ConservativeHome's ToryDiary

Caroline Spelman launches online adverts

The Conservative Party has launched a series of online ads today.  Nine different ads will appear over the next five days on sites including Facebook, Lycos and national newspaper websites.  The nine themes will be:

• Teaching by ability
• Fighting the closure of A&E and maternity units
• Referendum on EU constitution
• Tougher sentencing, more police, end to early release scheme
• Setting up emergency pension fund
• Value for money in public services
• Cut family taxes, increase taxes on pollution
• Fairer trade and aid

You can view the ads by clicking here.  Stills from the ad on crime are pasted below:

Start image:

Second image:

Third image:

Fourth image:

Editor's comment: "This initiative has to be welcomed.  The themes chosen are good ones.  'It's time for a change' is the right slogan.  On the downside I wonder if people will know that there are different ads.  Perhaps a different colour or different image of David Cameron should have been used to make it clearer that there were different ads?  I would also suggest more micro-targeting in future with ads on the family featuring on Christian sites etc."

3pm: Click here to see Tim Montgomerie and Iain Dale talk to Sky News about this initiative.

Blue again

A report from Joe Murphy in today's London Evening Standard notes that a different colour Tory logo appeared behind William Hague at yesterday's launch of the EU Treaty in plain English.  Mr Murphy reports that the blue was reminiscent of one of Margaret Thatcher's famous blue outfits.

A party official confirmed that the colour of the logo would indeed be changing from time to time:

"It is a very flexible design which, like the London Olympics logo, can be used as a shape to display any number of background images.  For our spring conference, it was adapted to show an image of spring blossom. At other times it has shown green leaves."

Tories make Brown an issue in the local elections

This Freddie Starr-style leaflet will be distributed to voters at train and tube stations this morning by Tory activists.  The party wants to exploit voter anger at Gordon Brown's pensions raid - particularly amongst older voters (always the most likely to vote).  By deploying these leaflets the Tories will also be able to attach Brown to expected poor results for Labour on May 3rd and so further undermine his leadership credentials.  Click on the image to enlarge.

Exclusive: Tories considering ribbons as alternative to rosettes

CCHQ has just confirmed a reader's tip-off that the Conservative Party is currently market-testing an alternative to the traditional blue Tory rosette.

Under consideration is a blue and green ribbon in the same shape and style that people wear on their lapel to highlight AIDS or breast cancer, for example.

Canvassers would be absolutely free to continue to wear blue rosettes but the new ribbon could be worn as an alternative.

Personally I've never much liked rosettes and think that such a change would be welcome although critics of Project Cameron may see it as a gimmick when the party should be focusing on more important things.

7pm update: WATCH 18DOUGHTYSTREET.COM'S VIDEO ON THE PUBLIC'S REACTION TO THE RIBBONS IDEA

Tax campaign video launches

18 Doughty Street's campaign video on tax has just gone online and is downloadable here. I hope you consider it interesting enough to forward to your friends and colleagues.

Newsnight previewed the video last night and interviewed Tim about the concept. Tim also expanded on the idea in The Times today.

This morning the TaxPayers' Alliance and I were joined by 16 volunteers in handing out thousands of "tax credit cards" - as seen in the video - to commuters in the Westminster area (a short film of this campaign will be uploaded soon).

The video is just the first of many, please tell us what you think of it through this survey. Campaign videos of the same high quality will be produced every single week from now on, and we want you to choose what concepts we turn into adverts.

Deputy Editor

The £40,000 scribble

The new Tory logo (top) cost £40,000 to develop according to today's Times (although the scribble looks much better in colour than what we saw yesterday).  The idea for the oak logo and the actual design you see on the left originally came from Conservative Home visitors - earlier in the summer - and all for free.

