toryleadership

Hustings Report (8) - Part 2: Frimley

Earlier today Wat Tyler reported from Frimley.  The second Frimley report comes from Mark Fulford....

Lakeside International, home of darts, hosted the 8th hustings. It turned out to be a very good humoured event, with even the car park providing comedy moments as 600 over 70’s parked their Rovers.

The support teams for both camps were well organized, although the Davis team had more goodies to give out.  The opening statements from each candidate were very similar to what’s been reported from previous hustings.

David Cameron opened up exactly on-time with his trademark relaxed style and stage-roving command of the room. He told us an amusing anecdote about how, on this very spot, Eric Bristow conquered the world at 23. Having reminded us that youth won, ‘conquering’ lead neatly into the Paxman interview, which got a huge cheer. Then came the dreaded civil partnership joke and a good laugh, but definite pained looks from hustings staff. David Cameron went on to tell us that Labour isn’t frightened of the party that it’s already beaten three times: we need to change; for example we need caring policies on childcare and the environment :- issues that are vital to many people, but fringe to the party. David Cameron claimed the judgement to know when to stand up to New Labour and when to support them for the good of the country.

Hustings Report (8): Frimley

The famous Wat Tyler (not pictured) - Blogger for David Davis - is the author of the latest Hustings Report from this morning's Frimley venue... 

Lakeside Leisure Complex describes itself as the Home Of World Darts, the hallowed spot where the legendary Jocky once slugged it out in beery combat against the mighty Cockney. No beer (or Pink Pussies) on hand today, but still plenty of well-flighted arrows.

There was an excellent turnout of about a thousand, and not all of them over 65 (or even 67). Plenty of support for both Davids, although quite a number chose to wear stickers for both sides, so we guess there were still many undecideds. The atmosphere throughout was relaxed and upbeat.

DC was first up to the ockie. He delivered his usual polished noteless performance, complete with jokes about people like Alexander the Great and Eric Bristow achieving huge things even younger than him. In truth, we'd heard most of the jokes before ("having" Paxman, seeing more of DD than his own wife - maybe they should get a civil partnership, etc), and it may be time for a new script. But his familiar slogan "Hope Optimism Change" did seem to go down well in the hall.

Hustings Report (7) - Part 2: Cambridge

This is the second of two reports from last night's Cambridge Hustings.  Gary Weller has filed already.  This latest report comes from Jamie Martin.  Jamie is a 21 year old Cambridge student.  He lives in North London and has worked for the Conservative Party in his GAP year and in the Research Department while at university.

The seventh hustings in the final stage of the Conservative Party leadership contest were held at Chilford Hall, Linton, Cambridgeshire. The venue, a grand institution, with an illustrious history and links with Britain’s past, had also, judging by the hall in which the hustings were held, recently been modernised to be truly up to date with and functional for the twenty-first century.  The omens were, from the very off, clear.

We were, across the evening, presented with two competent but contrasting performances. Davis was confident, bullish in his language of attack against New Labour, but stark in his defence of the party’s core principles; “kill these, and you kill the Conservative Party” he reminded the audience. Cameron, who once more used his advantage of not being anchored to a dispatch box, advocated his two unique selling points excellently. That he is a young, vibrant and fresh leader with a charisma which can reach far and wide outside of Chilford hall, and that he presents a potential answer to the party’s ideological struggle of the past thirty years. No longer must we choose between a pragmatic left or ideological, radical right; Cameron offers radical solutions which will deliver moderate, compassionate Conservative answers.

Elsewhere on conservativehome.com

Read the newslinks for today and everyday here.  And, on the Platform blog, Paul Goodman MP wonders if the Tories are rejoining the establishment...

Matthew d'Ancona: Crime-fighting must be part of Cameron's modernisation

Simon Heffer is living up to his reputation this morning in The Telegraph with his case for capital punishment.  I've already received an email from a 'modernising Tory friend' complaining about the 'uncivilised Mr Heffer'.  I happen to disagree with capital punishment and the case made by Mr Heffer and John Stevens but I cannot stand the way certain Tories look down on a tough approach to crime.

