Questions for you

The end-October survey of Tory members and ConHome readers goes 'into the field' tomorrow. Please use the thread below to suggest questions.

Comments

[Simon Denis]

Are you a life-long, occasional or first-time Tory voter?

[HF]

Are your Conservative councillors following national Conservative policies or more national Labour policies?

[Sammy Finn]

Do you favour more borrowing to get us out of recession?

[Malcolm Dunn]

Good question HF. This is something we Conservative councillors need to think about far more. Why are we allowing England to be covered in houses at the behest of the government when it seems no one is going to be able to buy them?

[Andrew Lilico]

In addition to any general policy stance you have (e.g. perhaps the belief that spending and taxation should be always lower than at present), during the current economic downturn should the Conservative Party have a specific recession-fighting policy of:

a) Raising taxes and/or cutting expenditure so as to prevent debt from rising rapidly

b) Allowing debt to rise naturally as tax receipts fall and benefits payments rise, but neither actively cut taxes nor actively raise public spending

c) Raise public spending, perhaps in a public works programme, allowing debt to rise

d) Cut taxes temporarily, allowing debt to rise

e) Some other strategy

[Andrew Lilico]

Another question

1) Do you support the decision to recapitalise the UK's banks with public money?

2) Regardless of your view on (1), do you believe that the Conservative Party should have adopted a consensus approach to the government's decision to recapitalize the banks?

[snegchui]

Which of the below do you believe to be Conservative Policy in dealing with the current finacial crisis?

More Govt spending
Less Govt spending
More Tax Cuts
Less Tax cuts
Interest Rate cuts to 3% or to 1%

And add a few more.
My guess is that an unclear picture will emerge which may provoke some more clarity.

[Libertarian]

Do you think that George Osborne is qualified to be Chancellor of The Exchequer?

[Councillor]

Excellent question HF - and not just relevant to housebuilding. Other areas of concern include:

Expanding services instead of reducing council tax
Gobbledygook instead of Plain English
Increasing surveillance and powers for council employees
Fixed notice penalties and parking charges
Alternate weekly collections
Excessive member allowances and patronage

to name but a few...

[Henry Mayhew - ukipper]

Can we still afford new aircraft carriers and the £20bn Trident replacement?

Should the Conservatives pledge to repeal Gordon Brown's tax on pensions?

Should David Cameron pledge a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty even if it has been passed?

Should George Osborne be moved to a shipping or perhaps tourism/hospitality brief?

[Scott]

Do you support Theresa Villier's proposal for a high speed rail line by 2027 rather than a third runway at Heathrow Airport?

[Ulster Tory]

How much do you dislike Peter Mandelson? (1 being sufficiently and 10 being immeasurably)

;-)

[Edison Smith]

Please provide a simple, catchy slogan that you think the Conservatives can best use to summarise Brown's and Labour's failings that have led to up to, and during, this economic crisis.

We will take what we think is the best one and make it into a poster - for distribution on the web and elsewhere.

[Iain]

Exactly what is it that the Conservative party wants to achieve if they get to office?

[Henry Mayhew - ukipper]

Do you understand why Nathanial Rothschild has not been served with a writ?

[Edison Smith]

In continuation from my post above, and mentioned in a thread on our diminishing poll lead:

An issue for the Conservatives is that the events are so huge, and Brown and his party's failings so vast, that it is difficult to know where to start in terms of attacking Labour in a way that will resonate with the public.

What we need - and as previously discussed on a previous thread - is a simple slogan/soundbite that is an effective and immediate way to convey to Joe Public on the doostep and in the media that will ram home the point.

ConHome, like last year, should run a competition for posters that best pin Brown and Labour to their failings, but with more emphasis on the actual slogan than the image.

Remember that brilliant poster of 'Crash Gordon'?

[Mark Wadsworth]

May I suggest a supplementary question to Andrew Lilico's above...

1) Do you support the decision to recapitalise the UK's banks with public money?

2) Regardless of your view on (1), do you believe that the Conservative Party should have adopted a consensus approach to the government's decision to recapitalize the banks?

3) Regardless of your views on (1) or (2), do you believe that debt-for-equity-swaps (as outlined recently on ConHome by Mark Reckless) would have been the least-bad solution?

(for more details, click 'Mark Wadsworth' below)

[snegchui]

Edison Smoth's suggestion:
I know JK Rowling has chucked her lot in with GB, but The Dementor thing could run:
He sucked the life out of pensions
He sucked the life out of the Gold Reserves
He sucked the life out of NHS out-of-hours cover
He sucked the life out of Police morale
And now he's sucking the life out of the economy.
Maybe a Vampyr a la Rory Bremner ...

[Millsee]

Where do you think national Conservative Party policy is:

(a) strongest

(b) weakest?

[Edison Smith]

Not bad snegchui!

Mine is a bit tame in comparison:

"Labour's Lies . Labour's failures. Labour's recession."

[Steve Green (Daily Referendum Blog).]

Is the man who got us into this financial crisis the right man to get us out of it?

[Fed Up]

Does the Conservative Party's lack of policies and their inability to say clearly and exactly what they would do, drive you mad?

[Roger Evans]

Does everyone still support the plan to ditch David Cameron once we've won the election ?

[Onemarcus]

Should Brown be called a liar for falsely claiming that 1.3 million homes are powered by wind farms?

[Tony Makara]

Do you think the British economy has become reliant on services?

Would you like to see the revival of traditional sectors such as manufacturing and agriculture to give the British economy more balance?

[Matthew Oliver]

Here's a question which should be asked!

Given recent press revelations about foriegn donations do you think that Lord Ashcroft should publically declare his tax status and whether he is registered to vote in the UK?

[Resident Leftie]

Do you think the conservatives should offer a genuine small state, low tax alternative to Labour, understanding that this will mean lower public expenditure?

Do you think "reform from within" is possible in the EU? If it's not possible, should we leave the EU?

[Lindsay Jenkins]

a) What is the current Conservative policy on the EU?

b) What do you think Conservative policy on the EU should be?

[Lindsay Jenkins]

a) What is the current Conservative policy on the EU?

b) What do you think Conservative policy on the EU should be?

[Patsy Sergeant]

Edison Smith @ 19.09 - 'What we need.... is a simple slogan/souondbite that is an effective and immediate way to convey to Joe Public on the doorstep....'

I absolutely agree with you Edison Smith AND with your subsequent comment -

'Labour Lies, Labour's Failures, Labour's Recession!' Printed in large RED capitals!!

Steve Green @ 20.34 - 'Is the man who got us into this financial crisis the right man to get us out of it?'

I would answer that - Of course he is NOT, but what can we do about it!

[GB£.com]

Following Greg Hands post:

Britain and the Euro. Which of the following do you most support:

a) Britain should never join.
b) We should keep our options open.
b) Britain should definitely join.

[Tim Montgomerie]

Thanks everyone. On this occasion I plan to use questions from Andrew L, Scott and GB£.

[Eveleigh Moore-Dutton]

Do you know how the Conservative party would 'support the NHS'?