Is David Cameron the best Tory leader since 1997?

Should David Davis be brought back into the shadow cabinet?

What should be the Tories' number one public spending priority?

Is it time that Britain became a secular state?

These and other questions are waiting for your answers here.

Comments

[meli]

Maybe I am dumb but what do you mean by "calls" on public spending? Is that a good thing or a bad thing? More of or less of? Sorry, I really don't understand and I'll wait for someone to answer before I take this survey. Thanks in advance!
:D

[Tim Montgomerie]

I simply mean "demands" meli.

[meli]

ah ok thanks. Sorry suffering from the flu here and my lil brain is all cloudy today.

[Sally C]

Yes he is.

[Mark Fulford]

Yes.

[David_at_Home]

No, he is the joint worst with Michael Howard.

Don't know. David Davies has some good points but somehow lacks a core theme (but so do most of the Tory Front Bench but without the good bits) .

The most vital areas of public spending concern Defence and Energy (mainly nuclear power). ALL other areas of public expenditure should be cut back.

No! Britain is a Democratic Constitutional Christian Protestant Monarchy and should stay just that since this has been central to our success for the last 300 plus years. Within this constitution, all have religious freedom. Those who don't like it can lump it.

[James]

Um...

First page:

"Sometimes David Cameron is often too cautious..."

Is it asking is he SOMETIMES too cautious, or is it asking is he OFTEN too cautious?

They have different answers, methinks!

[James]

@ David@home

No, he is the joint worst with Michael Howard.
[WHAT? you can;t be serious!]

Don't know. David Davies has some good points but somehow lacks a core theme (but so do most of the Tory Front Bench but without the good bits) .
[Meaning what exactly? That front benchers should be single issue politicians?]

The most vital areas of public spending concern Defence and Energy (mainly nuclear power). ALL other areas of public expenditure should be cut back.
(Completely agree with you!]

No! Britain is a Democratic Constitutional Christian Protestant Monarchy and should stay just that since this has been central to our success for the last 300 plus years. Within this constitution, all have religious freedom. Those who don't like it can lump it.
(Agree again! I am not religious, I do not believe in God, but I am a small 'c' conservative as well as a large 'c' Conservative, and I believe in maintaining the traditions and heritage that we have evolved as a nation over a thousand odd years]

[DJT]

Without doubt...

But i dont think any of our recent success could have been possible without Michael Howard starting the ball rolling. I think history will come to judge his role in our revival in a flattering manner! And IMHO deservedly so! His grammer school put down to Blair is still my favourite line of the Blair misery years!

IDS obviously wasn't a good choice as leader but I hear rave reviews from him from non-political 40somethings like my dad since he starting his social project.

And William Hague was in a no win situation...despite being the greatest parliamentary performer of my (relatively short) era.

[iain barnes]

The religious thing concerns me as another ploy by Mandy & Co, whilst we're all pre-occupied with the financial crisis we miss major things like this. I'd like to see DC have someone raise this a bit more in the Commons and publicly.

As for his Cabinet, for sure, at the moment they seem v. inexperienced. I am concerned should a snap poll be called, he has too many 'young ones' around him, both advising and as key ministers.

Just generally his cabinet seems to be quite weak on knowledge at times, listening to them, they never really come across as knowing what they're talking about.

[iain barnes]

oh and yes, Michael Howard is the real man behind DC's success, let us not forget that it was Howard who got the ball moving and had the vision to actually change direction.

Howard should be asked to help assuming DC wins next year. His experience, and management skills will be needed to keep his 'young guns' in check..

[Malcolm Dunn]

Easily the best.
David Davis not sure. He needs to learn to be a team player but his attributes outweigh his failings.
Britain is a very secular society which I think is Britain's loss. Undecided about disestablishing the Church of England. Arguments for both sides, head says yes,heart no.
Not sure you would class it as a spending commitment but making pensions attractive as a way of saving for both employees and employers should be a top priority.

[Geoff Middleton]

No, Cameron is very poor.
There is a misconception that the Conservative lead in the polls has to do with him.
The truth is that any of the Conservative leaders since 1997 would be in front of Brown, and further in front too, I should think.
Of course the popular David Davis should be in the SC, a no-brainer.
The number one spending priority is building coal-fired power stations. Safer and much quicker than nuclear, and we have 100s of years worth of the fuel. This of course would require the cojones to stand up to the green taliban, which Cameron won't do, another reason why he is not a good leader.
Secularism is itself a religion, with its god as the state and its own code of politically correct "ethics", of which you fall foul at your peril.
Something to which its adherents are blind, of course.

