with Georgia.

Any questions for the Mayor of London?

Boris Johnson's 100th day as Mayor of London is this Thursday.

To mark the occasion the most powerful Tory in the nation has agreed to answer questions from ConservativeHome readers.

Please leave them in the thread below and Boris has agreed to answer a selection of them (chosen by ConHome) by the end of the week...

The very cautious William Hague

Late on Saturday we noted William Hague's response to the crisis in Georgia.  It was, to say the least, cautious.

Mr Hague's intervention contrasts with much more robust statements from other world leaders.  The presidents of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia issued a joint statement condemning 'the naked aggression' of Russia.  John McCain endorsed that statement and identified Russia as the principal villain of the piece.  Dick Cheney has said that Russian aggression must not go unanswered.  David Miliband has "deplored" the shelling of Georgia.

In an excellent piece for Iain Dale's blog, Helen Szamuely notes how Russia has been observing EU weakness for many years now:

"Nothing happened when she broke business agreements and harassed Russian and business firms or when the government acquired control over the Russian media and started limiting activity on the part of others like the BBC Russian Service or when her troops crossed into Transdniestria (in Moldova), Abkhazia and South Ossetia (both in Georgia). The West said nothing when Russian planes started buzzing Georgian territory (and I don’t mean South Ossetian or Abkhazian either) and blowing up various installations; it said nothing when Russia turned off agreed supplies of gas or oil to countries it disapproved of, like the Baltic states, Ukraine and the Czech Republic.

Then came the final surrender: earlier this year at the NATO Summit Germany, France, Spain and the Benelux countries “stood up to the Americans” and did what the Russian government wanted them to do: rejected the notion of putting Georgia and Ukraine on the path to membership. The final communiqué actually reversed that stance and made it clear that NATO will consider this autumn the two countries as potential members but that gave the Russians a time limit on action that they knew they would get away with."

Perhaps it is good politics for the Tories to say little on foreign policy.  To stay out of this dispute.  To refuse to back the surge of troops in Iraq.  To refuse to say whether we'll increase the funding of Britain's overstretched army.  To refuse to say how we want to reshape our relations with the EU.  But a government-in-waiting won't be able to stay quiet forever.

Related link: "Russia has yet to understand its Cold War defeat was moral as well as strategic" says Dan Lewis on CentreRight

Nick Herbert plans tougher bail conditions

One year ago Gary Newlove was murdered by a suspect on bail.  It seems an appropriate time for Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Herbert to make a commitment to toughen both bail conditions and the punishments for those who break those conditions.  Mr Herbert's proposals are summarised in the graphic on the right.  They are the first announcements in a week that the Tories have identified as 'crime week' in their summer grid. David Cameron has returned from holiday today and is expected to play a part in this themed week.

Nearly 13,000 people were fined for breaching bail conditions last year but the average fine was just £61.07.  Latest data says that 13% of defendants charged with murder, and 85% of manslaughter suspects, were on bail.  Commenting Mr Herbert said:

“The current system is not working – bail is too easily granted, frequently breached and improperly enforced.  Public confidence is undermined when bail conditions are routinely breached, offenders hold the criminal justice system in contempt, and new victims of crime are created unnecessarily.  It is time to tighten the bail laws and put public safety first.”

Speaking on Radio 4 this morning, Mr Herbert pointed to similar reforms already enacted in Scotland.  These had included a consideration of "public safety" in the decision to grant bail and had enjoyed cross-party support.  They also seem to be consistent with the European Convention on Human Rights.

Brown turns to scorched earth tactics to reverse 20% poll deficit

The latest YouGov poll, for today's News of the World, shows Brown still adrift by 20%.

The Sunday Times"provides us with Mr Brown's entirely predictable response, more public spending:

"More than 7m families who receive child benefit are to be given a one-off payment of £150 to help meet soaring fuel bills under plans being drawn up by Gordon Brown.  The £1 billion handout is expected to form a key part of the prime minister’s autumn fightback after a dismal first 14 months in power."

In a leading article The Sunday Times says the spending spree will do nothing to save Mr Brown's political skin or Britain's economic fortunes:

"All the signs are that Mr Brown intends to spend very large amounts of taxpayers’ money in an ultimately doomed effort to save his political skin. This spending is likely to make almost no difference to the looming tsunami of higher inflation, plunging house prices, repossessions, rocketing fuel bills, rising unemployment and bankruptcies that make up the true state of the economy and which will terminate his premiership."

We've started a new ToryDiary category so we can keep an eye on Mr Brown's scorched earth tactics, as predicted by Fraser Nelson.