Advice for Mr Davis

The widely-respected Watlington blogger is the latest source of advice for the Davis campaign.  Watlington recommends that Mr Davis gets control of his lieutenants who promote smeary gossip around the media and the Commons tearoom.  Mr Davis' chief financial backer Lord Kalms could usefully pay for two of Mr Davis' most notorious backers to holiday on a faraway Caribbean island for the next six weeks (so long as they hand in their mobile phones in return for the plane tickets).  Watlington also calls for a fresher campaign team and outreach to third party organisations. 

In today's Mail (not available online) Peter Oborne suggests that Mr Davis emphasises his "hard-line" positions on law and order, family values and "other issues which resonate more naturally among the Tory activists who will decide this leadership contest".  Mr Oborne also recommends that Mr Davis emphasises his experience:

"His time as a troubleshooting director of one of Britain's most famous industrial companies, Tate & Lyle, makes Cameron's time in the communications department of the media group Carlton seem lightweight by comparison."

I posted my own advice a couple of weeks ago:

"Mr Davis won't out-smoothe David Cameron.  Recasting Mr Davis as as nice as Mr Cameron won't convince.  He needs to play to his strengths.  The broken-nosed Davis could show the British people that he's a fighter and will fight tirelessly for them if he becomes their Prime Minister.  Mr Davis should turn his toughness, that some observers think is a liability, into his key asset.  He should promise to deploy his toughness on behalf of Britain's strivers (an electoral group championed very successfully by Australia's John Howard).  Those strivers include all the people struggling to survive in crime-ridden estates and the victims of Labour's stealth taxes and inadequate public services.  A 'Battling for Britons' message could yet resurrect Mr Davis' campaign."

Let's use the thread below to publish genuinely helpful public advice to the Davis campaign.  All Conservatives have an interest in this contest being real and demanding for both contenders.  Please don't use it to say that 'nothing can save the Davis campaign' etc.  It can be harsh advice (like Watlington's advice on 'stopping the smears') but it should be essentially helpful.  Let's show that there is something to the Wisdom Of Crowds idea and that internet fora like this can yield fruitful advice...

Comments

[Editor]

I know there's lots of opposition on this blog to David Davis' biography style of politics. I disagree. David Cameron is more human because of his willingness to talk of his love for disabled child and his family member's exposure to drugs. I think he should embrace his biography in a powerful DVD. Every experience in his life - his family background, his social mobility, his SAS service, his work at Tate & Lyle - should be featured BUT always blended with an explanation as to why that experience has turned him into the fighter that he is for public sector reform, giving families a bigger share of their income and warm safe home etc. That DVD must be put on a revamped website (everyone is right who says it looks about five years out-of-date) and must be ready within two weeks so that it goes out to members before the ballot papers are distributed.

[Derek]

In answer to James Maskall's question of what is the status of the other 21st Century reform proposals. - They have been modified already as a result of the responses to the consultation exercise. Revised proposals will be published next year, after the new leader has had an opportunity to have his input.

Ed. I agree with your recent advice to DD. He must play to his strengths, his background, his experience. This is his trúmp card, but he needs to play it early and often.

The good thing about this contest is that there is not the huge divide that has characterised previous contests, and it can take place in a spirit of friendship which will leave both men as winners from positive publicity, and above all the party too will gain huge benefit from it, not to mention this website and our esteemed editor.

[Selsdon Man]

I agree Tim but there is more to it. Davis needs some big speeches before the hustings to erase the memory of Blackpool.

He could also take some dress tips from Michael Howard - brighter shirts and ties to contrast with his grey hair.

[Richard Weatherill]

I haven't been following this thread for a couple of days, so I apologise if someone has already suggested this. Watching a TV interview with DD the other day, it struck me that what he needs first and foremost is elocution lessons. I certainly don't want him to end up sounding like Maggie, but it would be better if half of his speech wasn't unintelligible. (At least I assume it would be better, since I think I agree with most of what he's trying to say!)

[Ian Sider]

Here's some advice for DD in two words:

Take risks.

[James Maskell]

Thanks for the update with regards to the reforms of the Party, Derek.

[Richard Allen]

Does anyone actually know who is writing DD's speeches or if he plans to hire a new speechwriter.

As others have said this is a vital issue, DD is never going to be a great orator but you don't need to be a great orator to give a good speech. The key is having a writer who can produce speeches that suit your speaking style.

[a-tracy]

I think that the oratory style links into one nation, two nation divisional issues. My family (mostly from the North granted) think that DD's Straight John Bull speech and style are fine and preferable to DC, whereas many commentators on this site find DC's rhetoric more suitable to them.

Perhaps both candidates will be challenged outside their comfort zone.

[Andy Stidwill]

Couldn't agree more with the suggestion about Davis's team using Julie Kirkbride. As far as I can tell, she's about the only voter-friendly member of his team.

[remittance philippines]

I think I know of some who fit under one or more of each of these categories. Of course I love them all.

Daniel Roberts