Britain needs less caution from the Conservatives

In last year's New Year Editorial our big question concerned George Osborne and whether he would use 2008 to become the nation's Chancellor-in-waiting.  ConservativeHome's big issue for 2009 is the title of this post.

71% of Conservative members are hoping to see less caution and "grittier" leadership from David Cameron in the coming year.  The finding comes from ConHome's survey of 1,816 Tory members, undertaken from 22nd to 28th December, and covered in today's Telegraph.  A large minority - 43% - also say they are not yet enthused by David Cameron's leadership.  The overall picture, however - as the graphic below shows - is of a membership that is overwhelmingly satisfied with David Cameron and a huge expectation that he will be in Downing Street after the next General Election.

Click on the graphic to enlarge.

Despite the recent narrowing of the polls I have never been more sure that we'll win the next election.  Voters will punish Gordon Brown for leading Britain into the developed world's deepest recession.  Chances are that a long period of Conservative government will then begin.  All over the world - think Blair, Bush, Chirac, Harper, Howard, Schoeder - first-term governments are re-elected.  Fair-minded electorates give governments the time to deliver.  How will David Cameron use an extended period of government?  Will the caution of recent times be maintained or will the caution evolve into a bolder programme?

The scale of Britain's challenges demand a bolder programme.  There are too many areas of current Tory policy where caution reigns:

• We promise public spending restraint but the difference between us and Labour is - at most - intended to be less than 1% of GDP.
• We want to import Sweden's successful schools model but without the essential freedom for new schools to make profits if they wish.
• Our promise of a high-speed rail link for northern England won't be delivered for at least twenty years.
• David Cameron's flagship idea of National Community Service is voluntary and would last for just six weeks.
• David Cameron says that he is minded against Jeremy Hunt's draft proposal to end the BBC's monopoly on the licence fee but does support a £6 reduction once the digital handover is complete.  £6-a-year is hardly radical.

I don't mean to imply that a Conservative government wouldn't be worth having.  On every front David Cameron would take Britain forward.  A government with him in Downing Street would finally end the Labour years of spin and squander.  We'd get elected police chiefs.  Tax simplification.  An end to the couple penalty in the benefits system.  I just hope - particularly on the economy and social reform - we'll see more boldness.

A final thought on this topic: My tea-bag-in-hot-water theory of political prediction: Just as you never know how good a tea bag is until it's in hot water, it's also true we won't have a conclusive idea about David Cameron's true potential until he's actually elected.  Let's hope he's a Whittards' English Breakfast.  Happy new year every one.

Tim Montgomerie

> Listen to Tim Montgomerie discuss the survey results on the Today programme.

Comments

[Alan Douglas]

If all my angst about getting DC into power is for a saving of UNDER 1 % of GDP compared to the present mob, I might as well give up now.

How we jeered the 2.5 % VAT cut as irrelevant. Need I say more ?

Alan Douglas

[Sally Roberts]

What we do need is for Conservatives both amongst the leadership and "on the ground" to take the gloves off and cease to always be so gentlemanly and ladylike! Labour never hesitates to fight dirty and we must be prepared to fight fire with fire if and when necessary.

[John Coles]

I believe that Messrs Cameron and Osborne prefer not to think about numbers: arithmetic hurts their brains.

[Sally Roberts]

"Let's hope he's a Whittards' English Breakfast."

I think Twinings might be better, Tim -they've been around longer than Whittards and their future seems rather more secure!!Happy New Year!

[SuperBlue]

Let's hope he is an Earl Grey - a Prime Ministerial tea bag.

[Tim Montgomerie]

Good point Sally. I agree :-)

[James Maskell]

The Conservatives are far too cautious, especially in the areas as pointed out before. With the recession to be so painful on this country, all bets are off and the chips are down. Its obvious that Cameron fears being too bold because of any potential damage caused by it, but if he isnt bold enough then there wont be anything for the public to grasp that is significantly different from Labour. Labour have the medias attention right now and the Conservatives are still using kid gloves.

If the Tories fail to have the boldness of a Government in waiting setting the agenda and bullying the Government over its actions and its plans for the future, then why should the public vote for them?

[bexie]

We need to get public sector spending below 35% of GDP and regulation costs to business below 5% of turnover.

Otherwise we may as well turn off the lights

[Richard Lowe]

I think now we're at most 18 months away from the General Election, it's time to ramp up the campaigning, and move gradually over the next six months to hare mode.

The electorate need to fully understand what we are about, and they will probably need a 12 month period to vote for us because we're the most ready to turn Britain around, rather than because they don't like Labour.