[johnC]

1. The best since 1990.
2. No
3. To reduce it as much as possible
4. No

[YMT]

1. Yes

2. Yes

3. Industry Diversification, maybe even time for Special Economic Zones

4. No

[DJT]

I often wonder if I am frowned upon for being a strong athiest and secularist in what i've always percived to be on the whole a quite Christian democratic party.

I dont like religion in politics because of how when i lived in the bible belt in the US their religion clouded the political judgement of what were normally sane rational people.

I have ideals that link very much with the good points of the major religions...I just find it hard to beleive the things that come with it, I dont think i'm going to hell, I can't stomach some anti-homosexual positions (even though I dont think civil partnerships should be called marriage) and the "pro-life" lobby (a horrible term that somehow implies i'm 'anti-life'!) I think this is another of those debate stifling lobbies...like the mad green lobby! Though I was in favour of the front bench's 20 weeks abortion limit.

Personally I think if we're honest I would expect that the vast majority of 'Christians' in the UK are non-practicing and never have practiced.

Whether that means we are already secular or not i'll leave that for you to decide...as i'm really not sure!

[GB£.com]

If Brown had called that election in 2007, someone else would most likely be Tory leader now. Even most Cameroons indirectly accept that by constantly applauding Osborne's IHT cut for scaring Brown off from calling an election.

So it would take a die-hard Cameron support to argue that his first two years as leader were a success as an election as this time would have brought another defeat.

It would be fair to say the old adage of 'Governments losing elections' is spot on, as the poll swings are clearly a judgement on Labour than on the Tories.

So the question is, if the people are tiring of Labour, have the Tories convinced the public that they offer a viable alternative. On the economy, the answer is a clear 'no'.

Boris does appear to have genuine popularity though, and his boldness constrasts sharply with the generally timid Roons.

I still hope that Cameron beats Brown, but if not, bring on Boris!

[David_at_Home]

[email protected],

Well at least we agree on the answers to 2 out of the four questions!

Concerning Tory leaders, at least William Hague is amusing and IDS sincere.

No I don't think any serious politician should confine him/herself to single issues but I do think that there should be a core set of beliefs. I'm not sure that most senior Tories have this any longer or, if they do, what it is.

Agree that there is lots of scope for cutting unproductive expenditure.

Like you, I do not really believe in the Christian faith as such but I define myself as culturally a protestant Christian. Much of our national cultural heritage and history is bound up with the C of E, the Monarchy and the interaction between the two. I have a sneaking suspicion that those who wish to disestablish the C of E are really aiming at the Monarchy. The C of E, which no-one could accuse of being fundamentalist, has a role in excluding dangerous or extreme religions from our national life whereas the Monarchy is our last line of defence against dictatorship.

[David_at_Home]

[email protected],

Well at least we agree on the answers to 2 out of the four questions!

Concerning Tory leaders, at least William Hague is amusing and IDS sincere.

No I don't think any serious politician should confine him/herself to single issues but I do think that there should be a core set of beliefs. I'm not sure that most senior Tories have this any longer or, if they do, what it is.

Agree that there is lots of scope for cutting unproductive expenditure.

Like you, I do not really believe in the Christian faith as such but I define myself as culturally a protestant Christian. Much of our national cultural heritage and history is bound up with the C of E, the Monarchy and the interaction between the two. I have a sneaking suspicion that those who wish to disestablish the C of E are really aiming at the Monarchy. The C of E, which no-one could accuse of being fundamentalist, has a role in excluding dangerous or extreme religions from our national life whereas the Monarchy is our last line of defence against dictatorship.

[Richard Calhoun]

He is the best leader we have had since 1997, however he failed to see the financial catastrophe that we are now experiencing, along with many others.
However he must now be sure to be on the front foot and come out with a radical package of public spending cuts that will reduce the disastrous public overspend and start the long haul to re-paying our debts

[Lemon curdle]

COMMENT OVERWRITTEN.

[Lemon curdle]

COMMENT OVERWRITTEN.

[John Bramham]

Is DC the best since 1997?
Well, taken in context with the times we're in now the answer is a certain maybe, but I can't help feeling that other leaders were equally as good as, if not better than David in many respects.
Will Hague, although arguably the best Blair-baiter about was too young at that time to have made any significant inroads into the NuLab majority, and went along with some really poor advice from his crew in the '01 GE.
Fact was that NuLab hadn't done anything extraordinary, either good or bad at that point, so there was little ammo to fire at them.
Iain Duncan-Smith was (and still is) a good, solid politico who had his heart in the job and was prepared to stand up and be counted; however as usual, the prima-donna Parlamentary party, always knowing what's best, decided that they didn't want him leading the party despite him having been elected by the party membership.
Pity he didn't have the chance to upend Teflon Tone in '05 - he might have succeeded where Howard failed.
When Michael stood down, I have to say that I voted for Davis over Cameron simply because he was the one who would be more likely to win over the midstream voters, being a Grammar School lad from a working-class family.
DC still appears to be a bit of a toff, and depite his eloquence at the 'box a lot of voters still dislike the idea of being led by a Public schoolboy.
Just my tupp'ence worth!
JB.

