The Tory operation makes a strong start to 2009

The Conservatives can be pleased with their media impact since Parliament recessed for Christmas:

The party dominated the holiday period: The frontbench scored a number of front page splashes including Eric Pickles on council tax (Daily Telegraph); George Osborne on tax relief (Sunday Times), Michael Gove on teacher absence (Daily Mail), and James Brokenshire on knife crime (The Sun).  The Liberal Democrats once saw holiday periods as an opportunity to fill the gap left by the main parties.  One of the successes of Andy Coulson's CCHQ operation is that the LibDems are now denied easy hits.  The return of Oliver Dowden to the party's political section is part of the explanation for increasingly improved operation.

Yesterday's announcement on tax relief for savers: After a feisty performance by David Cameron on the Today programme the tax reliefs announcement won broadcast attention throughout the day.  I  missed the evening TV news bulletins but the Conservatives actually led Radio 4's Midnight News - relegating Gaza to the number two spot.  The Mail, Sun, Telegraph and Express all give thumbs up coverage this morning.

And today shadow cabinet members are holding meetings across Britain to discuss the party's plans for fighting unemployment: David Cameron will be in Salford, Michael Gove in Plymouth, Plymouth, Jeremy Hunt in Bristol, Caroline Spelman in Southampton, Theresa May in Maidstone, Philip Hammond in London, Andrew Lansley in Ipswich, Andrew Mitchell in Nottingham, Sayeeda Warsi in Birmingham Birmingham, George Osborne in Cardiff, Eric Pickles in Leeds, William Hague in Tynemouth, and Chris Grayling in Edinburgh.  When I worked at Conservative Central Office I remember a presentation when we were told that regional media was more trusted than national media, broadcast media was more impactful than print media and most trusted of all was third party media like the RSPB magazine.  I don't know where the internet fits on the scale but today's well-planned operation involving local journalists, business leaders and voluntary organisations will have a significant impact even if not noticed by the Westminster lobby.

Tim Montgomerie

Comments

[Malcolm Dunn]

V. interesting. It would be good if there was some kind of follow up to see the level of publicity these meetings achieved.

[Matt Wright]

Our views on cutting tax for savers is going down very well, getting good on the ground feedback.

[Matt Wright]

Our views on cutting tax for savers is going down very well, getting good on the ground feedback.

[David Belchamber]

Who are they meeting?

[James Maskell]

The Conservatives have done rather well in the past few months. Very encouraging stuff.

The evening news reports seemed to lead with the Tories generally speaking...

[James Maskell]

Its been very encouraging what the Tories have come out with in recent weeks. More of the same please.

The majority of evening news last night was running with the Conservatives over Gaza. It took a while for Osborne to get to the crux of the point about spending cuts on Channel 4. He needed the argument to be put flat. The office workers need to find a pre emptory language to halt that attack before it happens. Waiting for the interviewer to accuse him of crippling cuts will bunt your own point and he needs to get in first.

[James Maskell]

Sorry. I thought the first post didnt get through...

[anon]

is villiers not holding a meeting to discuss the unemployment she so eagerly wants to create in the Hayes, Harlington, Surrey area?

[Jack Stone]

If the meetings are to focus on the party`s plans to combat unemployment then they should be mighty short!!

[Tim Montgomerie]

Your negativism towards David Cameron - who I remember you once supporting - is now beyond belief Jack.

[Eveleigh]

I agree it has been a good Christmas for the Conservatives and, I hope, for the country as a whole. While I know that Jack Stone is a bit of a predictable voice I wonder if he is right about a meeting to comabt unemployment being short - after all we know that it is in the private, wealth generating part of the economy that jobs need to be created. It doesn't take a long meeting to decide that, what will take longer is deciding on the ways government can reduce the burdens they place on business and remove some of the bureaucratic, expensive requirements on local government.
Deciding on the policy in Europe and methods to implement it would be interesting as would ways to regulate the banks!

[C List and Proud]

Where is Birmingham Birmingham?

[Bernard Wright]

Now comment on the fact that 2.5million pensioners are living below the bread line due to the fact that the State Pension is inadequet

[HF]

"Who are they meeting? Posted by: David Belchamber"

Yes one wonders. Members in at least one of those areas know nothing about this.

