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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