[John (Northumberland)]

Is David Cameron the best Tory leader since 1997?

Yes. But as none of the others won a GE, it's not saying too much!
He has reinvigorated the Party, his Conference speeches are masterpieces and he has a solid team/set of policies taking shape.
However, he fell for the Green nonsense and failed to spot the inevitable Brown economic implosion (I'm not being wise after the event - anyone who reads Moneyweek or Fred Harrison's book Boom Bust knew what was coming and in the case of the latter even when!)
On balance I'm a fan and I'm confident that he'll make a first class PM (again recent competition is not great!)

Should David Davis be brought back into the shadow cabinet?

Yes. We need an attack dog!

What should be the Tories' number one public spending priority?

1. New Power Stations (coal & nuclear)
2. Rectify the pension apartheid

Is it time that Britain became a secular state?

No. No. No. The socialists have systematically destroyed the fabric of our society. Force feeding us PCism, Multi-culturalism, town hall fascists, nanny knows best. Aaaargh.
The back bone of our communities has always been the Pub, Post Office & Church. There was nothing wrong with our country (until Blair/Brown got their hands on it).

[Richard]

John (Northumberland) | December 22, 2008 at 15:49

Well said, the voice of a true Englishman.

Reference the financial crisis: I am not an economist or a banker or, heaven forbid, a politician, just a plain and simple businessman, but, .... if the personal debt in this country exceeded the GDP for the two years to June 2008 I wonder to myself - where is the money coming from to repay it? ... I cannot believe I am alone in thinking this.

It is my opinion that Brown engineered the problem by deploying the strategy for the BoE to control inflation and allow 'loose money' to enable borrowing against the inevitable increase in house prices to continue driving the economy - just like the way he has managed the incredibly over indebted government spending spree. The man has single handedly destroyed this country and to continue to refer to his 'moral compass' is hypocritical in the extreme.

[Votedave]

With respect, I don't see how the first question regarding leaders since 1997 is helpful. However, David Cameron has certainly been the most successful electorally.

[John (Northumberland)]

Richard
You are right. Brown was the architect of bringing this economic disaster to our shores. And with his profligate spending/public sector obsession, ensured we were less prepared than anyone else for a downturn.

The economist Fred Harrison warned Nigel Lawson in the mid 1980's about the property led crash of 1990. And warned Brown about the crash of 2007/08 as far back as 1997. He explained why and when in his book in 2005.

How many times must this guy be proven right before we listen?

Turns out Churchill & Lloyd George realised the problem/pattern and tried to resolve it as far back as 1909.

[Shaun Bennett]

Why has the survey not included a question on members attitudes towards membership of the EU? Several people (including me) called for such a question to be included many weeks ago, and yet it seems to have been excluded.

Is our attitudes to EU membership a question that even Conservative Home is too frightened to address? I think we all know what the results would show, but I for one would like confirmation that we withdrawelists are not a heavey minority.

[Matt Wright]

Yes best leader.

[Tam Large]

Dave is neither a proper leader nor a Conservative, so the question makes little sense.

[Peter Buss]

1.DC definitely the best Leader since 1997 - I would also say 1990. There is simply no way that IDS/Hague or Howard(much though the Party has to thank the latter for) were ever going to appeal to the swing voters who were out of love with Labour -there were plenty of those in 2001 and 2005 but they either stayed at home o voted Lib/Dem.
2. Though he doesn't deserve to be back, provided it is not seen as weakness on the pat of DC, I would (reluctantly) say "yes" as DD is in some respects a biggish beast.
3.Skills and Training.
4.Britain sadly is already a secular society.

[Sally Roberts]

Yes he is!

[David Belchamber]

David Cameron has the ability to be our best leader since 1997 but, IMO, he occasionally lacks judgment (e.g. the comments on grammar schools, not moving George Osborne etc) and I would like him to be much bolder in the face the current economic crisis.

David Davis ought to return: he was very good as shadow Home Secretary, he is his own man (the conservative party is a broad church and should be able to encompass contrary views without leading to splits), his background enables him to understand real people as well as big business, he has experience, he did not go to Eton and he is clearly principled.