May say more about that Association.

[Gazza]

"Where is Birmingham Birmingham?"
It's so good they named it twice!

[Giles McNeill]

Andrew Mitchell MP was very good in Nottingham this morning.

[Londoner]

" "Who are they meeting? Posted by: David Belchamber"

Yes one wonders. Members in at least one of those areas know nothing about this.

May say more about that Association."

I don't want to seem negative a la Jack Stone, but this thread started with a headline about "The Tory operation". I am not sure the Party in the country is much involved in that nowadays, is it? Even the term "Association" implies some reassuringly traditional self-standing association of local members with some ownership of the Party nationally - this has not existed since the Hague reforms of 1999.

I am still surprised that the Telegraph and Mail do not seem, from your summaries, to have twigged that the large numbers of their readers with incomes over about £40,000 a year will still have their savings incomes taxed at 40% or 45% under these proposals. If the Government announces a major extension of the ISA limits, we could be outflanked with that constituency if people actually trouble to look behind the headlines.

Not to cavil at the direction of travel, which I like...

[Super Blue]

Caught trolling again, Draper-Stone? Perhaps you should try READING all of the Conservative plans for the economy, a recovery of which will lower unemployment automatically - the council tax freeze, income tax reductions for savers, inheritance tax reform, reductions in wasted expenditure and many more, the approach that the rest of the World is REALLY following.

Still, if the alternative is log on, work out what Conservatives are saying and claim the exact opposite in the teeth of the facts and log off within five minutes, I put it to you that that alternative is your preferred approach.

So why did you favour Cameron three and a half years ago? Because you thought that he was the ultimate troll - and you fooled only yourself.

[RichardJ]

"Caught trolling again, Draper-Stone?"

"Jack Stone" was around long before Draper's RRU idea. That said I'm starting to wonder if someone else has taken his name. The wikipedia entry for his real identity doesn't chime with his recent comments.

[David Sergeant]

"Caught trolling again, Draper-Stone? Perhaps you should try READING all of the Conservative plans for the economy"

The problem, "Super Blue" is that "all" the plans are rarely publicised. The Tory party is reverting to type, hold a press conference produce a policy and go back to sleep. Anyone not aware of the policy should "read up". We are now in the rediculous situation where any initiative is billed as the "Tories trying to shake off their do nothing image." Not the Tories proposing policies to help old/business etc. There have been policies all along, some before Brown did anything but because they were not publicised or put forward as a coherent package Jack Stone can say silly thing that most voters believe. Until existing policies are put better there can't be a "strong start" just a puzzeled look at opinion polls.

[Therese Coffey]

Good to start the New Year on the front foot. I was at the event at the Rose Bowl today near Southampton. It was rather good and Maria Hutchings, Eastleigh candidate, announced the creation of the "Job Club" where she has pulled together various professionals who have volunteered to help people looking for work.

Caroline Spelman and Mark Hoban both spoke confidently and listened as well. Good contributions from the floor with suggestions and ideas.

[Jack Stone]

Firstly editior my distaste for Cameron is because I believe he as taken the party back to the right. He won the leadership in my opinion on a false prospectous.
Secondly the party as very little plans that will save jobs and help create new ones.
The economic plans are fine by themselves but they are not dealing with the fundamental issue which is the recession.
We need to keep people in work and create new jobs that is the way out of a recession not cutting taxes for pensioners and encouraging saving.

[Julian L Hawksworth]

I'm somewhat surprised that Jack Stone is not supporting the cutting of taxes for pensioners and encouraging saving.

How exactly would he "create new jobs" and "keep people in work", I wonder? He even seems to think that Conservatives are oblivious to the dire state of our economy.

"Hit the road Jack!"

[Simon H]

I was at the Leeds event today with Eric Pickles and I have to say it was very good. Lots of time to discuss policy and issues. Have spotted a bit more (though not quite the back of my head!) on www.yorkshireconservatives.org.uk

[Super Blue]

Jack Stone opposes cutting taxes for pensioners and helping people to save? But this is the one thing that will tackle the government overspending that caused this depression and then get the economy moving forward.
This country needs a smaller state that wastes less and taxes less and this Party leader is ready to deliver it. So, clueless Brown, GO and let that recovery happen sooner rather than later.