Hustings begin today

The leadership hustings begin today with meetings in Leicester and Solihull.  ConservativeHome readers have volunteered to report from those meetings for tomorrow morning.

The Times reports that the hustings meetings will be surrounded by the kind of "hoopla witnessed at the Conservative Party conference".  Volunteers for David Cameron will be handing out packs of mints to attendees.  The mints will carry the slogan "a breath of fresh air" and form one part of the final leg's "Win with Cameron" campaign literature.

The Times suggests that about a third of Tory members will have voted by this morning:

"Although ballot papers were posted ten days ago, and Conservative members are notoriously efficient in returning them, as of last Thursday night only one in six of the 250,000 members had cast a vote.  According to the rate of replies received by the Elec- toral Commission, this was scheduled to rise to about one in three by this morning."

Given that something short of 100% will vote, the one-third that have voted may account for 40% to 50% of the total votes that will be cast.   If David Cameron has done as well as Saturday's YouGov poll suggested amongst the 'already voted' (68% to 32%), David Davis must  beat Mr Cameron by at least as big a margin amongst those still to vote.   It is a little surprise to see today's Telegraph reporting that Camp Cameron 'scent victory'.

Comments

[buxtehude]

Of course they 'scent victory' - it's all theirs bar a very big accident.

For those of us who 'scent defeat', the question is: what's next for us? Do we just roll over and learn to love vague 'directions'? Do we stand back and let a talented team of NewLabourWannabes play out their fantasies?

[wasp]

Or do you get behind the new leader, show some loyalty to the choice of both the MPs and the party members, and work for a Conservative victory at the next election?

[Jonathan Sheppard]

I would expect every Tory to fight for a Tory victory. That is ABSOLUTELY paramount. I would expect to have very robust debates about the policies which take us there.

There seems to be an energy in the party which has been missing for some years - and we should harness it to our advantage.

In a months time this section of Tim's wonderful website son't exist (I assume??). Wouldnt it be a wonderful idea to replace it with one on what policies we need to push to win the next election.

[TC]

Could somebody at the hustings ask them about their faith? The two most electorally successful PMs of recent times have been practising Christians; this is an area both have been rather silent about.

[Peter]

TC - if I remember correctly, Cameron said at a fringe meeting in Blackpool that he was Church of England.

[Jack Stone]

What total rubbish about new Labour wannerbees. The only part of New Labour that David Cameron I suspect would like to copy is the fact that they have won the last three elctions by large majorities.
Frankly I think anyone who doesn`t show 100% loyalty to the new leadership should be simply told to find them selves another party.
A person`s religion like there sex, age or background is totally irrelevant. Personally I think the question would be bordering on the offensive. Its not who we are that`s important its what we are.

[Cllr Iain Lindley]

I've heard on the grapevine that Davis was late for the Leicester meeting - can anyone confirm/deny this?

[Innocent Abroad]

You've got to laugh - the screeching denunciations of "be loyal OR ELSE" - from someone (Jack Stone) who won't even use his own name. 'Jack', can we all be as loyal to Cameron as Steve Hilton was to Major, Hague and Duncan Smith?

[Wat Tyler]

Cllr Lindley- yes, WATO said DD was 15mins late for today's hustings.

And then they reminded us that DC was a total no-show for last week's Any Questions.

Your point being?

[Jack Stone]

If the party is to win the next election then people have got to be loyal. If they are not prepared to be loyal then I don`t see why they would want to continue to support a party they are doing nothing more than damaging.
Mind you I personally have no doubt people will be loyal when DC and the party are ten points out in front in the opinion polls before this time next year As they say everyone loves a winner!

[Chris]

"Cllr Lindley- yes, WATO said DD was 15mins late for today's hustings.

And then they reminded us that DC was a total no-show for last week's Any Questions.

Your point being?"

Well, I remember a certain Mr Blunkett not turning up to a select committe just hours before he resigned from office... Then again we all know that Davis won't give in, I just hope that when the ever likely DC win happens that DD fully backs him.

[christina speight]

All this talk of "back the winner whoever he is" [=Cameron] is baloney. I personally want - forlornly, I think - Davis because he's not wet behind the ears. He's tough and got so in a hard school.