It is a pity that there are not quite a few more like him in our party and he should be in government.

[Ron Flemming]

He's not the best leader until he gets rid of Theresa "Swampy" Villiers.

[Anne-Marie]

Yes - the best since 1990.

No - he made his decision and that's that - although very sound policically he's an arrogant twit in character and should be taught a lesson.

Energy and food security followed by education and health.

No to the secular state :)

[MGFJ20]

Most certainly he (David Davies) should be in the Shadow Cabinet. He has a conscience, and stands by his principles.

[Bernard from Horsham]

Comres poll 39/34/16

[Bernard from Horsham]

See www.politicalbetting.com for poll details

[BLACKDAY]

WHILST I BLAME THE STATE OF THIS NATION ON GB AND NULABOUR.THE COWERING TORIES SINCE 1997 HAS MADE ME CRINGE.WITH THEIR TOUCHY FEELY ATTITUDE TO A BUNCH OF CHANCERS AND EX-TROTS.SURELY THEY COULD SEE THE TRAIN CRASH APPROACHING BUT HARDLY A SOUND.THEY SEEMED SO ENGROSSED WITH NOT ROCKING THE BOAT.TERRIFIED OF THE GUARDIANISTAS AND BBC IT WAS PAINFULL TO WATCH.AT LEAST MR.CAMERON SHOWS SOME STEEL.AS FOR THE REST OF THE CREW THEY APPEAR TO BE A LITTLE LIGHT WEIGHT.

[Jonathan]

No, he is the best leader since 1990. I think, as nice as he was, John Major only won in 1992 because of the afterburner or maggies success. never really picked up after then.

DEFENCE, DEFENCE, DEFENCE

[Ken Stevens]

I thought the disestablishment choice a bit stark: in effect, status quo v wholly secular.

On that basis, I opted for status quo even though I favour some adjustments to reflect modern circumstances.

[The Bishop Swine]

Well I must say he has been the most successful leader, Hague had loads going for him but was unable to connect with the public and of course there was the Portuguese undermining the whole darn shooting match. IDS was way way to quite and just not PM material despite being a very decent type. He of the “something of the Night about him” was far better than I had dared to hope but really was just a caretaker leader to hold ground after the hapless IDS. So Yes Dave is the best Since Major who was the best since Heath who was himself pretty useless. In reality Dave may yet turn out to be the best Tory leader for two generations but we will of course have to wait and see. One thing is certain he is the best leader we have had in the 21st Century and on the whole he seems to have a high approval rating inside the party.

[The bishops wife]

Is it time that Britain became a secular state?

No No and No again, the moment we ditch the Church they will go after the head of the Church and our head of state the Queen. There will certainly come a time when we will again need the Royal family to galvanize the British People in a way that no politician has a snow balls chance in hell of achieving.

[John Wilkin]

Cameron is fortunate in being the leader in place at the time when the present government is coming to the end of the road. I know it's easy to say this with hindsight, but Hague should have supported Howard in '97 - his turn would surely have come

[Essexboy]

Yes.

But he's still rubbish.

[Leonard Jarvis]

No to disestablishing the C of E but politicians should not choose bishops. This should be done by representatives of the General Synod under the chairmanship of the Monarch

[Adam-]

Latest survey duly filled in. And as I clicked "Don't Know" down the list of Shadow Cabinet members I am reminded yet again just how positively invisible the vast majority of them are.

Cameron needs to give them all a kick up the rear. The Shadow Cabinet is not supposed to stay in the shadows!

[Steve Foley]

Cameron the best leader since 1997? No way! Yes until recently he has done well in the Opinion Polls and Local Elections but by being all things to all men - "Tory Blair" I cannot understand why Michael Howard is given such a bad press by many Tories. He actually got the best result since 1992 when Kinnock lost that Election through his arrogance-"Sheffield Wednesday"-rather than Major winning it. He managed to cut the Labour Majority down to the mid 60s from three figures and nearly achieved the iconic 200 seats. His big mistake was to resign as party leader immediately after the 2005 election.He ought to have stayed on a while. Hague? Clever and popular with many party activists but not appealing to the ordinary voter and that voice is a real turn off. IDS? Don't make me laugh! I still cringe when I think of that dreadful " The Quiet Man turning up the volume" speech at the Party Conference. As he got down from the podium at floor level after that speech it looked as if he had just made use of one of those modern Urinals that pop up from the pavements at night.

Cameron is the best leader the Conservative Party HAS GOT! Instead of being bedazzled by his showmanship it would have been better to have voted for David Davis who certainly ought to be brought back into the Shadow Cabinet, perhaps to replace Theresa Villiers.