That said, I would hope we don't commit to too many significant budgetary changes until an election is imminent - Britain's finances are ever changing, and our fiscal policies are best announced when we have a better idea of what we may inherit.

[Pulvertaft]

Ten peneth worth.

Global warming. Enough, already. The Chinese economic juggernaut is shuddering to a halt and at all points East the carbon burning frenzy has been put into receivership. Quantify the resulting cut in smoke stacks and then stop twittering on about us driving SUVs and flying off to Marbella for two weeks of sentence remission. Even if we could still afford it.

Sharing the proceeds of prudent Patrician pious waffling. Stop it, please. In the pub last night there were people losing jobs and houses and topping up on Stella Artois as the abyss beckoned. The context has gone. It is no longer sufficient to spout earnest irrelevance when the structure of free market democracy is collapsing around us.

Aside from that, every thing's hunky-dory.

Oh, and Yorkshire tea is the way forward. A two bagger with the slightest suggestion of milk.

[James]

Hasn't Whittards' just gone bust, Tim?!

[Sally Roberts]

"Oh, and Yorkshire tea is the way forward. A two bagger with the slightest suggestion of milk."

You are like my Late Dear Mother, Pulvertaft who liked her tea so strong that the spoon virtually stood up in it!! Agree with you that Yorkshire Tea is good stuff!

[christina Speight]

There’s nobody in the Conservative Party calling for a change of leader or anything like that but as ConservativeHome points out - as as the Telegraph reports - many in the party are desperate for a sharpening not so much of rhetoric but of actual policy.

For example Cameron’s New Year message was dominated by a restating of all those cuddly policies that are completely inappropriate in the gathering storm. He is still wedded to lunatic ‘Green’ policies which if carried out to the full would make the crisis a catastrophe. Not only are they wildly extravagant but also totally impractical as well as being based on false figures and dodgy and skewed research. He still hankers after new alignments in the European parliament when what is needed is a radical restructuring of our whole relationship with the other nations of Europe.

On the economic crisis he refuses to face the ultimate truth . He accepts that we cannot borrow our way out of trouble and in this is he is absolutely right but he will not make the vital decision that state expenditure must be cut drastically. For if it is not cut the whole economy could collapse and with it all our social services. The state itself must be slimmed down and justice requires that those working in the public sector should not be protected from the crisis by being feather-bedded in pensions and job security by those suffering in the private sector.

Expenditure can only be cut if major policy changes are instituted. For example £13 bn has been spent on the centralised NHS computer system which does not work - and this is admitted - nor is it welcomed by professionals. It should be scrapped along with ID cards. Regional government should go and restrictions should be placed on quangos and unnecessary new jobs in local authorities.

Now I know that the Party is edging along some of that route but it needs presenting as a a coherent policy to save the country . Even these CH: ideas won’t do. We need a total change of direction - not this tinkering

[Old Hack]

The problem is, no Leader is everyone's cup of tea. Enough said.

[JS]

The problem is that Cameron is not a true Conservative. Just a blue tinted copy of the equally vacuous Blair. The party should bring back the heavyweight and proven Tories before it's too late.

[Buckinghamshire Tory]

Indeed. We should replace David Cameron with Simon Heffer or Nigel Farage.
We might just ensure the re-election of Gordon Brown in 2010.

[Steve Foley]

Cameron is not a wartime leader and frankly I feel that in 2008 he had coasted on the impetus of Labour's unpopularity rather than on any appeal of his own or of his party's policies As I have said on another thread he is a "me too" product, his end of year statement was all woolly touchy-feely concepts but very lacking in hard policies and commitments.

If I DO vote Conservative at the next General Election it will be DESPITE Cameron being the Leader and not because.

A Leader with fire in their belly is needed, not a "prancing dandiprat" the triumph of style over substance, a Churchill or a Thatcher, not a Chamberlain or a Heath.

[Bill]

I continue to share the scepticsm concerning Cameron and his supporters. As for the comment about Heffer and Farage, at least their views resonate.

[Pulvertaft]

Oh, and Yorkshire tea is the way forward. A two bagger with the slightest suggestion of milk.

Sorry, to be more explicit, I meant:

Eric Jack Pickles (born 20 April 1952 in Keighley, Yorkshire).

[Sally Roberts]

Thank you for clarifying Pulvertaft! You'd have to have a mighty big tea mug however to accommodate the Mighty Mr Pickles along with the hot water!

[christina Speight]

I've spelt out above (1127) what is - in my opinion - needed not just for the party to do well but to save our country. Steve Foley (1247) seems to be thinking along the same lines as me but unspecifically. Having laid out a suggested policy are there no comments other than the cup of tea kind ?

Surely we owe Tim some proper thought to match his efforts ?

