In 2009 the Tories need to kick their dependency on Dave
James Forsyth 9:36pm
One habit the Tory party should aim to cure itself of in 2009 is its over-reliance on David Cameron to gets its message across. Some Tories defend the heavy use of Cameron by arguing that he is both the party’s most attractive face and the only way they can guarantee getting their message reported in the media. But using Cameron for nearly all high-profile announcements prevents other members of the shadow Cabinet from developing national recognition. For instance, I fail to see why George Osborne shouldn’t have made today’s announcements on tax. Also, as Tim Montgomerie has noted, if there are too many speeches by a party leader they become devalued, less of an event. Another problem with this Cameron-centric strategy is that it makes it easier for Labour to play the card, if it chooses to, that Cameron has changed but his party hasn’t.
The Tories should aim to have a handful of nationally recognised figures to carry their message by the next election; a tag-team that tapped the varied talents of Gove, Osborne, Herbert, Pickles and Davis would be formidable. (The Tories do, though, remain handicapped by the absence from their ranks of a first-rate female communicator).
When Cameron does speak, the Tories should put more thought into the visual image that is presented. Say what you like about the huskies photo-op, but it has stuck in the mind; too few other images of Cameron have. The Tories should take lessons from the Reagan campaigns which still set the standard on this front. They should remember the 1980 campaign where Reagan kicked off the final stretch of his presidential campaign with a Labour Day speech at Liberty State Park. The speech was good but not one of Reagan’s best. But the image of the upbeat Reagan in his shirt sleeves with the sun shining and the Statute of Liberty framing him in the background provided a potent, and ultimately defining, contrast with Jimmy Carter and his talk of an American malaise.
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John Page
January 5th, 2009 10:15pm Report this commentSo why does Cameron hug such announcements to himself?
Loki
January 5th, 2009 10:16pm Report this commentThis is spot on - we all knew each and every one of the incompetent Labour shadow cabinet (remember Frank Dobson/David Clarke?) in 1996/7, and we should know each and every one of the, potentially, incoming Tory Govt too.
Susan Hill
January 5th, 2009 10:47pm Report this commentYeah and what about that one of Wiliam Hague in a baseball cap at Notting Hill Carnival ?
molesworth 1
January 5th, 2009 11:04pm Report this comment'presents other members of the...' should read 'prevents', surely?
Otherwise, this is some sort of volte face, n'est ce pas, innit?
Phase2, no doubt.
And a hurry-up to all the 'two-jobs', what?!
Given that Hague has failed to shine in the current Foreign Relations oppurtunity, against a less than obvious Miliband 1. Or is it 2? I can't remember.
Gideon, it seems, is not allowed out 'til C4 News (7pm first transmission) after which all bets are off; by 9pm we're all on BBC4 for the Pink Floyd documentary...
Where is the shadow Treasury Support?
IMHO HMLO need to develop their strategies on all fronts: Big Beasts, wily oppurtunists, charismatic spokesmen, prudent realists, social entrepreneurs, immigratio-comprehenderasts, economic necromancers & fiscal pedants.
Attack, attack, attack.
Verity
January 5th, 2009 11:59pm Report this commentJames makes a critical point here. The formerly huge, inclusive party called the Conservative Party now appears to be reduced to a one-trick pony.
Fellow Bullingdon Boy George Osborne looks like a twit (I may be getting him mixed up with someone else), but we have had no opportunity to judge. William Hague, obviously, stands on his own, but I can't even name any other members of the Shadow Cabinet. I think Dominic Grieve of 'the office-raid Grieves' is a Shadow minister, although I'm not sure of his brief. Other than that, James is right.
It's all grey plasma. It's not even talking heads. David Cameron does all the talking and, to be candid, he does not do it forcefully. As a speaker, he is far from magnetic.
I want the sulky, uppity, insecure, grudge-bearing Enron Chancellor/South Sea Bubble Prime Minister to be swirled down the plug 'ole of history, but no one's even turned the tap on.
Verity
January 6th, 2009 12:14am Report this commentMolesworth 1 writes: "IMHO HMLO need to develop their strategies on all fronts: Big Beasts, wily opportunists, charismatic spokesmen, prudent realists, social entrepreneurs, immigratio-comprehenderasts, economic necromancers & fiscal pedants.
"Attack, attack, attack."
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Somebody gets the point!
If you're standing for anything anywhere, Molesworth 1, you've got my vote!
ChrisD
January 6th, 2009 12:34am Report this commentSome excellent points, and hard to disagree with any of them.
The Shadow Cabinet needed to be sharpening their media operation more in preparation for the possibility that the Tories win the next GE.
But one valid point you missed out, which does matter, and I suspect is behind much of Cameron's dominance over his Shadow Cabinet in the media right now. Mike Smithson's Law.
The more that Cameron is in the news, the higher the Tory opinion poll ratings. And when he disappears from the limelight, they tend to slide a bit. That's politics, and when the gap in the polls between the Tories and Labour's closes, the Tories need to address that.