Spending Priority? Infrastructure and Nuclear Power Stations.

Secular State? NO WAY! Christians have retreated far too much this last 40 years and look at the mess that has resulted. By all means we should respect all Religions, but should not abandon our Christian Heritage.

[Yet Another Anon]

He actually got the best result since 1992 when Kinnock lost that Election through his arrogance-"Sheffield Wednesday"-rather than Major winning it. He managed to cut the Labour Majority down to the mid 60s from three figures and nearly achieved the iconic 200 seats.
The collapse in the Labour vote was what reduced their majority, the Conservative vote hardly moved - UKIP increased their vote by more than the Conservative Party did.

The total numbers voting Conservative in 2005 was still less than in 1997, there has been an improved percentage since 1997 because of drop in total turnout.

IDS was in my opinion the best Conservative leader since 1990 at least, in many ways at least since Winston Churchill, people were out gunning for him from the start though so no one will ever know what might have happened in 2005.

William Hague would have been better if he had kept his nerve, he rather lost it and brought Margaret Thatcher in to take a frontline in campaigning in the General Election and it made him look silly and her Mummy Returns speech showed that perhaps she had got a little out of touch with cultural developments, probably had just seen it on a poster or something. 35% of the vote should have been easily achievable in all 3 of the General Elections that the Conservatives have lost so far.

Michael Howard fired Howard Flight for stating the absolutely reasonable and blindingly obvious, he scrapped carefully developed policies and went for a sloganising approach with an immigration policy of which the flaws became rapidly obvious as it became clear that it had been thought up almost on the spur of the moment and no consideration given to how for example Asylum Seekers would be accounted for under the figures if the cap had been reached.

Both the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives fought a rather misguided and in the case of Liberal Democrats lacklustre campaign and failed to bring down a government at it's most vulnerable.

As for spending priorities - Defence, National Security, Policing, Transport, Infrastructure and R&D.

David Davis blew it when he stood down to fight a by-election against himself, he could have stood up and raised the issues he wanted in parliament, he was the Shadow Home Secretary, the one who leads for the Opposition on the issues he said he was fighting the by-election to raise - it was ludicrous.

[Robert Thompson]

Of course he is the best leader since 1997 - it's extraordinary that anyone should feel the need to ask it. In fact, as others have said, he is probably the best leader since 1990 and certainly the best leader of a Tory opposition since Thatcher.

Some of the moronic comments on here just go to demonstrate what a great achievement it is to have made the party electable and credible once again!

[Steve Foley]

"...comments on here just go to demonstrate what a great achievement it is to have made the party electable and credible once again! "

Yes but what's the point of being elected if you have sacrificed many long held principles and sold the Party's soul to do so? That is exactly what Tony Blair did to Labour and indeed he won a massive landslide in 1997 and repeated it in 2001. But to what purpose? The party that sat on the Treasury benches was NOT Labour as most would have known it, certainly not the Labour Party of Attlee or Wilson or John Smith.

It would be dreadful if the Tory party under Cameron does the same just to be "The Government". A tawdry tin-plate trophy if one has destroyed what made the Conservative Party what it is, Conservative Policies and Principles.

There is no place for Three Centre Parties in the UK System and if people have the choice of "Gordon Cameron" or "David Brown" they may feel there is no point in voting, not a good thing for Democracy.

[Steve Foley]

"...comments on here just go to demonstrate what a great achievement it is to have made the party electable and credible once again! "

Yes but what's the point of being elected if you have sacrificed many long held principles and sold the Party's soul to do so? That is exactly what Tony Blair did to Labour and indeed he won a massive landslide in 1997 and repeated it in 2001. But to what purpose? The party that sat on the Treasury benches was NOT Labour as most would have known it, certainly not the Labour Party of Attlee or Wilson or John Smith.

It would be dreadful if the Tory party under Cameron does the same just to be "The Government". A tawdry tin-plate trophy if one has destroyed what made the Conservative Party what it is, Conservative Policies and Principles.

There is no place for Three Centre Parties in the UK System and if people have the choice of "Gordon Cameron" or "David Brown" they may feel there is no point in voting, not a good thing for Democracy.

[Rod sellers]

Cameron may be the 'most appropriate' tory leader - but not the best - he is not really a 'leader'

David Davis should be in the front line but maybe his time is yet to come because we are heading into new political territory.

Mos people are heathens but all have benefitted fro a Christian Philosphy and tradition and have nothing to put in its place.

priority should be squeezing 'welfareism' out of public spending. It has become a drug and is breeding insolubleproblems.