[Sally Roberts]

Apologies, Christina (and Tim!) for my New Year Frivolity and for my serious comment on the subject you can do no better than to look back at my post @ 09:32! I am afraid that sometimes your sense of humour bypass does bring out the Little Devil in me and I am very sorry! Yes you are right that Steve Foley makes similar points to yourself but he does so in a good humoured way (I particularly love his expression "a prancing dandiprat" though I disagree with it!). Perhaps a little less intensity on your part sometimes?

[Graeme Archer]

Without wishing to raise Christina's blood pressure still further... On this teabag thing... Am I alone in being horrified to learn that The Editor uses teabags of any description? Man is a fallen creature indeed if the best cup of tea he can hope to receive chez Conservative is modulated by a bag! Repeat after me: First, warm the pot....

As great Tory minds have known for centuries, teabags are an essentially Whiggish concept, fallaciously substituting "change" for "progress". Only when David Cameron abandons the faux-Blairite stance of the common man, casts aside his "mug" (emblazoned with a focus-grouped slogan such as "World's best dad"), and appears on the steps of Downing Street bearing a warmed pot, a caddy of Indian tea-leaves, a cake stand and a strainer: only then will I recognise the election of a real Conservative.

I'm sure I speak for many members of the silent majority. I remember the time we sacked that damn' fool candidate who turned up at the committee rooms on polling day with "sachets" of Maxwell Ho[- cont. p94].

[Sally Roberts]

Oh Graeme, you are skating on thin ice!! Happy New Year!

[Lindsay Jenkins]

Christina makes good points. May I respond with three questions.

Does David Cameron want a smaller public sector? I'm not just talking about a smidgeon but rolling back those frontiers.

Does he share Gordon Brown's belief that the state using taxpayers' money can save our economy?

Does he believe in private enterprise and free markets?

After two years of Cameron's leadership I don't know what he thinks about the fundamentals of running a country.

[Graeme Archer]

Sorry, got stuck channelling Wallace Arnold there. Anyway.

I think you underestimate how different Britain will look and feel come the removal of New Labour. The biggest changes we all hope for are surely cultural, and it's hard enough to express those wishes in words, let alone translate them into policy "levers", of which I'm distrustful in any case ("pull lever A for an improvement in educational quality" etc). It's always easier to break something than it is to fix it.

One area though where I WOULD welcome less caution is the health service. I understand why the passport idea (which I loved) has been withdrawn, and why we can't fight an election on 50 radical fronts, at a time when most people's biggest concern is over whether or not they'll still have a job at the end of 2009. But there's surely space for some cross-fertilization. If we should elect police commissioners (and we should) to determine local priorities for policing, why should we not elect local health commissioners also, to fragment the NICE monopoly a little? That, coupled with a pledge to fix the broken state of NHS psychiatric care provision, would be a Tory agenda that advanced social justice without frightening anyone re hidden agendas over free-at-the point of use health provision.

[JS]

[email protected]. At least Heffer remains true to Conservative principles and knows how to fight. He is also not willing to sacrifice principle just to win power - something Blair did, Cameron is clearly in danger of copying and which very quickly and rightly earns the utter contempt of the electorate. Over very many years I have been a strong supporter of the Tory Party, an erstwhile local Councillor and active member etc.,etc. I'm afraid for the first time I have no confidence in the leadership to really care whether we win the next election or the present wretched mob continue. The net result seems likely to be the same. The people are crying out for really strong leadership and also real change. Real change from high spending,the present gross public waste and incompetence, high taxation with the promise of more to come,
less, far far less, Government interference in their everyday lives and above all for a Government that will encourage and reward initiative and hard work and not continually mollycoddle the idlers by wearing its bleeding and liberal heart on its sleeve. The old Conservative virtues of personal freedom, small government and low taxation etc., would once more ensure an election win.

[Tony]

Cameron has grown on me, I must admit but I also have to admit to being surprised that he has.

1% of GDP across the board is going to come nowhere near addressing the disastrous economic situation that DC will unquestionably inherit.

When Brown and Co realise the game is up they will adopt a "Scorched Earth" policy to try and keep us to one term.

[Malcolm Dunn]

I too would welcome less caution. I want us to be clear and honest with people and indicate at least some of the areas where we must reduce spending even that costs us some votes.
Having said that ,the next election is far from in the bag and DC and hpefully the shadow cabinet will continue to unveil eyecatching policy announcements that will make our victory more likely.
Can't believe that people are still harking back to the likes of Farage & Heffer.Farage is a good bloke but he's led his party to achieving less than 1% in the polls and under the direction of Heffer (amongst others) the circulation of the Telegraph is plumbing historic lows.Some people it seems allow their prejudices to cloud their political judgement entirely.

