Tories on tour
Peter Hoskin 3:04pm
One of the charges most frequently levelled at the Tory shadow cabinet is that their commitment to the cause isn't quite great enough; that they lack the same out-of-power-obsessiveness that drove New Labour between 1994 and 1997. Revelations about second jobs and the like have often made this argument quite persuasive. But Tory supporters can take heart today from the fact that most of the shadow cabinet is spread across the country, making the case for their party's economic approach.
As Tim Montgomerie points out, this caps what has been - bar one or two caveats - an effective Tory performance over the Christmas and New Year break. The shadow cabinet seems to have achieved more meaningful media hits than their Labour counterparts; and, going off a striking insight from Tim, today's countrywide tour should continue that run:
"When I worked at Conservative Central Office I remember a presentation when we were told that regional media was more trusted than national media, broadcast media was more impactful than print media and most trusted of all was third party media like the RSPB magazine. I don't know where the internet fits on the scale but today's well-planned operation involving local journalists, business leaders and voluntary organisations will have a significant impact even if not noticed by the Westminster lobby."Aside from the media aspect of it all, there are other clear benefits from interacting more directly with voters. It's likely that there's still a great deal of public confusion about the credit crunch, the recession and what's in store for the country in 2009. The party that can more successfully push its own, plain-English explanation for what's going on stands to tap into a rich seam of political capital.
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Comments
Sally Chatterjee
January 6th, 2009 3:31pmThey might be out and about today but they'll probably be in a warm home or hotel for dinner. Just visiting a terraced road doesn't mean you can represent pikerel Northern types.
TomTom
January 6th, 2009 3:52pmIt's likely that there's still a great deal of public confusion about the credit crunch,
None at all in fact. There is seething anger that the Finance/Political Complex has gorged on greed for 20 years and now wants to wipe out the general population and their savings.
The Elite has screwed over the general public with PFI deals and leveraging every asset in sight. It was not the general public that took a £1 billion dividend out of BHS - it was Philip Green and his friends at HBOS....but it s HBOS shareholders and employees that are sucking wind.
It was not the general public that demanded PFI hospitals, schools, trains. prisons but State-funded banks....it was the Political Elite posturing and prancing at the kind of dinners William Hague charges to attend
John Page
January 6th, 2009 4:50pmAnd, harking back to a post yesterday, if the front-benchers are fanning out across the country it can't be only Cameron talking to Regional media.
IdlingAway
January 6th, 2009 4:54pm"It's likely that there's still a great deal of public confusion about the credit crunch.."
Agree with TomTom on this one and I'd go further. I think the public understand perfectly well what's happened (i.e. screwed by bankers and politicians) and I think there's a high level of frustration amongst the public at the failure of Her Majesty's loyal opposition party to put this case forcefully in plain English.
The Tories are just starting to get it right now with their defence of savers but they need to be a lot more forceful about the growth of Gordon Brown's client state of the bailed-out profligate and the unproductive "not-a-real-jobbers" in the public sector.
Saying the public don't understand is condescending and patronising and is symptomatic of the Westminster village.
Lou Dacht
January 6th, 2009 6:54pm'spread across the country'?
What...as in...The Provinces?
Please come and talk to us. It might just work.
Lou Dacht
January 6th, 2009 8:54pmLooking at the photo of DC. It looks very 'heavy industry'. Is it in England?
"What does the metal do when it comes out of the ingot?"
His raised collar also reminds me of Michael Foot's donkey jacket. Would we see a whippet if we were to zoom out?
Verity
January 7th, 2009 1:52amThe Tories have no personality. Just Dave. And he doesn't have a personality, either.
No belief system, except Dave.
Yet he believes in Europe. He believes in "man- made global warming".
I think David Cameron is malign, in a Blair sense as well, not in desiring the destruction of our ancient society, but given his desire to get his feet under the top table of the EUSSR, sacrifices to our sovereignty come what may - and we know that from his having commanded an unprecented round of applause in the House of Commons to the wickedest, most destructive and malignant sneak ever to have been in control of our country.
I never warmed to him, but at that moment, he lost me forever and I deserted the Conservatives until they regain their balance.
It started with the very, very wonky Edward Heath and continued through Chris (I want to say Tarrant), but what was his name? The one who was "Governor" of Hong Kong and proudly signed it away with Prince Charles saluting his head off in HK Harbour on the Britannia? Cringe. Oh, how awful that was! And Chris whatsits tried to make his daughters the stars of the "Britain ceding Hongkong to the Chinese government show".
Dave's in the same geneaology, so to speak.