New Tory logo

Well, it's true.  The logo that appeared on Iain Dale's blog this morning is going to be the new Tory logo.  Two reactions:

1. Iain scanned the image from his conference pass - which arrived in this morning's post... a full seven days before the Party had officially scheduled the launch of the logo... in Leeds next week.  Another organisational triumph for CCHQ.
2. How much did the party pay for this design?  It looks like a child's drawing.  Someone has compared it to the coin scratch on a Lottery card.  ConservativeHome welcomed the idea of an oak tree image - in fact we first proposed it.  An oak tree stands for strength, patriotism, conservation and tradition.  This image is ill-defined and doesn't really communicate any of those qualities. Is it too late for CCHQ to think again?  Please!

There'll be a blogging stand at Tory conference.  See here for more.

You saw it here first

Yesterday ConservativeHome published a picture of the likely new Tory logo - a picture taken by a camera phone.  The scoop is picked up in most of this morning's newspapers:

The Telegraph: "The torch logo is being ditched by Mr Cameron because of its association with the party's Thatcherite past. Party officials hope that a new logo will demonstrate Mr Cameron's modernising approach." Acknowledgment rating 5/5 - Although ConservativeHome is described as "a party website" there's a full credit and a hyperlink.

The Independent: "There are risks about presenting the Conservatives as the party of the "tree". It may prove difficult for Mr Cameron to live up to the green image. He launched his leadership by riding a bicycle to work at the Commons. But this week he admitted he only rode to Westminster once a week. He has resorted to the chauffeur-driven limousine because he has so many papers to read." Acknowledgment rating 4/5 - Two mentions including the  full ConservativeHome.com URL.

The Times: "The blue-and-green design is the favourite to replace the Tory torch, introduced by Margaret Thatcher in 1987 to symbolise liberty, pride, and unity.... Lord Bell of Belgravia, the advertising guru who masterminded the three Thatcher election victories, was not impressed by the concept. He said: “Remember the old saying: blue and green should never be seen.”  Acknowledgment rating 3/5 - No direct credit but Andrew Pierce quotes ConservativeHome.com in his piece.

Daily Mail: "The design has drawn a scathing response from Tory peer Lord Tebbit, a close ally of former Prime Minister Lady Thatcher, who introduced the torch.  He likened the oak to a 'bunch of sprouting broccoli' and said: 'Changing the logo is what companies who haven't got much else to think about tend to do. This is one of those displacement activities because they aren't thinking about policies.'" Acknowledgment rating 2/5 - The online Mail mentions ConservativeHome.com but the newspaper version doesn't and publishes the wrong logo (it publishes ConservativeHome's suggestion - not the one being considered by the party).

The Guardian: "The new oak may prove too English for some tastes, which party insiders say could lead Mr Cameron to create a small copse, including a Scots pine for Scotland. Wales's contribution to the Tory arboretum is as yet uncertain and the few members in Northern Ireland may not get anything at all, not even a shamrock.  The party could go further still and opt for a small forest representing the different forces on Mr Cameron's frontbench. Alan Duncan, the trade spokesman, is most certainly a bonsi pine; the ascetic party chairman, Francis Maude, a thorn tree; William Hague has largely been defoliated; and the hand-wringing Oliver Letwin must be a weeping maple. Tory rightwingers would be shown by a large redwood.  Mr Cameron himself is of uncertain genus, though he has lush, fast-growing foliage, pleasant stature, lots of flowers and the prospect of early-picking fruit, which probably means he hails from somewhere in the the tropics, or alternatively is a victoria plum."  Acknowledgment rating 1/5 -  Julian Glover's page 1 story only manages a mention of a "a website for party supporters".  (11.30am - Julian has left a comment to say that there was a mention in later editions of The Guardian).

The Sun and Express both mention the logo change.  Acknowledgment rating 0/5 - Neither mention ConservativeHome and  the Express' Hickey column presents it as 'Hickey can reveal...'.