It might be to the government's benefit to go to the polls sometime this year, but the Tories will be hoping for 2010 to give them a bigger run at overcoming that Labour majority.
Verity
January 6th, 2009 1:01am Report this commentWhen Cameron declared himself the heir to the most vicious, destructive - of our ancient civil society, of our Bill of Rights, of our Constitution, of our neutral second chamber - individual ever to occupy Downing Street, my vote floated away from the Conservatives, the ancestral home of my family.
Heir to Blair. The insult was slap in the face to normal Conservatives.
If he gets in - and it is all about him - expect the NuLabour project jagganath to continue to ride over our ancient country, our laws and our rights unimpeded and slice 'n' dice us into the EUSSR.
The self-proclaimed Heir to Blair. And a rousing round of applause in the HoC for Blair. What for? The destruction of the country our ancestors laid down their lives for?
Alex
January 6th, 2009 1:13am Report this commentTrouble is, it doesn't matter what any of the shadow team say / announce; they could come out with the most politically incisive policies in the history of British politics ... but they are not going to get through the blocks put up by the British media, esp. the Brown Broadcasting Corporation / Sky / CNN (et al)
Verity
January 6th, 2009 1:26am Report this commentSusan Hill: "Yeah and what about that one of Wiliam Hague in a baseball cap at Notting Hill Carnival ?"
Do you seriously think that appearing at Nottinghill Carnival was Hague's idea?
Why on earth would he, from Yorkshire, have had the faintest interest in the Nottinghill Carnival ... or a baseball cap?
The Tories were panicked by Tony Blair and the Jagganaut of "New" Labour. And they tried to model Hague, a genuine person, on what they thought the Tony Blair would have done. I am so sorry that that was the defining moment - engineered by the Conservatives trying to anticipate the Gramscis - of the failure of what would have been an excellent governance of Britain.
Meanwhile, let us not forget that Gordon Brown, the Godzilla of Lies And Nose-Mining (somehow, I feel Obama will not be following him down this nasal route) has, with his imaginary playmate, Prudence, wrecked the British economy.
Socialism. Same old. Same old.
Archie
January 6th, 2009 8:29am Report this commentAgreed, Verity. The applause for Blair after his travesty of a premiership of unmitigated destruction, finally sent this formerly militant Tory in search of bluer pastures.
LD
January 6th, 2009 8:43am Report this commentThey really need to promote Ed Vaisey and have him in the spotlight more. I've always been impressed by him - and I think he'll be accepted by the majority of (sensible) voters. Also agree they should bring Ken Clarke back into the frontline but worry about how Labour & the Beeb will spin it (lack of new talent etc.)
Andrew
January 6th, 2009 9:32am Report this commentWe don't see Hague on TV because C4 don't pay him £15,000 a go.
Juliana
January 6th, 2009 9:37am Report this commentI have been wondering how many of the Labour Shadow Cabinet we saw, heard or knew much about in the years before 1997. I remember Jack Straw making some impression. Other than that all I can see is a grey blur. So perhaps 'twas ever thus ?
hysteria
January 6th, 2009 2:40pm Report this commentVerity - "Jagganaut" - meaning? this is a new word for me..
Molesworth - "wily oppurtunists, charismatic spokesmen, prudent realists, social entrepreneurs, immigratio-comprehenderasts, economic necromancers & fiscal pedants" - greta line !
Cassandrina
January 6th, 2009 8:40pm Report this commentI agree that the Cameron centric process could be counter-productive, but whenever someone like Pickles shows up on bbc etc and demolishes the opposition he is rarely invited back. Same with Grieve and others.
Cameron needs to address the bbc in a more open and confrontational manner as they are acting in a manner that is helping to destroy the UK.
Verity
January 6th, 2009 9:03pm Report this commentHysteria - sometimes spelled jagganath. I think I've seen it spelled in English juggernaut.
It's a Hindi word and is connected to the Lord Krishna. It has to do with an instoppable cart that crushes anyone in its path. (I think.)
The Masked Marvel
January 7th, 2009 1:13am Report this commentJames, the BBC will barely acknowledge statements from any of them, never mind actually quote them in full. Unless it's something perfunctory provided for the "balance" fig leaf. Vince Cable and Red Ken get far more BBC air time than any Tory. What do you expect? A public profile cannot be made within the limited scope occasional appearances in the Telegraph, the Times, and the odd News of the World column.
Of course, it would help if they had anything actually constructive to say instead of wagging their finger at Labour.
Verity
January 7th, 2009 3:33am Report this comment"I agree that the Cameron centric process could be counter-productive, but whenever someone like Pickles shows up on bbc etc and demolishes the opposition he is rarely invited back."
You could've knocked me down with a feather.
Do you think it's because the left and the BBC are scared s'hitless of Pickles?
Bring on more Pickles! He is so fine! He was on Iain Dale's instant text deal, live, and he aquitted himself well and with great good humour. And this was answering questions instantaneously. Live. Everyone loved him.
Get this man front and centre!
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