[Steve Foley]

Well David Davis would be a far better leader backed by Eric Pickles as Deputy perhaps?

Now I feel that where the Tories can hit the present Labour Government hard is on SOCIAL Issues.

Churchill used the Slogan "Set the People Free" in the 1950s to defeat the post War Attlee Government. The present day Tories could do the same by promising to roll back the Government and get it out of the faces of the ordinary decent law-abiding people.

The total scrapping of all the whacko Green Agenda, (and frankly I don't give a damn what they do with Zac Goldsmith), a general rolling back of the current PC philosophy.

Above all Conservatives should return to people the responsibility to run their own lives as far as that harms none other and and not be "Customers of the State".

[Bill]

I agree entirely with Steve Foley. Labour's statism must be defeated.

Malcolm Dunn: Whose and what prejudices are you referring to?

[asquith]

Let me pick on your criticism of Cameron because of his national service scheme being "voluntary and would last for just six weeks". In my humble opinion, you've got it quite badly wrong.

I used to do voluntary work & I am a great enthusiast for it. Those who sign at the job centre should be encouraged to go into the voluntary sector & allowed to receive their benefits without looking for paid work if they can prove they are doing something useful. Given that there will be few jobs, it is best for them to be doing something useful & keeping their CVs up to date so they are in a good position when the recovery starts.

But I am COMPLETELY against paying people or compelling them to do "voluntary" work. National Service is not only unacceptably authoritarian, it doesn't work, which is why it was done away with in the 60s: the army didn't want unqualified, unwilling young conscripts & nor do the voluntary & community schemes of today.

I see some promise in Cameron's scheme, & would extend it for the young unemployed, but only those who want to be there. The rest, I think should be treated as JSA claimants are now. There should be a minimum of state meddling in this whole scheme. The whole point of having people do voluntary work rather than make-work is that it doesn't involve the government.

[Jack Stone]

Personally I think most on this site would like to fight the next election on a platform of leaving the EU, abolishing the NHS, shutting down as many hospitals as possible so they can get loads of money in tax cuts, ban any religion other than good old C of E and deport all those who are not said one of us!!!
The leadership may have changed but the core of the party is still as extreme and nasty as ever.

[David Sergeant]

"What we do need is for Conservatives both amongst the leadership and "on the ground" to take the gloves off and cease to always be so gentlemanly and ladylike! Labour never hesitates to fight dirty and we must be prepared to fight fire with fire if and when necessary."

Posted by: Sally Roberts | January 01, 2009 at 09:32

May I suggest that this is the point right now. Tories looking to ratch up things always think of policy completely ignoring the saying "it's not what you say but how you say it". Time and again Labour spokesmen come out with utter rubbish which, since they arn't rebutted, voters take in. The classic is the "do nothing" bit; Cameron and Osborne have, from time to time come out with many policies (including calling for Brown to recapitalise the banks - and, you know, let him claim he saved the world) but little attempt is made to regularly (note regularly) produce them as a package in a coherent way. So people are dubious of Conservative policy - my point is that it is not the policies which put people off it's the fact they don't know what they are.

I simply don't understand why Tory politicians are not listing their policies as a coherent programme all the time. Labour's big idea was for Brown to simply state it is alright to borrow our way out of the mess, people follow that. But people can't follow Conservative policies which dribble out as one offs now and then. People don't understand what is going on, they are confused and fearful, Brown's simple statement resonates with them and a collection of different policies , which is the way to deal with the mess, doesn't if they are produced haphazzardly.

[David Belchamber]

"Who dares, wins".

David Cameron must be bolder, once he has determined on a principled course of action.

The most urgent thing is to get the right people in his cabinet, so that new people can get on top of their briefs by the time they have to take over (like Tim, I have little doubt that DC will be prime minister after the next election). To judge who should stay and who should go, just consider their records over the last two years:
"By their works ye shall know them".

My real concern, as most regulars will know, is the shadow treasury team.

"The economy, stupid" will overshadow most other things for a year or two yet. BUT does the majority of the electorate yet see Gordon Brown as the main architect of our domestic recession? Did the conservatives, as the economy was imploding, have a coherent and strong, inspiring message to stiffen our resolve and give us hope of restoring stability?

I rest my case on this one. DC must be bold.

Also, there is a moral imperative to slim down the state, to reduce the waste of taxpayers' hard earned money to the minimum and to offer tax rises that benefit the lowest earners and finally, by stick and carrot, to try and get more people back to work.

There is ample scope for boldness, integrity and real leadership in all of these.