6.30pm update: BBC Online has a report with a 5/5 acknowledgment rating: "A poll on the ConservativeHome website, which represents the views of the party at grassroots level to its leadership, suggested that 63% of its users supported an oak tree logo.  Some of the words and phrases used to explain their backing included that the image was strong, rooted, environmental/green, English/British, protective, reaching to the sky and providing shelter."  The Scotsman, in contrast, gets a 0/5 rating for zero acknowledgment: "The change will please modernisers who want to pitch the party as eco-friendly and are eager to get away from its Thatcherite history, which the torch embodies."

Blue and green tree logo set to replace Tory torch

Conservative Home has learnt that the Conservative Party is likely to choose a tree image as its new logo.  The blurred image on the right (blurred not by design but because of the way it was transmitted to me) is very similar to the oak tree image chosen by 63% of ConservativeHome readers in June.  The party is holding a series of meetings during August with party workers to discuss the party's rebranding.  The new blue and green tree design is likely to be well-received.

12.30pm update: 'Ash' - who submitted the four nations entry to the ConservativeHome vote - will be pleased to know that the logo will be slightly different for Wales and Scotland.  Scotland, for example, will probably have a pine tree logo.  Will Northern Ireland's Conservatives get something special?  Or will they be forgotten again?  If there are going to be lots of logo designs perhaps the taxcutting, Eurosceptic right could get a Redwood!

10.30pm update: ConservativeHome's logo exclusive was not acknowledged by tonight's London Evening Standard when it carried a story on p2 (click on image to enlarge).   The LES story does conclude by quoting the wisdom of Tam Large, Graham Smith and Jack W...

Cornerstone fires localist versus A-list debate

Today sees the latest publication from the Cornerstone Group of socially conservative Tory MPs (the membership of which now equals about forty).  Previous publication topics have included higher education and exiting the EPP.

David Burrowes is the author of 'Pick 'em local and Pick 'em early' - a timely contribution to the debate on candidate selection currently raging within the Conservative Party and something of a challenge to the approach enshrined in the party's A-list.

At the last election David defeated Stephen Twigg with a swing of 8.7%.  The Enfield Southgate seat was low down on the list of Tory targets (number 114) but David took the seat - once held by Michael Portillo - with the biggest swing of any victorious Conservative candidate.  David is in a good position to recommend how to achieve a good election result. 

'Pick 'em local and Pick 'em early' reflects David's own experiences and an analysis of the common factors in the performance of Tory MPs who "achieved at least double the national average swing".   Those common factors are summarised in the blue graphic on the right.

Local candidates and strong commitment to the locality are the big themes in David Burrowes' analysis.  He makes a strong case for radical localisation of power as a principal way in which to address the sense of powerlessness that is driving voter apathy.  He uses the example of local phone masts to illustrate how the people of his own constituency have come to feel disempowered:

"Many constituents are frustrated that the first wave of masts was built with comparatively little public consultation or consideration for their local health or environmental concerns. Their protests have grown louder with the third generation phone upgrade which has ushered in another wave of mast building more densely spread than the first. Phone masts appearing on constituents’ doorsteps has vividly brought home their lack of control over their local area."

David Burrowes believes that compassionate, values-based local activism is a big part of the response to the reduction in voter turnout from 77% in 1992 to just 62% last year.  He also thinks that it is the way to elect more Conservative MPs.

David Burrowes believes he was able to repeat the same success that saw Andrew Rosindell achieve 2001's standout Tory result (in Romford):

"In 2001 one of our best results was in Romford where Andrew Rosindell bucked the national trend and regained the seat from Labour. Andrew’s success was no doubt formed from a proven track record over a number of years as a local champion. I recognised this point and similarly was able to lean on my position as a local councillor of 11 years in Enfield Southgate. I was well placed to voice constituents’ concerns about their locality and act as a focal point for campaigns on highly localised issues."

How would you improve your local environment?

That's the question Central Office wants anyone with a video phone or digital camera to answer.  "Record a 30 second video clip answering the question: ‘How would you improve your local environment?" is the invitation on conservatives.com.  These clips will be edited together to produce three 'Personal Political Broadcasts'.  These open sourced PPBs will replace the usual Party Political Broadcasts with their political talking heads.  The Tories have an allocation of three broadcasts for the local elections and all three will be given over to the public. 

