'Sunny Cameron' is set to return in 2010 according to The Daily Mail. The switch of emphasis comes as the Tory opinion poll lead has narrowed. Some Tory strategists are blaming the austerity message, ignoring the very clear evidence that it was the Europe policy announcement that began the softening in Tory support. Harriet Harman's […]
A Tory poster from last year. Labour's fightback strategy becomes clearer by the day. We already have seen Team Brown throw the kitchen sink at us for sticking with our inheritance tax pledge. Policy Exchange's Neil O'Brien recommended that the party drop the pledge to neutralise the 'Tories-are-friends-of-the-rich' message. I was minded to agree with […]
During this morning's Week in Westminster programme (11am), presented by Steve Richards, I discuss the politics of climate change with Will Straw of Left Foot Forward. I make the case that the issue of climate change has the potential to divide the Conservative Party in the same way that Europe has divided us in the […]
Andrew Grice uses his column in today's Independent to report on the background to the "outbreak of the jitters" going on inside the party. It comes after a series of opinion polls saw the Tory lead reduced to single figures (something which Tim considered here a couple of weeks ago). Grice points to a number […]
Senior Tories including David Cameron himself now think an end-March election is likelier than not. I'm not so sure. I don't think today's PBR will play well with voters and I can't see Brown going to see The Queen early if Labour still trails in the polls. Nonetheless it's probably sensible for all Conservative candidates […]
Key quotes from this morning's Times leader: "Clearly David Cameron is not making a convincing case. The central charge against him is that, while he is approachable and likeable, his aims and values as a future prime minister of this country are still unclear. David Cameron has yet to answer a basic question: what does […]
David Cameron is making a speech to Demos this afternoon in which he will set out the four aims of "Progressive Conservatism" as: a fair society a green environment safety for citizens equal opportunity The Evening Standard characterises the speech as being designed to show the party’s desire to "use Conservative policies to achieve traditionally […]
This from conservatives.com: "David Cameron praised Barack Obama for setting out “a different agenda” and for putting the emphasis on responsibility ahead of his inauguration. In a radio interview on 5 Live, David stressed, “He’s not saying, ‘I will make all the changes myself’; he’s not saying ‘I’m a top-down politician who can just pull […]
On Coffee House yesterday Fraser Nelson was marvelling at the size of Barack’s. Much bigger than Gordon’s. Even Angela Merkel now has one. So, too, does Stephen Harper. Almost every politician of left and right is keen to show off the size of their fiscal stimulus. Standing aside from the herd is Britain’s Conservative Party. […]
The Telegraph reports that "Alistair Darling will announce measures worth several hundred pounds to every family struggling to cope in the downturn." The Conservatives, meanwhile, will announce a fully-funded tax relief that, the Today programme reports, will be targeted on people in danger of losing their jobs. Although small tax cuts can work electorally (see […]
At times like this when many commentators are saying our core beliefs have been repudiated it’s good to revisit our actual understanding of Conservatism. Conservatism can be defined in terms of eternal beliefs; patriotism, the rule of law, property rights, free enterprise, support for the family. But it can also be understood as a disposition. […]
In a series of eight short posts throughout today, Tim Montgomerie, Editor of ConservativeHome, offers ‘eight takeaways’ from the Birmingham Party Conference. At a fringe meeting on Tuesday I defended ‘nudging’. I was on a panel of four but I was on my own – even the chairman, Claire Fox, was against me. One person […]
The overwhelming message of last night’s YouGov/ Channel 4 poll of sixty Labour marginals was positive for the Conservatives. As we noted, the Tories are on course for a 150 seat majority – even bigger than Mrs T’s 1983 landslide. 53% of voters in these seats don’t think a change of Labour leader will make […]
When on Black/ White Wednesday we lost our reputation for competence we were truly sunk as a party (until now). If Labour loses its reputation for fairness then it will head for as bleak a time. That’s the political importance of Iain Duncan Smith’s social justice agenda (although, of course, the agenda is much more […]
We don’t know who Martin Ball is but he’s unimpressed with Tory ‘nudging’. This is Mr Ball’s letter to today’s FT: "If the Conservative party believes it is the role of government to influence individual and organisational behaviour (“Nudging not nannying to achieve social goals”, August 5) then it clearly clings to the view that […]