A statement from CCHQ has declared that 254,000 qualifying Conservative Party members will be sent their ballot papers on Friday by Electoral Reform Services (ERS) Limited - "the highly respected independent electoral administrators". With the ballot papers will be:
- Details of the 11 hustings meetings;
- Election Addresses from David Cameron and David Davis;
- A letter from Michael Howard asking for financial support for the new Leader and his campaigning. Such an appeal accompanied the ballot papers distributed in 2001 and helped ensure the ballot was profitable for the party.
CCHQ advises that members will receive their mailings from Tuesday 8th to Thursday 10th November. Although ballot papers do not have to be returned until midday on Monday 5th December many members are expected to vote immediately. This is one of the reasons why we can expect intensive campaigning from both candidates over the next few days. This Thursday night's Question Time will be particularly important. The two contenders will debate in front of a mixed audience of Cameron supporters, Davis supporters and unaligned Tory and non-Tory voters. Both camps are holding US-style preparation sessions for 'the debate'.
One leading member of one campaign complained that the husting meetings were taking place too late. The candidates will have to criss-cross the country - speaking to only 3% or 4% of an electorate, most of which will have already voted.
Its impossible for them though.
The hustings can only be open to people eligible to vote so they have to go out with the papers, but many people will vote by return of post.
On the other hand I would suggest that those intending to go to the hustings might wait till afterwards.
Posted by: wasp | 01 November 2005 at 18:11
To be honest both candidates are pretty high profile now, I think the members will have generally made up there minds one way or another (if not in deciding who they want at least deciding who they do not). Having had the campaign build up some momentum after the long run-in period, I'd have liked to have seen a shorter voting period so we could have a new leader in place by December. But I don't think the hustings are going to be very relevant. Question time will be though, a good show by David Cameron and it's just about all over.
Posted by: Kate Castle | 01 November 2005 at 18:27
Simple answer to the question. Yes!
Posted by: lambo | 01 November 2005 at 18:45
I agree, it is a shame that the ballot papers have to be sent out so early. By putting the details of the hustings with them, at least everyone will be aware of the nearest meeting. If the ballot papers were sent out later it would not give time for those who don't receive one to complain. Some people will already have made up their mind and will not feel that they need to attend a husting. The Question Time head-to-head this Thursday will be a critical moment. Those who wish to wait do have the opportunity of doing so.
Posted by: Derek | 01 November 2005 at 19:03
Cameron will walk Question Time. He'll paint DD as someone stuck in the past and that he is someone fresh. Nice and easy, you can take it to the bank.
Posted by: James Maskell | 01 November 2005 at 19:09
The great tragedy with all that is going wrong with the government is that we have still got to wait another five weeks to install David Cameron as leader.
If he was leading the party now we would be way out in front in the polls.
The Conservative Party never do things the easy way!
Posted by: Jack Stone | 01 November 2005 at 20:49
Neither candidate will be able to recover from a poor performance on Question Time, no matter how well they go on to do in regional hustings. QT is the big show-down and, whether the regional hustings came sooner or later, they have been trumped by this bigger event.
I have to say, both candidates have got balls. Can we imagine a Labour leader being confident enough to stake so much on a single public performance? Regardless of the outcome, this openness and excitement is doing great things for the Conservative party.
Posted by: Mark Fulford | 01 November 2005 at 21:22
Quote: I have to say, both candidates have got balls. Can we imagine a Labour leader being confident enough to stake so much on a single public performance?
I quite agree. Whichever candidate wins, I am very much looking forward to the future. Fast-forward to (for sake of argument) early 2009, when the Leader of the Opposition is at the Despatch Box:
"The last time that I sought election, to my current position, I was happy to debate the issues directly with my opponent, and take questions from the public, live on national television.
Is the Prime Minister so bereft of ideas for the future of Britain that he will not agree, here and now, to do the same with me before the General Election?"
(By the way, if anyone is thinking that it's a good thing that I'm not on the PMQ's team, they might well have a point!)
Posted by: Richard Carey | 01 November 2005 at 21:36
I have received news that DD will be in Canterbury on the 7th at the Darwin College in UKC speaking for interested members. I sadly wont be able to attend but if anyones interested lert me know and Ill forward the memo to you.
Posted by: James Maskell | 01 November 2005 at 21:48
Anyone whose mind is going to be made up by the hustings, will wait and then vote. Those who won't be swayed can vote by return of post.
