"I want to be forgotten as party chairman... The really successful party chairmen are the ones you don't really remember": Eric Pickles talks to ConservativeHome two months into his new role

It's a couple of months now since Eric Pickles took up the role of Conservative Party Chairman, and by all accounts he is loving the job - rather like the child who has finally been allowed to take the controls of the train set. Yet there is only one thing on which he is focusing - winning the general election - and when I met him in his office at CCHQ to talk about how he is settling into the new job, he refused to be distracted from that aim.

"What I'm trying to bring to this job and to the building is a focus on the election; if it ain't about the election, we've got to think about it in 18 months’ time," he asserts. "Nothing matters to me more than these elections in June and the one that will follow at some time. And that's what I'm here to do. There are some people placed as party chairman to be great reformers of the party. My job is to make sure this place is working happily, contentedly, but focused on those elections."

Party employees tell me that they have been impressed with his approach to the job, not least the little ways in which he shows his appreciation for what they do. Personalised notes arrive when someone is deemed to merit special praise and I gather that he also sends birthday cards to all CCHQ staff.

"Part of my job... is to encourage folk," he says. " I'm here to bring the best out of people, I'm not here to throw my weight around. You can either stand at this door and shout at people or you can wander up to their desk and just encourage. I want to ensure that everyone feels part of a big team. They're not doing it for the money, they're working as part of a cause they feel committed to. I think that has to be recognised."

He does a full tour of CCHQ once a week in order to get that chance to speak one-to-one with employees and one of his first decisions in the job was to reinstate a weekly staff meeting.

"It's about showing people what we're doing, why we're doing it and how we're going to be doing it.  I hope that's made a difference, and I'm told folks appreciate that."

That approach of explaining the reasoning behind decisions and actions is one which he is ensuring the party will be taking at the spring conference next month as well. In particular, he is keen that those going to Cheltenham get "a proper feel for the campaign" and he promises that anyone ducking out of the weekend will be "missing a bit of a treat".

Boris Johnson is booked to do a turn at the conference dinner on the Saturday night and there will be keynote speeches over the weekend from, among others, George Osborne, Kenneth Clarke and, of course, David Cameron.

"I was at a dinner there [at the conference venue] a couple of weeks ago, and had a look round. It's a great venue and it won't be a normal spring conference: it's the proper start of what is going to be weeks and months of electioneering."

We're back to that E-word again. I try to take the interview onto a different path, by asking him what he hopes to do as chairman to enhance party democracy, members' rights and, in particular, the ever-thorny issue of candidate selection. But he's having none of it.

"Do I want to get myself involved in how we select candidates in the future, how do we put people on lists, what do we do about democracy? That's really interesting and as a reader of ConservativeHome I might want to make a contribution about it some time. But that's not part of winning the election. We have got to be completely focused on that, we have got to be so utterly focused. It's getting Cameron through the door of Number Ten that matters - that's all that matters - and giving him that flexibility to start to heal Britain and to mend the broken society. All those other things are really interesting, but we have got to take a leaf out of the book of the Labour Party of over 10 years ago and be utterly focused. I don't mean ruthless, I don't mean dirty tricks; but being utterly focused on what's important."

Eric says he remains "a big fan" of Iain Duncan Smith and that his work on the social justice agenda has played a significant role in changing the party. However, despite having declared for David Davis in the 2005 leadership contest, he is most effusive in his praise for the man he now wants to play his part in making Prime Minister.

"Generally speaking, the leader of a political party can become remote and lose the human touch, but I've seen no sign of that whatsoever. Dave is refreshingly normal and I think that's his great strength: he's remained consistently normal, even through his greatest trials. He's a courteous and reasonable man and a pleasure to work with."

I ask if he believes David Cameron is the party's greatest asset.

"Of course he is. He's brought us from the wilderness back into a mainstream political party. Am I exaggerating that? No, I bloody aren't," asserts the straight-talking Yorkshireman. "Dave has got us into a position where we are listened to. I think the changes he has made have been quite deep... It's got to be about reaching into those areas outside our comfort zone, it can't just be about folks who agree with us.  I think he'll be great as Prime Minister. I don't have any doubt that if we're fortunate enough to watch him walk through the door of Number Ten - and George in Number Eleven - that we'll feel as if we've participated in doing a good thing."

And what are his own hopes career-wise in the event of David Cameron becoming Prime Minister next year?

"Whatever follows, follows. One thing's for certain, you can never plan a political career. I don't regard this as a stepping stone, this is my moment to make a difference and I absolutely will make a difference to this place, to make it happier, to make it focused, and to create an atmosphere where all these really talented people will put together that winning strategy." 

I concluded my interview by asking him who he rates highly among his many august predecessors in the job. He cited Lord Woolton (1946-1955) and Lord Thorneycroft (1975-1981) as having been "magnificent" party chairmen.

"If you were going to ask who are your heroes, those two would come really high up... They got the organisation right and they got the central strategy right," he said.

He also makes special mention of one of his more recent predecessors, Francis Maude.

"I'd praise him for really grasping the North [of England]. All the successes we've had in Sunderland, and in Wakefield, in Rotherham: he created a kind of atmosphere that recognised that it was going to be a long term project, but allowed those things to develop."

So, finally, for what would Eric want to remembered?

"That's easy. I want to be forgotten as party chairman. I want to be the guy that was there when Cameron had his great success, that's what I want. The really successful party chairmen are the ones you don't really remember."

Jonathan Isaby

Comments

[Sally Roberts]

I don't think anyone will forget you, Eric - you are a larger than life character, for all the right reasons!