David Cameron said, "This is the first time this has been done in Britain. We want to encourage people from all walks of life to participate in politics and put the public at the centre of our politics.”  After yesterday's leaked news about open primary elections it really does look like the Tories are beginning to escape the top-down, we-know-best politics.   I would have preferred a more open question that would, perhaps, have encouraged perspectives on other local topics but this is a substantial step in the right direction...

Digital Tories launch online campaign against Analogue Chancellor

The Tories have launched an online campaign/ petition to oppose Labour's decision to scrap the Home Computing initiative - "a scheme that enabled employees to loan a home computer through their workplace, paying for it in monthly instalments, tax free".  The Tories claim that "over 300,000 low income families benefited from the scheme, as well as many charities and not for profit organisations".

This is exactly the sort of campaign I had in mind when I wrote on yesterday's Guardian blog that "successful political parties will find out what is making the target voters itch and will run web-based campaigns to tell them how they'll cure that itch."  To work the campaign must  have a viral element and the website needs constant updating - ideally with lots of contributions from those adversely affected by the Chancellor's decision.

Related news articles: CBI slams closure of Home Computing Initiative and Brown attacked for axing home computer tax perk.

Optimistic male, 39, WLTM floating voters

Whilst I was in CCHQ on Thursday I picked up a new Conservative campaign newsletter entitled 'change'.  A pdf copy of the four page newspaper can be accessed here.  [I was in CCHQ to meet Francis Maude about my US fact-finding trip - I thought FM handled his extensive range of interviews yesterday about the Tory lenders with great skill btw.]

I was impressed with the newspaper although it was, perhaps, a little wordy.  Some of the commitments were a refutation of the idea that the Tories had become a policy-free zone.  Here were five that - with fleshing out - could become important (although not uncontroversial) parts of the next Tory manifesto:

• Opposition to ID cards: "They do not prevent terrorist attacks and the £14 billion it will cost to introduce ID cards by 2013 could be better spent on things that we know will work, like boosting the police, security services and armed forces."
• Help for first-time buyers:  An "ambitious plan" is promised to young families who are stretched "to financial breaking point to get on the property ladder."
• No war without a vote: "Is it right that we go to war without Parliament voting on it?  Our new Democracy Task Force will consider whether the centuries-old power of the Royal Prerogative, used by ministers to declare war, sign international treaties and make public appointments, should be reformed to ensure MPs are consulted first."
• Police reform: New powers to "sack bad officers" and "real local accountability to give communities control over policing".
• Childcare: "I want to make the support provided by the childcare tax credit simpler and much more user-friendly.  Then we must expand the range of good, affordable childcare.  The government should not be seeking a monopoly in the provision of childcare or nursery places." (DC)

Also in the newspaper is a personals section:

I'm sure readers of this blog could come up with some alternative WLTMs...

Everyone's invited to Cameron's Conservatives

As I write countless Conservative volunteers are distributing 200,000 'Cameron's Conservatives - Everyone's Invited' newspapers at tube and train stations around the country.   Some were distributed last night in an operation organised by the Cameron Campaign.

The newspaper reprises Mr Cameron's main themes -  change, hope and optimism are words that stand out on the frontpage of the handout.  Inside the newspaper there are big articles on climate change, his national school leaver programme, fighting crime and helping vulnerable people.

The newspaper spells out six characteristics of his 'modern, compassionate conservatism':

1. "More women candidates
2. Inner city revival
3. Reflecting modern Britain
4. A new approach to politics
5. Constructive opposition
6. Ending Punch & Judy politics."

Also being distributed last night were a million letters to people who have previously pledged to vote Tory or who have been identified by the Voter Vault system.  This is part of a massive effort by the Cameron team to capitalise on today's positive headlines and recruit tens of thousands of new members and supporters.

Download one_million_households_letter.pdf