If Cameron wins I will fear for the party but will support him if his policies make sense [when he gets some] largely because he won't be NewLabour - - - or will he not?

[Chris]

Christina, its vital that the party backs whoever the winner is no matter how they voted. Whinging for the next 4 years that DD or DC aren't leading us as opposed to helping the leader fight a vigourous and intensive campaign for election will not see DD OR DC on the steps of Downing St after election night.

I will be bitterly upset at the loss of an opportunity should DC not win, but I will back DD. I'm a member of the party because I love the party and its ideals not its leader. If you can't support a party because of the leader the party chose unanimously then you're obviously in the wrong party or you don't believe in true democracy.

[Rick]

Based on a low turnout Anthony Charles Lynton Blair was elected Leader of The Labour Party by a grand 15% of Labour Party members...........and returned to office in May 2005 by 21.6% British electorate..............this goes to show that Blair is more appealing to voters in general than to Labour members..............this is truly inspirational !!!!!!

[christina speight]

Chris - Please!

My loyalty is first to my country and its people. The Tory Party is a means to that end. I will back it if I think it is the best option [or the least worst anyway!]
And one thing is certain - no leader that emerges will have been chosen "unanimously" as you suggest.
From my reading of Cameron he appears to be praised for being a "nothing man", a soft-centred celebrity-based man of no principles who will appeal to the voters for being precisely that.

He probably won't be as bad as I fear in which case I will back him and the party if only to get rid of NewLabour!

[wasp]

Fantastic I've already had e-mails from both campaigns claiming victory in Leicester.

Davis claimed a win on points, Cameron said he was the "clear victor"

[Rob]

"Frankly I think anyone who doesn`t show 100% loyalty to the new leadership should be simply told to find them selves another party."

Reposting my post on Fox endorses Cameron:-

When Cameron is elected leader, I am prepared to give him a chance to impress, however he must earn any right to loyalty and discipline, Just being elected leader doesnt give him a god given right to rule. All we can hope for is that Cameron proves our worst fears wrong and shows he isnt another Ted Heath/Tony Blair type character who is ideologically unsound and incompetent. I am vaguely optimistic that with time and influence of the MPs and the membership Cameron will turn out to be a good leader who deserves our support and we can campaign in confidence at the next election. If he proves to just be a public school boy twit with a thirst for power at all costs then he is fair game. I hope (and doubt) it will come to that. But lets not have anyone demanding discipline at this early stage, thanks.

[Alastair Matlock]

Wasp - As have I. Here is the Times' view of it:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1871991_1,00.html

[wasp]

I think Rob's above post expresses one of the major problems with this party over the last decade.

One that was more concerned with ideological soundness than with Government.

Political parties are ABOUT Government if you are only interested in ideological soundness then I suggest you quit politics and join the Freedom Society or similar instead.

[Daniel Vince-Archer]

"Davis claimed a win on points, Cameron said he was the "clear victor""

As our esteemed Editor points out, impartial observers declared it a win for Davis.

[Ted]

Impartial observers declared it a win for Davis

Not according to the Times - I found DDs rush to claim victory reminded me of Major's similiar messages after his hustings in 1997. I 'm not impartial in this because I think DDs view of opposition whatever the merits of the case will keep the party in the low 30's in the polls.

[James Hellyer]

"Not according to the Times"

Since when has the moderniser house newspaper been impartial?

[Daniel Vince-Archer]

Thanks for pointing that out James H. I had to restrain myself from pointing out that The Times is the Cameronite equivalent of Pravda. Oh bugger, how did that slip out?

[Ted]

Strange DD supporters accepted the media when they said he won QT...
BBC Online & Times both come out with similiar views - people who want experience, policies - DD won, direction, passion, enthusing - DC won. Sounds like the bloggers here...
My take on reports was it didn't change minds of those who were decided or leaning - interested what undecideds felt.

[Cllr Graham Smith]

Cllr Iain Lindley wrote:
"I've heard on the grapevine that Davis was late for the Leicester meeting - can anyone confirm/deny this?"

Read my report on the hustings (to be found elsewhere on this site), Iain!