Talking to ConHome, Jeremy Hunt said:
"David Cameron is absolutely determined that the Conservatives will be the most technologically literate of all parties at next election. That requires a root and branch reform of our campaigning. Online campaigning is essential to reaching younger voters who don't have tribal loyalties of many older voters. It is a huge challenge for us to match what America's political parties did in the presidential elections. Having seen the online team that has been assembled I am hopeful that we'll be able to stay ahead of the game. I'm really looking forward to my new role."
This new role for Jeremy Hunt is confirmation of the Tory leadership's high view of him.
Alongside Eric Pickles and Chris Grayling he is a hot tip to be the next Party Chairman if Caroline Spelman is moved or resigns. The Observer's Gaby Hinsliff reports that Mrs Spelman may receive an "unsatisfactory acquittal". The length of the inquiry into Mrs Spelman's employment of her former nanny and secretary is of enormous frustration to the Tory leadership. With CCHQ ready for an election as early as next month - and more possibly by April - David Cameron may now decide it's too close to an election to change Chairman.
Great! Jeremy Hunt will do an excellent job I'm sure.
I'm not entirely sure why CS doesn't realise that her continued restricted chairmanship is losing us impact and votes potentially.
Noone is forcing her to stay in situ. She has the option to resign honourably just saying the truth ie that she cannot do a proper job with this distraction around her and that for the good of the party she has decided to go.
Aside from the fact that this is the decent thing to do for the party, it would be best for her too, in the long run. It would be a much better outcome for her. why can't she see this? She could come out of it with honour rather than everyone being frustrated by what almost amounts to selfishness.
Posted by: support the strivers | December 11, 2008 at 13:59
They need to be technically literate when it comes to the issues around online stuff too with labour trying to inflict their monitoring and censorship in places it's not wanted/warranted without understanding the technicalities.
...but showing a good online campaign is part way to saying that they are at least keeping up with the times.
Posted by: Norm Brainer | December 11, 2008 at 14:01
This is fantastic news! Jeremy is a long-standing friend of mine (he was my ward chairman at one stage) and I know him to be a first-class communicator and a brilliant ideas man!
Good luck with it Jeremy and I look forward to seeing lots more ideas come to fruition from you about how the Party can improve its online campaigning.
Posted by: Sally Roberts | December 11, 2008 at 14:02
Good news. One only has to look at the result he got at the last election to see this is a man who knows how to communicate.
Posted by: Andrew Woodman | December 11, 2008 at 14:15
Great! Now we just need an online operation worthy of the man.
Posted by: Hoopla | December 11, 2008 at 14:49
I was at the style v substance fringe debate at conference where Jeremy spoke. Unlike some of his colleagues, I think he has an understanding and appreciation of the Labour Party's meeja management and given the right support will help us respond appropriately.
Posted by: Praguetory | December 11, 2008 at 14:58
Great ! Super ! Smashing ! Can I sell all my property and give it to this man who is surely the Risen Christ of British, indeed world, politics.
Why do we have to fall on every minor appointment we the glee of LabRats on coke ? Good luck to him, but a few poorly understood techie initiatives (like the buttock cruchingly awful WebCameron) will not get the Tories into Number 10.
Strivers is spot on. Caroline Spellman should just do the decent thing. But so should George Osborne. Tory polls have gone straight down since he dallied by the Helispont with Lord Mandelvort.
Get Osborne out, and William Hague in as Shadow Chancellor and Tory polls will shoot up 10 points again. No Web-Czar needed.
It would be so much fun to see Hague play with Darling. He is wasted on Foreign Affairs (who cares any more - Blair blew it all for the UK). Promote Richmond Willy now !
Posted by: LondonToryTruthDrug | December 11, 2008 at 15:16
Glad I voted for him in 2005.
Posted by: RichardJ | December 11, 2008 at 15:27
Excellent choice. Jeremy Hunt has a lot of potential, good luck to him.
Posted by: Votedave | December 11, 2008 at 16:13
Very good, but I'd lay off the "older tribal voters" angle a bit because unless I hear something I want to hear on Europe, our taxes and our monetary systems which need all our taxes to support the banks so they can perpetuate the cycle of debt this country has instead of sharing it within our economy, then I'll not be voting Conservative at the next Election like a lot of other people I imagine.
And saying as I've voted Conservative since 1972 I guess I'm one of those tribal voters who's sick of being taken for a ride by politicians who no longer need my support once they've gotten into government.
Enter: Manifesto Pledge.
Enter: European Policy to regain my sovereignty.
Enter: Different economics which doesn't tip my money down the drain.
Posted by: rugfish | December 11, 2008 at 19:08
"LondonToryTruthDrug":Why do we have to fall on every minor appointment we the glee of LabRats on coke ?
You misrepresent us there, probably deliberately. But why shouldn't people express their pleasure when a valued colleague gets a new role, or does good work?
It would certainly happen on any other team as well, and makes a change from the continual knocking from some of the usual suspects!
Well done, Mr Hunt - I think the challenge of transforming the Party's online campaigning is one of those boundless tasks that you can probably make as big as you want to...
Posted by: Richard Carey | December 12, 2008 at 20:51