High marks for Grayling and Pickles reflect grassroots' expectations of shadow cabinet

Posted below are the latest numbers for grassroots satisfaction with the shadow cabinet.  Most notable is the fall in satisfaction with William Hague.  He still remains in third place but Eric Pickles is now the shadow cabinet member with the highest overall satisfaction rating.  86% of members are satisfied and just 11% dissatisfied.  He leads the hard-working Chris Grayling by just 1%.  These ratings for Pickles and Grayling are a clear sign that the party membership expects industry from the frontbench.

William Hague's 12% drop may have been a consequence of the pre-Christmas story that he was determined to continue pursuing his outside interests despite reports of pressure from the leadership for a fuller commitment.

Our survey also asked if members agreed that 'David Cameron needs to order his shadow cabinet to work harder'.  73% agreed with just 15% disagreeing.

George Osborne recovers a good deal of his rating after slumping in November.  62% of members now say they were satisfied with the Shadow Chancellor and 32% dissatisfied.

FULL SHADOW CABINET RATINGS
Satisfied minus dissatisfied for September, November and December 2008 (latest numbers on right)

1. Eric Pickles +75% | +71% | +75%
2. Chris Grayling +69% | +70% | +74%
3. William Hague +82% | +85% | +73%
4. Dominic Grieve +51% | +63% | +69%
5. Michael Gove +60% | +62% | +67%
6. Alan Duncan +55% | +55% | +57% (see yesterday's ToryDiary)
7. Lord Strathclyde +50% | +52% | +55%
8. Liam Fox +52% | +46% | +44%
9. Philip Hammond +45% | +46% | +43%
10. Pauline Neville-Jones +43% | +44% | +43%
11. Nick Herbert +44% | +45% | +42%
12. Andrew Lansley +45% | +43% | +42%
13. Jeremy Hunt +33% | +39% | +36%
14. George Osborne +70% | +2% | +30%
15. Owen Paterson +23% | +24% | +29%
16. Patrick McLoughlin +33% | +26% | +28%
17. David Willetts +21% | +27% | +28%
18. Oliver Letwin +26% | +27% | +20%
19. Theresa Villers +4% | +19% | +17%
20. Greg Clark N/A | +23% | +15%
    
21. Andrew Mitchell +19% | +18% | +15%
22. Peter Ainsworth +18% | +21% | +11%
23. Francis Maude +17% | +11% | +10%
24. Sayeeda Warsi +11% | +16% | +10%
25. Cheryl Gillan +10% | +12% | +8%
26. Theresa May +5% | +3% | +7%
27. David Mundell +2% | +3% | +4%
28. Caroline Spelman -8% | -5% | -10%

1,816 party members were surveyed from 22nd to 28th December.

Comments

[Malcolm Dunn]

I'd be interested to know how many don't knows there are against each Shadow Cabinet member. I still have to put down far too many as I'm simply unaware of anything they've achieved.

[London Tory]

I marked down all but three of them.

David Cameron has played a blinder since Xmas, but the "One Man Band " impression remains. Where is the energy from the rest of them ?

Having a sking holiday in the midst of a recession is just bad politics.

Clarke and Davis must be brought back this month, and how about IDS at Social Security/Employment ?

[Adam]

$ out of the bottom 5 are women. Any particular reason this might be so? with the obvious reason for Caroline Spelman

[Adam]

That should have been '4' not $

[Alan S]

Adam: Because Cameron uses gender as a promotion criteria more than he uses ability.

[Letters From A Tory]

How Peter Ainsworth got above zero is beyond me.

[Cleethorpes Rock]

This shows that people notice hard work. We can't just rely on Cameron. Osborne needs to do more of the presentation on economic policy. If Cameron doesn't think Osborne can do it, get Ken Clarke in.

Other shadow cabinet members need to roll their sleeves up and get stuck in. Chris Grayling has shown the way forward and so should give his colleagues a kick up the a***.

[R.Baker.]

I wish to see David Cameron on tv as often as possible.I would like him to be in the company of one or two of the shadow Cabinet members in some of these.We can gain about 2% in the poll if we do this,at present DC is all "they" see,and it isn't quite enough,is it?

[Arsenal Tory]

Adam I noticed the point about the low rating of the women and wondered about it. Caroline Spelman's problems are obvious enough but Theresa Villiers has been pretty strong on Heathrow. Theresa May is also a strong media performer and the recent stuff she did on domestic violence was good solid stuff. Rating Alan Duncan, Peter Ainsworth and Andrew Mithcell above her is ludicrous.

