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« Elsewhere on conservativehome.com | Main | Hustings Report (8): Frimley »

Comments

John Coulson

Cameron will destroy the party. I am seriously considering sending for a Lib Dem membership application form. Now they have got there act together over tax and have been the true liberal opposition in recent weeks they are worth a look. Cameron isn't a political leader, I shudder to think what we will be saying about him in 5 years.

Daniel Vince-Archer

"Cameron isn't a political leader, I shudder to think what we will be saying about him in 5 years."

How about... "How gracious of Sir Malcolm Rifkind to offer his predecessor the Northern Ireland portfolio"? ;-)

Centreground Girl

"Cameron isn't a political leader, I shudder to think what we will be saying about him in 5 years."

John Coulson - in 5 years time they'll be saying it's the fifth anniversary of DC becoming leader. I don't see how you can say the things you do. People like me who drifted out of the party when it lurched to the right under John Major see DC as our only hope. Why join the Lib Dems when you can stay with us and change to win!!

Mark Fulford

John, it does strike me as strange that if Davis loses, you'll switch to the party that Davis hates most!

Bishop Hill

While sharing the previous commenters' concerns about a Cameron leadership, I have to say that the LibDems are in no way the answer. While some of the leadership are proper liberals, the vast majority of the membership appear to be old time socialists.

London Hustings

London hustings this evening - Have left all the details at home - having registered for this evening, do I need to just turn up with my membership card? Can somebody also clarify time/venue.

many thanks

BEtty Fowler

You need a picture ID and the code number given to you at the time of registering to get in. It's at Methodist Central Hall.

michael

John C - I think a Cameron win will devastate the Lib Dems.

A modern compassionate Conservative Party offering mature politics and value grown policies under a charasmatic, attractive young leader.

Why would there be any need for the Lib Dems at all? They must be truly worried and about time too!

Jack Stone

I hope after December 6th all Conservatives can still debate the merits of various policy ideas or the direction of the party but I hope that we will not get any further talk of the sort we have had on this site that attacks the integity of our new leader and disputes his suitability to lead us.
Anyone who doesn`t believe he can support the leader or give him 100% backing should I think do the decent thing and leave the party.
The party just doesn`t need people who don`t seem to understand the meaning of the words democracy and loyalty.

Thomas P

hear hear Jack Stone, time to turn our merciless fire upon the enemy.

John Coulson - if you are planning to defect to the Yellow Peril if DC wins, then I for one shant shed a tear - i doubt many other true Conservatives (who are too loyal and indefatigable to quit so readily as you) would either.

interesting that your email is "[email protected]" - you seem to be mighty fickle.

Rick

that attacks the integity of our new leader and disputes his suitability to lead us.

Don't you mean "Our Beloved Fuehrer" ? I have not heard such adulation outside the newsreels. Jack Stone you should come doen to earth and stop this hyperbole - Cameron is NOT "our new leader" and quite possibly never will be.

michael

He's certainly not your's Rick. You've done nothing but knock the Conservative Party for as long as I've read this site.

Be happy!

Daniel Vince-Archer

"Anyone who doesn`t believe he can support the leader or give him 100% backing should I think do the decent thing and leave the party."

Jack, in the unlikely event that David Davis becomes leader, will you heed your own advice?

Michael Smith

Anyone who doesn`t believe he can support the leader or give him 100% backing should I think do the decent thing and leave the party. The party just doesn`t need people who don`t seem to understand the meaning of the words democracy and loyalty.

This doesn't really make much sense, does it?

Re the meaning of 'democracy', we can perhaps all agree that Tony Blair has been elected prime minister through democratic means. Does that mean that we must all now support his every action unquestioningly, without criticism or complaint? Of course not. It means that we accept he has a certain sort of authority, but we retain - quite rightly - enough autonomy to agree with him when he's right, and (more frequently) to challenge him when he's wrong.