Crime is dismissed as a core vote issue but, as Matthew d'Ancona writes on same pages as Mr Heffer, few things could be further from the truth.  Mr d'Ancona has also encountered a 'Disgusted of Notting Hill' and his unhappiness at David Davis' prison works message.  Mr Cameron recently wrote about crime for the Yorkshire Post but his uncertain line on cannabis (see this post on the role cannabis may have played in the attack on Abigail Witchall) and ecstasy worries some law and order Conservatives.

Mr d'Ancona warns David Cameron that he must not risk being outflanked by Labour on this vital issue:

"Whatever one thinks of Mr Blair's record on law and order, his analysis is correct. Violent crime, anti-social behaviour, the emergence of ever more brutal gangs, the sex-slave trade, and global terrorism: the modern world, with its open borders, incivility and pockets of near-anarchy, is breeding new criminal phenomena that require new strategies. Today's political leader ignores this fast-mutating threat at his or her peril.  A truly modern Tory must indeed deal with the world as it is. But to be a moderniser is not simply to acknowledge the diversity of contemporary society, important as that is. It is about recognising new dangers and devising robust responses to them."

Related post: Jonathan Sheppard on It'll pay the Tories to turn to crime.

Hustings Report (7): Cambridge

Gary Weller authors the seventh Hustings Report. Gary, a Cameron supporter, is a 22 year old recent graduate from Sheffield University.  Tomorrow we'll have reports from the Frimley and London Hustings.  ConservativeHome's reporters will be on special look-out for DC's 'civil partnership' joke.  Is it used more often than the 'sharing the proceeds of growth' soundbite?  Surely not...

The Conservative hustings in Cambridge was held at Chilford Hall in Linton, an enchanting but very remote venue. It was a cold and fresh evening, but not cold enough to freeze out fresh speeches and encouraging performances from Messrs Cameron and Davis.

Davis was first to speak, and used his speech to confirm his intentions to reduce taxes and “attack” Blair, should he become leader. A staggering £38 billion in tax cuts were promised by Davis, which went down quite well with the audience, but perhaps not as well as one might have expected given the nature of the audience. This perhaps suggests that even the party faithful are beginning to become wary of such promises.

A large portion of Davis’ speech was focused on the apparent need to attack Blair, and he used his speech to boast how he had helped to remove both David Blunkett and Beverly Hughes from office.

Davis concluded by explaining that the country can choose to blindly follow Blair, or choose the “battle hardened experience” of the Conservatives.

Tested fighter versus Beaming Tory Boy

Tory-supporting author, Frederick Forsyth, is unimpressed with New Labour:

"We see our soldiers treated like dirt; we are cripplingly taxed, over-regulated into the ground, in daily thraldom to an unseen government in Brussels and watching our pensions destroyed. Not a single Blairite pledge that I can think of has been fulfilled. So what might the Tories do about it..?"

Like Ann Widdecombe, Freddie thinks the Tories need a streetfighter and, for him, that means David Davis.  This is what he writes for today's Yorkshire Post (not online):

"Adopting the working-class Dave as a first name, [David Cameron] tells us he will adopt policies that are careful, moderate, cautious. For which I read "timid".  But, you know, unless Tories are truly daft, they should not pick timid...

That's why my vote is going for the other David: the Yorkshire-born one, as tough as the Pennines he hikes over.  The one who fought his way up from housing estate to grammar school, to Warwick University, to Harvard Business School.  The one who joined the Territorial Army to use the bounty to put himself through college; the one who tested himself with boxing, flying, free-falling, rugby, fell-walking and rock-climbing.

David Davis will never, like David Cameron, try to please all of the people all of the time; he simply cannot be all things to all men.  Maybe the charm, the beam, the beautiful manners of the Old Etonian are what you want. Then Cameron is for you. But a word of caution.

Whoever takes over the Conservative Party is going to have to take on New Labour's attack dogs and they are provenly vicious. And Paris and Brussels over EU reform and they are ruthless. And the vested interests who live off all our backs and they are devious and unscrupulous.  So that is the real choice. I plump for the man who has been there for 20 years. Occupied five senior offices. Been round the block a few times. Taken hardship, opposition and tough times and beaten them all.  It's the tested fighter or the beaming Tory Boy.