[meli]

Personally I think most on this site would like to fight the next election on a platform of leaving the EU, abolishing the NHS, shutting down as many hospitals as possible so they can get loads of money in tax cuts, ban any religion other than good old C of E and deport all those who are not said one of us!!!
The leadership may have changed but the core of the party is still as extreme and nasty as ever.

Posted by: Jack Stone | January 01, 2009 at 16:35

Gee you aren't very judgemental are you?
I would be happy to stay in the European Economic Community if that is what it were. I have no wish to be in the United States of Europe nor have a President that we the little folk aren't allowed a vote on. If that bothers you I am sorry that it bothers you but I can't be sorry that I feel that way.
For the NHS I want it to stay. I want like many to be rid of the bureaucracy that is the current form of the NHS and get back to Doctors taking care of patients not filling out forms and meeting quotas nor do I want to have to go to some big central doctors office where doctors no longer know the names of their patients without reading a card first. As I live in Wales and must go to England for the hospital and specialists, I am all for more hospitals where they are needed. And while I am at it, the police need to stop having targets and quotas that aren't really helping anyone, they need to stop having endless forms to fill in and they need to be back on the streets fighting crime. And I don't mean plastic policemen.
Ban any religion but the C of E? Where are you getting your judgments of people from exactly? There is a huge difference between wishing to preserve the C of E and wishing to abolish all other religions. You know, it's possible to preserve AND have religious freedom and harmony. We've been doing it here for quite some time!

[Sally Roberts]

And it would seem that Jack Stone is still as troll-like as ever!

[John Leonard]

Personally I think most on this site would like to fight the next election on a platform of leaving the EU, abolishing the NHS, shutting down as many hospitals as possible so they can get loads of money in tax cuts, ban any religion other than good old C of E and deport all those who are not said one of us!!!
The leadership may have changed but the core of the party is still as extreme and nasty as ever.

[Yawn]

So Jack Stone once again espouses the same old tired, monotonous, pathetic propaganda that Labour has been hysterically shrieking for decades.

Typical of the one-dimensional, narrow minded, intellectually bereft, partisan and deluded thinking from Labour that has turned this country into Broken Britain.

Anyone who knows anything at all about what Conservatives want knows such ridiculous misrepresentations are false.

So Mr Stone if you want to see something really nasty go have a look in the mirror (and although equally applicable I do not mean the newspaper of that name in this case)!

[SuperBlue]

"Personally I think most on this site would like to fight the next election on a platform of leaving the EU, abolishing the NHS, shutting down as many hospitals as possible so they can get loads of money in tax cuts, ban any religion other than good old C of E and deport all those who are not said one of us!!!
The leadership may have changed but the core of the party is still as extreme and nasty as ever." - J. Troll-Stone.

You would do well to read what the real Conservatives say here, not the UKIP trolls.

[Pulvertaft]

OK, if we're off tea then here's some waking up and smelling the black stuff.

Cameron's Conservatives. Politics as Marketing.

Conservative was seen as a brand that had seen better days. The packaging was looking a bit tired and the point of sale was faded and jaded. There was still a loyal market for the product but the demographic was ageing and the brand message was failing to enthuse the mass consumer market in the way that it once had.

So, David took a good look at the other, more successful, product offerings stacked up alongside Conservative on the supermarket aisles and decided to re-brand as a mass market product to emulate the success of the main market competitor.

The name was good. Conservative was a generic Hoover or Aspirin and there was no need to call it something vaguely Latin like Consignia or Veritas. All he had to do was de-Thatcher and spice things up with some abstract graphics, like those Olympic logo chaps, take his old school tie off and scoot about on his green Raleigh Chopper in d'hood connecting with the Facebook dudes.

It worked in that previous context. But then the entire basis of David's business plan, the assumptions and certainties where the brand had best fit, imploded spectacularly. The political market made a seismic shift and we were exposed for selling labels without a relevant, usable, product underpinning the illusion of mass market appeal.

Which is what Tim's appeal to true grit is about. It is time to re-Thatch. Or at least to deploy the resources of our political inheritance as the natural party of government.

[Steve Foley]

Ok. I am NOT a member of the Conservative Party but what I suppose could be called a "Fellow Traveller". Let me take Jack Stone's points and give him my views.

"..........most on this site would like to fight the next election on a platform of leaving the EU,"

YES of leaving AFTER a Referendum if that was the choice of the clear majority of British voters.

"... abolishing the NHS,"

NO WAY JOSE' I owe my life to the NHS and I feel that it was one of the finest creations of the Post WW2 Labour Government. That does not mean that some of the supernumeraries in the non-Medical side could not be dispensed with.

