The Tories cannot continue to fight the election on the vague promise of ‘change’
Wednesday, 3rd February 2010
James Forsyth reviews the week in politics
Steve Hilton, though, remains the third most important man in the party behind Cameron and Osborne. But he has no desire for a media profile and he remains something of a mystery to many party staffers and nearly all Tory MPs. Those who are close to him are phenomenally loyal, praising him as invigorating and inspirational. But his ideas are often so concentrated that they need to be diluted. For a while, Hilton argued that Cameron’s first Queen’s Speech should contain no bills, to show that the Tories did not think legislation was the answer to the country’s problems.
It is remarkable, given how few people set Tory strategy, how civil things are — you would expect such a small group to be far more fractious. Everyone involved is, needless to say, keen to play down rumours of any kind of row. They were described to me by various senior Tories as ‘bollocks’, ‘total bollocks’ and ‘utter bollocks’. But there are meetings taking place on how the Tories can improve their decision-making.
This election is the Tories’ to lose. There is an increasing danger that they could do just that if they spend all their time trying to stave off Labour attacks. But hopefully the Tories have now got the message that they need a message.
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oldtimer
February 4th, 2010 2:51pm Report this commentVision alone will not cut it. The Conservatives needs some, not too many, specifics of what they will do. Unless people know what is soming the next government will lack the political authority to do it.
This point was powerfully reinforced by Gillian Tett (author of Fools Gold) on the Daily Politics. She said this was the concern she encountered at Davos when speaking to potential foreign investors about the state of UK government debt. Do the politicians have the popular support necessary to do the unpleasant things that must be done to get the debt down and under control. It seems they are not convinced.
Then there is the question of Cameron`s backbone. Is it made of blancmange or billets of steel? I have no idea. We shall only find out if/when he is elected if he is to be a Heath or a Thatcher.
The Man
February 4th, 2010 3:06pm Report this commentIf Hilton was responsible for the vain and hubristic poster campaign then he should be dismissed immediately. It was obvious from the outset that it invited ridicule and parody and should have never got beyond the earliest planning stage.
I haven't been impressed by Osborne thus far but if he is successful in bringing detail and substance to the policy and strategy, then he'll have my respect, although it's really no more than common sense.
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