Just put it this way: if you were in an alley late at night, with two yobs bearing down, which one would you prefer beside you? Ah, you say, politics are not like that. Oh yes they are, chum, oh yes they are."

Great writing.  If only FF had written DD's conference speech...

Download forsyth_in_yorkshire_post.pdf

DD fails to draw the crowds

Today's Aberdeen Press and Journal reports that "only 15 or so people bothered to turn up at the hotel in Dyce to listen to the man who wants to be Britain's next prime minister".  It concludes:

"Ultimately, one poorly attended meeting in Aberdeen on a cold day will not make or break either man, but it does give an insight into the bigger picture one of them will have to address.  If one of the party's leading members, a possible future prime minister, cannot entice out of their homes the faithful and those on whom he should be able to count for support, what chance does either man have of selling the redesigned Tory brand to the hostile and suspicious?"

The Perth Hustings - addressed by both contenders - was much better attended and Oberon Houston's report can be read here.

Cameron under fire for EPP promise

Peter Riddell has suggested that David Cameron's pledge to take Tory MEPs out of the European People's Party is the first big mistake of his likely leadership.  Mr Cameron made his pledge after Liam Fox put the issue on the agenda, in September.

David Davis - perhaps because he couldn't risk the defection of early Europhile backers like Ian Taylor - refused to match the pledge and some of his supporters have suggested the issue is totemic.  Mr Davis has attempted to establish his own Eurosceptic credentials with commitments on fishing policy and a double-referendum commitment to repatriate powers from Brussels.

Mr Riddell believes that outside of the EPP Britain's Conservative MEPs would have no natural, mainstream allies.  They would, he predicts, "languish amid a rag-bag of fringe parties, including nationalists and racists".  Mr Riddel predicts that the grouping of Tory MEPs will split:

"A clear majority of the 26-strong group at Strasbourg opposes a divorce, not least because they committed themselves at the European elections last year to remaining linked to the EPP until 2009. Most of this majority are sceptics, with only a tiny handful of Europhiles. This is completely separate from Mr Cameron’s general Eurosceptic stance, which most of the MEPs back."

Mr Riddell may be right in saying that a majority of Conservative MEPs oppose the policy change.  In reality, however, Tory MEPs are divided into rough thirds on the issue.  One-third enthusiastically want out of the EPP grouping and association with its federalist, pro-euro agenda.  These include Daniel Hannan and Martin Callahan.  Mr Callahan has said that "leaving the EPP is the one hard, bankable commitment to have come out of this leadership campaign".  One-third, including Sir Robert Atkins, fervently support the alignment with the EPP and Europe's other mainstream centre-right parties.  And the remaining third will go along (perhaps reluctantly) with whatever the new party leader requires.

Hustings Report (6): Perth

Oberon Houston writes the latest Hustings Report...

Executive Summary of Highlights

During open questions, both candidates agreed that Devolution needs to work, and Scottish MPs should not vote on English only matters. Both also agreed that the police should not be armed as a matter of course, but should be given a bullet-proof vest. On the issue of future energy needs, both, again, agreed that nuclear power should be seriously considered, Cameron branded windmills as 'giant bird blenders' and that biofuel, on the other hand, was a good idea for both farmers and the environment. Davis will abandon tuition fees, Cameron will not.

Davis (perhaps rashly) threw in an ace on a question about the Regiments, by pledging to reinstate them to their status before Labour took power. This brought the roof down, as the local Black Watch Regiment has recently been axed; whilst serving in Iraq. David Cameron on the other hand sounded doubtful that this could be achieved but supported the aspiration.

On the question of why people hold politicians in such low esteem, David Davis said there were three reasons, 1. Mandelson 2. Byers and 3. Blunkett. He also wants to take away from the Prime Minister the power to rule on the ministerial code and instead defer power of judgement to the Privy Council. David Cameron reminded everyone that before Tony Blair came to power he was promising 'whiter than white politics', yet the reality was very different.

When the issue of transatlantic relations came up, David Davis launched an unexpectedly scathing attack on Tony Blair, saying that he was dazzled by the White House and because of this had neglected Britains national interest.