[Tony the Tory]

I think Eric will go down in party history as one of the greats.

Top bloke who inspires me to do that bit more.

[Nicholas J. Rogers]

Good man!

[Marjorie Baylis]

I think Mr Pickles is absolutely correct in saying that it is all about the next election. This site is a great place to let off steam - but I think we should all be temperate in the way that we write about our views - it would be tragic if this site became the voice piece of all the Rag Tag and Bobtails at the fringes of the party.

All real Conservatives should start thinking about how they can help with the election and by that I mean getting out door knocking now for the Euro and County elections - you gather intelligence for the next election as you go and it is truly valuable. If you are not a people person, then there are many other things you can do - help on the day, telling and knocking up, taking people to the polling stations - and remember to offer your services for the following elections. Get in touch with your agents and your Dep Chairman political to find out how you can help.

Me - I am unpaid, helping out in a constituency half an hour a way and I am out twice a week door knocking and it is great fun. I just think you have to do something as well as say something on this site.

And if you are not members, you should be!!

[John Toothill]

Eric you are doing what you do well in your own way.

We have travelled a long way since we were together at KBGS. Then as Chairman Worth Valley Yc's, Councillor, Leader of Bradford Council, before you defection down South. You have and are a good missionary from Yorkshire and a good example or true yorkshire grit.

The Party is the better for your work. Long may it continue.

[ToryBlog.com - Usual health warning about me to please the Editor :-)]

If anonymity in the role is the sign of a great success, Spelman must have been the best chairman ever. ;-)

[resident leftie]

Looking at that map of the constituencies made me think of the cortical homonculus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortical_homunculus)

which is a figure with body parts distorted according to the number of sensory neurons located on the parts.

A map of Britain distorted so each constituency is the same size would be very informative, as would one where each constituency was in proportion to the number of constituents.

[Wayne]

Eric,
Keep up the magnificent work you are doing - What a great man!

[anon]

I was with him right up until the bit about Maude!

Arguably, Chris Patton was the greatest Party Chairman of all time, possibly even better than the Tebbit/Archer combination.

Regardless of his wet political views, he not only masterminded a successful election campaign which we were not supposed to win but he did so by using young, creative types at CCO and in the process sacrificed his own seat.

[Adam]

I like Eric very much, but I have to say I tire of ConservativeHome's sycophantic coverage of him.

You would not interview any other senior policitican and not ask him/her a single challanging question.

[Conand]

I don't think any of us could ever forget our 'Big Man' even if we tried.
Reading this reminded me I've got canvassing at 5.30, whoops!

[Bill Melotti]

Quoted - "You would not interview any other senior policitican and not ask him/her a single challanging question."

Perhaps because at the moment he seems to be in the perfect job for him, I guess when things don't go quite to plan, there'll be some difficult questions, but hey, with any plan you're lucky or wrong.

I wonder what state our membership is in; the demographics, the future campaigners, how do we build a task force, much like Obama (no I'm not a worshipper) that will help win elections, but make the reforms happen at the grass roots of communities, and be there for the next 20 years.

It is just my association that still has a very aged profile?

If not then his current priority is right, but his next, and he'll be thinking about something, if not articulating it yet, should in my view be a massive and radical membership/supporters recruitment drive.

We would have the voter support to drag a lot of people in and some will stick it out for many years and the party that establishes the new model for political activity may dominate for many years.

Hopefully that'll be us.

[Geordie-Tory]

Eric who?

[David Sergeant]

Eric, If you are reading this when are you coming on telly in Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle to tell northerners how it really is?

[Afleitch]

Is it me or are we giving something away through that map :)

[Viscount Crouchback]

This chap Pickles is a rum bird. I saw him on QT once and he was HIGHLY inarticulate. And he doesn't have quite the sort of breeding we Tories have grown used to.

All in all, a most peculiar choice for Chairman.

[North East Conservative]

"I want to be forgotten as Party Chairman"...

Eric, I hope your dreadful performance on last night's Question Time will quickly be forgotten!

[Wear Tory]

Poor old Eric - top bloke.

But didn't just shoot himself in the foot last night - took his leg with it...now on front page of BBC website.

I can see the headlines " Poor Flabby Tories - I need a second home because of 37 mile commute"

Politics is a cruel world! He was making a good point and must people at the top of the private sector would make a similar decision - however, add in the public sector and a dim view of politicians and you have a no win situation.

[Watervole]

The point Pickles should have made was that public transport is so unreliable and our roads so bunged up that it is impossible to guarantee getting anywhere on time, even short distances are problematic. Even living inside the M25 is no security that you can get to Westminster or anywhere else on time. The suggestion of dedicated hostels or grace and favour appartments is a good one save that one can understand that MPs are entitled to privacy and it is easy to imagine how difficult the press might make their lives - and those of their families - were their location to be known 24 hours a day. I can sympathise, but I hope Cameron will get the slate clean regarding what is right, rather than what is legal, with regard to expenses.

[Islington Neil]

Wot no mention by ConservativeHome editorial team of the truly dreadful pickle that Eric got himself into last night on QT? His famed blokeishness and common touch was noteably absent... oh, but he can do no wrong obv.

I can't help but think if someone like, say Ken Clarke, had managed to so spectacularly turn the audience against him there would reams of coverage/chastisment and lessons to be learned on here?

[Tom FD]

"I want to be forgotten as party chairman"... I think he jinxed himself with this one. :(

[Just Nuisance.]

Better late than never.. :)

( Well done Eric.)

[Rainbow.]

Food for thought..

The tongue of a man is his sword
and effective speech is
stronger than all fghting..