[Dewsbury Tory]

Good point Arsenal Tory but what about our Sayeeda the Dewsbury Baroness? Her rating is holding steady but she has been in the bottom half of the table for a while. This sounds stupid and I have asked it before - but who does she Shadow? I can't find a Cabinet member for Community Cohesion within the government?

[James Maskell]

A dont know should count as a very dissatisfied in my book, therefore vds all over the place. If they are so quiet that the grassroots of the party dont know what theyve done in the past month then they should probably feel rather disappointed and therefore very dissatisfied.

I can understand why Pickles is popular in recent times after the by election win, but what has happened since then? What has he done to justify his high ratings, other than the by election victory and a campaign to replace Spelman with him (not that I complain about such a campaign)?

[Adam]

arsenal Tory @ 10.36
I think Andrew Mitchell in International Development does very good work which isn't always recognised by the media. Alan Duncan is a competent performer even if a little smug. I'm not sure what Peter Ainsworth does but he's rarely seen in the press and media.
Dewsbury Tory - I wonder what community cohesion is these days?

[Mondeo Man]

Next time include Ken Clarke in the poll. Am sure he would break the 100% barrier ;-)

[MG]

Lets be honest in terms of effort, public perception, experience and grit the following stand out as our hitters - Cameron, Davis, Clarke, IDS, Grayling and Pickles.

[Dewsbury Tory]

Adam - god knows what community cohestion is these days. We have some good people in Dewsbury trying very hard to bridge the communities together but its tough! community cohesion it seems centres just around the established muslim communities in our area when in fact, we have Poles, Iraqi Kurds, Bulgarian, Hungarian and Romanian young men in particular causing all kinds of problems - But the Baroness never speaks out - and that concerns us, she just concentrates on muslim girls and forced marraiges, when EU migration is causing nearly as many problems as extreme elements with the local muslim community in Dewsbury.

[London Tory]

Osbourne is rumoured to be lobbying for Ken Clarke now. Its a case of needs must.

[AJJM]

Good to see Gove and Paterson's ratings have risen!

[Onthejob]

" out of the bottom 5 are women. Any particular reason this might be so? with the obvious reason for Caroline Spelman"

Could it be a profile problem i rated Sayeeda Warsi very highy because i am working on our community cohesion plan in town but haven't really heard a lot form the others.

on a completly unrelated subject PCIKLES FOR PARTY CHAIRMAN

[Steve Tierney]

When I filled in the questionaire I rather hoped that the full results would be published in the New Year.

The "trickling out" of results that seems to be happening is disappointing.

[Arsenal Tory]

I think part of the problem the women are so invisible is that the men dominate everything. Party rarely puts up women for media even though they can perform credibly, particularly May. She's done well as leader of the House and makes Harman look like a joke. Maybe the men are just better at their own PR (Eric Pickles being a case in point).
What exactly does Andrew Mitchell do behind the scenes, and being behind the scenes is hardly going to win us an election. I like Peter Ainsworth and Mitchell but just don't hear or see them doing anything. We need all of the Shadow Cabinet to be visible.

[Dewsbury Tory]

Well Aresenal Tory, Baroness Warsi is tipping herself for Party Chairman in the reshuffle so maybe the point you make about the women being capable and credible but eclipsed by the men will be put to the test! The face and name of the Conservative Party in the run up to the general election - Baroness Warsi - would it work?

[Tim Montgomerie]

The final survey results will be published tomorrow Steve. Sorry if the wait has been too long!

[HF]

William Hague's ratings are still way above the level he is performing at.

Chris Grayling and Eric Pickles ratings are well deserved.

[Arsenal Tory]

Thought of Baroness Warsi as Party Chairman sends shivers down the spine although it is a bit of a non-job these days. I think Grayling would make a good Chairman but he's doing so well at Work and Pensions that would be criminal to move him.

[Dewsbury Tory]

I agree, Aresenal Tory, it would not be a wise move, she has been over promoted in my opinion far beyond her experience, work rate and capability. I would agree with Grayling, Hunt, possibly Pickles - but he his over rated too! Depends of the role of Chairman is going to be like in the old days of Tebbit and Cecil otherwise is like you say a bit of a non job.

[Michael Taylor]

Well said, Dewsbury Tory at 11-02. Some Northern towns - not just Dewsbury - are now part of England only in that they have a postcode.

[Jack Stone]

Having Baroness Warsi as Party Chair would work and attract a whole new set of voters but I doubt it will happen as it would be likely to drive the core vote away as I have no doubt that a women and someone from the ethnic minorities would have them choking on there breakfast!!!