I don't think our responsibilities, as party members, to the party leader are fundamentally different. If he (or she) is a competent leader, then he will be able to win us round to his way of thinking, even if we didn't start out agreeing with him. And if he's strong and confident enough, he'll also welcome some pretty free debate from within the party. After all, if you can't take constructive criticism from your friends, what hope do you have when confronted with actual enemies?

Finally, in my book anyway, real loyalty can't just be conjured up out of thin air - to be worth anything, it has to be earned.

Still, your suggestion made me smile. Perhaps it could be made retrospective, so that anyone who hasn't completely supported every single leader of the party, without a hint of doubt or criticism, should be purged forthwith? You might well start feeling a bit loney ....

Rick

He's certainly not your's Rick. You've done nothing but knock the Conservative Party for as long as I've read this site.

Be happy!

Posted by: michael | 23 November 2005 at 15:02

Sure I am not a cheerleader like you Michael. You seem self-satisfied with second-place, but frankly as a voter I am tired of a party taking Short Money and being a disgraceful Opposition and a third-rate campaigning organisation. I am stunned at just how inept professional politicians are and my MP had to work very hard to recapture a long-term Tory seat - the previous candidate could not even manage a 2% swing against an unpopular Labour incumbent.

I have no time for incompetents and I think the Conservative Party has insulted the electorate with some truly pathetic election campaigns, of which 2001 was juvenile.

John Coulson

I notice that while people have attacked my thoughts over the Lib Dems on the basis of loyalty no one has actually given me a reason on policy as to why I shouldn't. If the Lib Dems move, as they seem to be, from the planned economy to a truly liberal one then I will certainly join them over a DC lead Tory Party.

confused "right-wing" "extremist"

"John Coulson - in 5 years time they'll be saying it's the fifth anniversary of DC becoming leader. I don't see how you can say the things you do. People like me who drifted out of the party when it lurched to the right under John Major see DC as our only hope. Why join the Lib Dems when you can stay with us and change to win!!"

Ah yes that well known right-wing extremist John Major. Didn't he have right-wing extremist policies like raising taxes? Or was that the Lib Dems? Or was it just the Lib Dems who said that their tax rising policies were a mistake (because they harmed their party's prospects)? Oh, I really can't remember but I am very impressed with the intellectual contribution of some of the Cameron supporters on this site, Centreground Girl in particular. Change to win becuase DC isn't a right-wing extremist like John Major. Very, very impressive thought that.

John Hustings

"People like me who drifted out of the party when it lurched to the right under John Major see DC as our only hope."

Hmm...I must have been asleep, since I do not recall this phase of the Conservative Party at all.

Barbara Villiers

Jack,

We are still waiting to hear if you will wholeheartedly support the Party if David Davis wins.

If not you know what you can do - follow your own advice!

James Hellyer

"lurched to the right under John Major"

This would be when the party became more moderate and less ideological in its policies, and more consensual in its approach than under Thatcher?!?

Or was another John Major leader when I wasn't looking?

John Hustings

"I notice that while people have attacked my thoughts over the Lib Dems on the basis of loyalty no one has actually given me a reason on policy as to why I shouldn't. If the Lib Dems move, as they seem to be, from the planned economy to a truly liberal one then I will certainly join them over a DC lead Tory Party. "

Could you please take John Bercow and the Tory wets with you?

Daniel Vince-Archer

"Or was another John Major leader when I wasn't looking?"

Centreground Girl was clearly referring to the goose-stepping swastika-covered skinhead John Major that was rejected by the BNP as being too extremist! ;-)

Daniel Vince-Archer

"Jack, we are still waiting to hear if you will wholeheartedly support the Party if David Davis wins."

It's ok Babs, I wasn't expecting a response from Jack - he never does respond when you challenge him or point out his hypocrisy. I expect he was just taking the opportunity to let the Cameronites' 'conform or bugger off' agenda rear its ugly head again.

Alastair Matlock

Excellent report, Jamie. Many thanks for your effort.

The comments to this entry are closed.

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