Is everyone happy with the locations of the hustings meetings?
Posted by: Cllr Iain Lindley | 01 November 2005 at 22:10
'Cameron will walk Question Time. He'll paint DD as someone stuck in the past and that he is someone fresh. Nice and easy, you can take it to the bank.'
Now, James... you're not trying to manage expectations here, are you? ;o)
Posted by: Alastair Matlock | 01 November 2005 at 22:36
"I can't hold it back any more; I love Tony!"
I came across this today. I wonder if any of you know which Cameronian published this in October 2004?
Posted by: buxtehude | 01 November 2005 at 22:58
When I read that article I made a mental note to never again trust what the author said. For me his comments were a renunciation of his conservatism.
Posted by: Richard Allen | 01 November 2005 at 23:25
Who was it Bux?
Posted by: Editor | 01 November 2005 at 23:54
Was it Matthew Parris?
Posted by: Daniel Vince-Archer | 02 November 2005 at 00:00
Not to let everyone down but the pressure is on DD not DC. DC will play safe. He doesnt need to play the game since he is the leading candidate by far. We all know DD isnt the strongest speaker and itll show again.
The only way DC can lose is if it emerges that he was found recently with George Osborne and his mates in a 15 girl crack cocaine/ecstacy/cocaine fuelled orgy!
Of course this hasnt happened, and would be libel to say that. DC is the next leader. Not that he has my support but its my opinion. Hes a shoe-in.
*Apologies to those who might take offence, including Editor*
Posted by: James Maskell | 02 November 2005 at 00:13
Michael Gove said it. But that doesn't mean he's not a conservative. I just think the strategy he has bought into for reviving our fortunes is half wrong (and half right).
He is right to argue that we need to transform the culture and personality of our party. But the idea that lower taxes and public service reform are not central to our revival as a serious contender for government is just plain wrong. Even David Cameron's undoubted skills will fail to make us relevant to the voters if we adopt it.
Posted by: loyal_tory | 02 November 2005 at 00:49
Is everyone happy with the locations of the hustings meetings?
No. The South East one is in a crap rail location.
Davis's appearance in Canterbury will be more accessible, though in true Davis style he seems to be travelling back in time as it hasn't been "UKC" for years and the university's pretensions to be collegiate are long in the past!
Posted by: Tim Roll-Pickering | 02 November 2005 at 02:31
Yes, it was Michael Gove. It was the headline to one of his Times columns on how great Tony was. Post-Kelly.
"I can't hold it back any more; I love Tony!"
Posted by: buxtehude | 02 November 2005 at 06:34
.......The only way DC can lose is if it emerges that he was found recently with George Osborne and his mates in a 15 girl crack cocaine/ecstacy/cocaine fuelled orgy!......
Sorry to be cynical but the press would just gush about how much better DC was at attracting women voters. ;)
Posted by: EU Serf | 02 November 2005 at 07:57
Team Davis are now talking down his expected Question Time performance to such an extent that if he manages to string a whole sentence together without an "errm" "urrr" or nervous "hahaha" all night they will declare him the winner.
He's is mediocre rather than bad as a debater. Its going to be a challenge for both candidates.
Fun for us though...
Posted by: Guido fawkes | 02 November 2005 at 09:33
It will be interesting to see if Cameron can a) answer questions and b) do so without using any pre-scripted material. The verbatim use of press release and speech material has already become a hallmark of his interview style...
Posted by: James Hellyer | 02 November 2005 at 09:37
Thats true for Davis as well though James, I'm seen him 3 times during this campaign and each time he used the same set phrases.
Posted by: wasp | 02 November 2005 at 10:02
If Liam Fox rather than David Davis had won through to this final round of voting then you may have had a real contest but I am afraid that the right was far to quick to jump on the Davis bandwagon and they simply picked the wrong candidate.
Davis is simply IDS with hair and it didn`t take far so long this time for people to relise that.
Posted by: Jack Stone | 02 November 2005 at 11:20
I would have thought it would be a better thing to have gone to Christ Church, which has recently become a full blown University. UKC here is the University of Kent at Canterbury, Not Canterbury Christ Church. The College part is just saying where in the Uni it is.
The railways down here arent very nice at all. Thankfully I dont travel very far from home and rarely leave Thanet so I have no need for public transport.
Posted by: James Maskell | 02 November 2005 at 11:41