"shutting down as many hospitals as possible so they can get loads of money in tax cuts"

This is just too stupid for words! Indeed Labour since 1997 have done a great job of closing Hospitals and A&E Depts against the wishes of local electors and residents. Do you remember David Lock, Jack Stone? No, well he was the Labour MP who won Wyre Forest from the Tories in 1997 and got slung out on his ar*e in 2001 by Dr Richard Taylor who held the seat in 2005 quite comfortably over the Conservative Candidate, Labour being relegated to third place.

".. ban any religion other than good old C of E "

Equally stupid! I am a Christian, there are others here who are Jewish, Islamic , and of other Faiths and of none at all. I would like to see the C of E cease to be "New Labour at Prayer" and return to giving moral guidance to the Nation. It has NOT been the Conservative Party that has attacked religion in many ways since 1997.

"..and deport all those who are not said one of us"

The only people that the Conservatives would wish to see deported are those who have come here illegally and have contributed nothing or who have gained legal admittance but who them commit crime or act against the security and well-being of other British Citizens.

Hope that satisfies you Jack, but somehow I doubt it.

[christina Speight]

At last some proper discussion! Thanks for setting the new tone Lindsay Jenkins particularly.

Now early in his leadership Cameron specifically said he would NOT "roll back the frontiers of the state". His new year message spent much time in saying that he still believed in a raft of daft things but HE HAS NEVER said he wants to roll back those frontiers.

THAT is the critical thing for not only is it socially vital to 'Set the People Free' (as Steve Foley reminds us) but it is a pre-condition of economic recovery too.

What I want to establish is just that, The precise policies can wait . The party has to be clear that
1, expenditure has got to be cut right back;
2. that the public sector must not be feather-bedded; and
3. Many actual policies must be scrapped altogether - NO sacred cows!

(Jack Stone must feel very lonely these days - PLEASE don't take him seriously!!!
And Sally must find some serious discussion very tedious - the future of our country is very boring isn't it.?)

[Sally Roberts]

Not at all, Christina! I find serious discussion very uplifting and am certainly as concerned as you are over the future of our country. I just prefer to take an optimistic tone if and when I can.

[m dowding]

As Guido restructures his blog, Draper will up his attacks on ConHome. Hope we are ready!

[snegchui]

"Not only what you say, but how you say it. Confusion. What the hell do they stand for? New Blairism."
The theme is fairly consistent. However, any attempt to get something more substantial is rebutted with the theory that if sound, Labour will nick it (for which Labour have long and good form).
But I hope very strongly that if nothing else the Conservative Party have the timing of the next election right, because if they leave themselves only 3 weeks to set out the clear blue water, it may very well be too little too late.
If the Tories lose the next election, I fear the party will implode completely and relive 1997-2005 all over again.
This next election is not only a declaration of hope for Britain in freeing it from spin and poor Govt, but of survival, certainly for the Tories, and probably for British credibility as a well-managed state.

[The Bishop says,]

. Its as stark as that. I agree, In future if the Rest of the economy has no ring fencing (and that is reality) Then the public sector cannot be a special case. It certainly doesn’t help that the political class can sign itself a better deal at the expense of all of us. We have to stop the gravy train and a massive movement outside of Parliament can only achieve that over a number of years. Most of the Axe it would seem is going to be felt as “welfare reform”. Well the reality is that Mp’s are just as much beneficiaries of unnatural redistributions as any group. I don’t want the disabled to feel the pinch anymore than is absolutely necessary. Lets not loose sight of the massive numbers of spongers and hangers on who could as well be on JSA and who inhabit every level of the civil service.
If cuts are to be made than the easy target is the poor and the unfortunate, and that is certainly the Thatch-er-right way. If we go down that path expect nothing but trouble.
I see the cuts being across the board and extensive and I see fat in every department.
A recession is a valuable tool for change. Weeding is an art and you need to find the artists and employ them accordingly. This is not going to be over in one year or even three the N.W.O (you try saying that with an MS spell checker btw) is a work in progress.

[The Bishop Swine]

"Not only what you say, but how you say it. Confusion. What the hell do they stand for? New Blairism."
. Its as stark as that. I agree, In future if the Rest of the economy has no ring fencing (and that is reality) Then the public sector cannot be a special case. It certainly doesn’t help that the political class can sign itself a better deal at the expense of all of us. We have to stop the gravy train and a massive movement outside of Parliament can only achieve that over a number of years. Most of the Axe it would seem is going to be felt as “welfare reform”. Well the reality is that Mp’s are just as much beneficiaries of unnatural redistributions as any group. I don’t want the disabled to feel the pinch anymore than is absolutely necessary. Lets not loose sight of the massive numbers of spongers and hangers on who could as well be on JSA and who inhabit every level of the civil service.
If cuts are to be made than the easy target is the poor and the unfortunate, and that is certainly the Thatch-er-right way. If we go down that path expect nothing but trouble.
I see the cuts being across the board and extensive and I see fat in every department.
A recession is a valuable tool for change. Weeding is an art and you need to find the artists and employ them accordingly. This is not going to be over in one year or even three the N.W.O (you try saying that with an MS spell checker btw) is a work in progress.