[Adam]

Dewsbury Tory - One of the problems with 'positive discrimination' or over promotion is that it has on a terrible knock on effect which means that minorities are judged by the performance of the over promoted as you call it. Despite noises to the contrary the current leadership of the Party is falling into the same trap as Labour in listening to so called community leaders, wanting to get minorities in high profile roles at all costs regardless of ability as well as listening to those who make the loudest noises instead of taking the different, sensible and probably more difficult approach that we thought we would get.

[Winston C]

Jack we don't want to drive away any voters do we? The Conservative Party is not a racist party although I do detect that you believe otherwise.If so why? What have we said or done that compares to the nonsense spouted by Phil Woolas last year?

[Dewsbury Tory]

Adam I agree fully with you. We need a Shadow Cabinet that is made of people with a mixture of talent, experience and skill. The problem Cameron has had with promoting Sayeeda Warsi is that it is almost symbolism he has indulged in, gesture politic of the most crass kind. We know in Dewsbury that Sayeeda Warsi had just over nine months poltiical experience - she inflated her CV as most of us are guilty of doing in our lives from time to time and suggested she had some student politics experience but the reality is that - those elevated to the House of Lords in particular need to be people who have wisdom and experience who have succeeded in the first part of their lives in whatever field they have pursued and so they can bring that skill and expertise to bear in the scrutiny of legislation. Warsi is a "kid" in political terms I don't even think she his anywhere near 40 yet. She was in the right place at the right tme politically but there are many, many more people deserving in our party of a place in the House of Lords than Sayeeda Warsi. She is ok on a personal level, just I am afraid, an opportunist who has worked the system well and exploited the current fad of lets have ethnic minorities at the highest level in the party regardless of their capabilitie. Cameron should think very carefully before promoting her again.

[Dewsbury Tory]

Sorry about my previous posts, my keyboard is playing up and I keep missing letters off my words!

[Alan.Summer]

I am a bit concerned about the early comment on the skiing trip. It may be bad press because it is an MP but it is justifiable.
I am a Borough Councillor and am also going skiing in February. This is a family holiday that was booked before the depth of the recession was seen. Should I be expected to cancel it or just dig a bit deeper to find the additional spending money needed in February.
I do also not that some of the opposition members have recently enjoyed long holidays abroard in Europe and Africa

[Andrew Nicholas - Chairman - Enfield North]

David Davis, John Redwood and IDS should all be in the shadow cabinet.

Who has heard anything of

Owen Patterson
Greg Clark
Andrew Mitchell
Cheryl Gillan
David Mundell?

Get some heavyweights back, but not Ken Clark he is far too divisive.

[javed]

all this S Warsi bashing with few defending her position. I am not going to break from that tradition because no one within the Asian community in the North West (forget the rest of the country) has the faintest idea about the purpose she serves. Your party has let itself down and if Mr Cameron thought that such a gimic would help his profile amongst Asian and especially Muslims, he has been very much mistaken. Someone mentioned here that all she seems to do is speak for "Muslims" and girls who have been "forced" to marry. S Warsi does not speak for Muslims and never has. Where does she get her knowledge and experience from and what qualifies her to talk about Community Cohesion? All she has done is pigeon hole Muslims even more. Community Cohiesion isnt just about Muslims! Also, the issue of forced marriages is so small in the context of the huge issues facing ethnic minorities that it was a foolish move by Mr Cameron to create a whole cabinet member for this is ludicrous.

3rd/4th generation Asians/Muslims are tired of this posture politics and it will not win you any more friends or votes. Remember Tony Lit? Its got to stop or you wont be taken seriously.

[John Prendergast]

Owen Paterson is doing a very good job both as our next door MP and shadow S of S for NI, Cheryl Gillan likewise, David Mundell too.

Do not over rate Clarke, all he did was not screw up Norman lamont's Damscene post ERM conversion. Clarke still allowed to many snivel serpents out of their cage and get their hands into my wallet.

[archie]

We need Ken back as well as David Davies and IDS, if that was to happen, the poll ratings would soar.

[1922]

Bring on a general election so we can get some fresh talent in. And with any luck, some vaguely competent women to replace those 'bottom 4'.

Who the hell is Cheryl Gillan? A helpful statistic I suspect, along with that electorally unnecessary Warsi woman.

[Super Blue]

Javed,

Your comments are interesting and I don't profess to have your perspective. I do know that I don't approve of tokenism.

[Yet Another Anon]

Perhaps she would be more suited to being Shadow Solicitor General, or perhaps at Minister of State Level in BERR?

[Yet Another Anon]

Sayeeda Warsi I mean't.

[Nicholas Keen]

Yet more doting on Kenneth Clarke, I see. Unfortunately his views on the non-viability of a sovereign UK and his history of disloyalty to his party and the former leader who still represents its spiritual base are incompatible with a senior role in the shadow cabinet.