Well I assume it’s a backlash against the Stalinist Tendencies of comrade Brown.
Blair believed in Fairness but Brown is a Bully. Its evident that Labour is utterly fractured at the core. Once it stepped away from Big Governance and State ownership a large part of its core support lost heart. We cannot understand perhaps the urge for security which herds people together, but we have to recognize that this urge drives much of the labour-leftist-commie policy. They want a nice socialism rather than a big brother state. Of course it cannot be done, socialism is a deceased weak posture. It has all the reality of a dummy a comforter, a blankie. The truth is that Labour’s new state is not a very nice place. It’s a place in which Jobs are hard to come by and money is to tight to mention. It’s a place in which somebody is always looking over your shoulder, and in which you are starting to fear your own state. Evidently it is not a place Blair’s supporters expected to be. The Answer cannot come from Labour and it falls to us to point out why and help people to adjust to a grown up world of personal accountability. Labour have had their day in the Sun they had a perfect economy handed to them partly by luck and in no small part to the policies of One Nation Tory’s. They failed to prepare us for the lean years despite having a leadership that should have been up to speed on biblical lore and the persistent whisperings of commonsense. In short Blair and Brown acted like Jackass’s, not unlike inhabitants of Pinocchio, were the marionette hides the coins in his mouth and runs up a tree. If only they have been that prudent, we might have hoped for the return of the coins. Instead like gilty schoolboy’s they spent the nation’s good fortune on gambles and dogdy scheames. Worse they raided the savings earmarked for people to retire on. I cannot imagine why anyone would want Blair back, unless it was to question him closly about his personal fortune and its acquisition. However it would seem that Brown is considered worse by Labourights and if that is a fact we can exploite it. People need an alternative to Labour that is freash and which is upbeat. I think we can make some ground by keeping up our attack on their morality.

[The Bishop Swine]

On NewBlarism:

Well I assume it’s a backlash against the Stalinist Tendencies of comrade Brown.
Blair believed in Fairness but Brown is a Bully. Its evident that Labour is utterly fractured at the core. Once it stepped away from Big Governance and State ownership a large part of its core support lost heart. We cannot understand perhaps the urge for security which herds people together, but we have to recognize that this urge drives much of the labour-leftist-commie policy. They want a nice socialism rather than a big brother state. Of course it cannot be done, socialism is a deceased weak posture. It has all the reality of a dummy a comforter, a blankie. The truth is that Labour’s new state is not a very nice place. It’s a place in which Jobs are hard to come by and money is to tight to mention. It’s a place in which somebody is always looking over your shoulder, and in which you are starting to fear your own state. Evidently it is not a place Blair’s supporters expected to be. The Answer cannot come from Labour and it falls to us to point out why and help people to adjust to a grown up world of personal accountability. Labour have had their day in the Sun they had a perfect economy handed to them partly by luck and in no small part to the policies of One Nation Tory’s. They failed to prepare us for the lean years despite having a leadership that should have been up to speed on biblical lore and the persistent whisperings of commonsense. In short Blair and Brown acted like Jackass’s, not unlike inhabitants of Pinocchio, were the marionette hides the coins in his mouth and runs up a tree. If only they have been that prudent, we might have hoped for the return of the coins. Instead like gilty schoolboy’s they spent the nation’s good fortune on gambles and dogdy scheames. Worse they raided the savings earmarked for people to retire on. I cannot imagine why anyone would want Blair back, unless it was to question him closly about his personal fortune and its acquisition. However it would seem that Brown is considered worse by Labourights and if that is a fact we can exploite it. People need an alternative to Labour that is freash and which is upbeat. I think we can make some ground by keeping up our attack on their morality.

[Malcolm Stevas]

Robert Lowe:
"The electorate need to fully understand what we are about...... (but) I would hope we don't commit to too many significant budgetary changes until an election is imminent"
Pretty damning, don't you think, this admission that the electorate might not have a clear idea of what the Tories are about already...? Rather gives the game away, together with this reminder of the Tory terror at actually committing themselves to anything definite in the way of allowing people to hang onto their own money, and ceasing to assume that the State should spend most of it on their behalf.

[Annabel Herriott]

Y'know Graeme, what would get the NHS up to speed and effective again, is to bring back REAL nurses, who actualy, physically NURSE rather than sitting at a compuiter all day, brandishing their Bsc nurse, and writing lots of reports while the patients go hungry because they cannot feed themselves, or develop bed sores because they are lying in their own do-dos because "their" nurse is ticking a few boxes.

[Jack Stone]

Annabel. Your description of nurses is offensive and not at all about real nurses. The nurses in the NHS work long hours for not great pay and are caring and with just a few exceptions I am sure deeply committed to there jobs.
The NHS as its faults but its still one of the best health services in the world.

[Steve Foley]

Jack Stone, do you KNOW any real nurses?

I was married to one and she did NOT have a University Degree, nor for that matter do I and am none the worse for it. However she did study hard, I helped her, and until her recent retirement she nursed the Elderly Mentally Infirm, some with conditions such as Alzheimers, many doubly incontinent, some even violent towards nursing staff. Yes she worked long hours for poor pay at the sh***y end literally as well as metaphorically.

The NHS is indeed a wonderful organisation and one of which we should be proud and yes I pay due reverence to Nye Bevan for all the work he did to inaugurate it. An interesting aside is that Cuba also has a Health Service free at point of need and it is well regarded.

However the NHS is not perfect and is currently top heavy with Administrators both lay and also some Nurses and Doctors who are more au fait with Business Management than Bedpans or Biology.

[Richard Calhoun]

The first 6 months will be a huge reality check for this Country, I really do not believe that the Tories or Labour have got their minds around the enormity of the economic problems that face us.
However I am trusting that the Tories are brainstorming and will be able to present us with a radical and meaningful strategy to tackle the problems that will be only to apparent by June 2009

[SuperBlue]

"As Guido restructures his blog, DRAPER will up his attacks on ConHome. Hope we are ready!"

.......... aka Jack Stone, Northern Monkey ........

[Annabel Herriott]

Dear Jack,
I was a REAL nurse. Started in 1953 so I do know of what I write. End of.

[Steve Tierney]

I believe that many of David Cameron's positions are based on election strategy. The presumption from his advisors would seem to be "softly softly catchee monkey".

Making radical or dramatic policies will please the party faithful, but the party faithful are votes (mostly) already won. Those sort of policies that please the core give much ammunition to our opponents, frighten 'swing voters' and infuriate (and spur to action) lapsed-activists on the left.

I've never met DC so I can't say for sure. But really, he's the leader of the Conservatives... his views *must* actually be a fair bit more to the right than he has said so far, musn't they?

Even though the election strategy *may* be sensible. It *may* sweep us into government. It may be precisely the right thing to do to win power, I have to admit...
I still don't like it.

I can't help but think that this sort of strategy is too cynical. If we came out with strong, powerful truly-Conservative arguments for low tax, personal responsibility, small government and opportunity for all, I think people would respond.

As for reigniting the fire of lapsed left activists? Bring 'em on. Bring 'em all on.

[Bernie Johns]

An example...
A popular and sensible proposal would be to
remove VAT from bicycles. Think about it, it
would make sense.
Can't do...Why not....eu says not.
Around 75% of policy is outside of our control.
That leaves our leaders with 25%
to "tinker" with. The 3 major parties are
sitting on an ever narrowing fence. The
slightest move from the centre will spell
disaster. I cannot see any corageous policy
coming from anyone whilst we are still
wearing this eu straight-jacket.
I do not belong to any political party, I
speake for common sense.

[Glasshopper]

What commenters hereabouts are saying, very clearly, is that we are desperate, crying out, for leadership.

Not triangulation, not "do not rock the boat", not "governments lose elections" so all we need do is keep our heads down, not "lets keep our powder dry".

What we crave, what we have almost come to believe doesn't even exist any more, is a leader with a vision, with conviction, initiative, integrity, courage (the real McCoy, not the stuff you write about other people),drive and the determination to create that vision here, in this once green and pleasant land.

Is Cameron the one we've all been waiting for? Well, if he is, we ain't seen nuffink yet!

[rugfish]

I think the old maxim; “Attack is the best form of defense”, is a proven tactic which I'd be glad to rally behind.

I'm unable to find "Sitting at the back sticking snuff up your nose and waving a tissue" in any strategic manual however, nor can I find any tactical solution to a problem which doesn't command the front by laying some orders and policy.

Not unless you want to count the plight of Edmund Blackadder of course.

[Opinicus]

Britain needs less caution from the Conservatives....

and in other news...

Queen Anne's dead.

[John Girling]

I a could never vote for the man who finds it necessary to congratulate two sodomites amongst his MPs on their so-called Civil Marriage