Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has passed away in London. Let us all say a kind word to a great, historic leader.
Guido Fawkes shut down his terrific website today and out of respect, is only displaying this image.
Category: britain
Tory Leaflets Connect Workers With Tories
Tory MP Robert Halfon (one of the better blogging MPs) has posted images of a leaflet that the Tories are distributing in the UK. This leaflet does a good job of connecting the Tory party with the workers of the UK. The Republicans here should follow the lead and seize upon this idea and do something similar.
Here is the front and the back of the leaflet:
– – –
What do you think? Do you like this leaflet?
Gutter Politics At Play In British Special Election
This is why people hate politics and by extension, politicians.
There is an upcoming election for Member of Parliament (MP). Tory candidate Maria Hutchings is by all measures a fine candidate and has a very good chance of winning the election. Typically, one would think that of the major issues of the day, the candidates could have a healthy conversation about those issues. Take the issue here, education. The Tories, the Lib Dems and Labour all have different visions for the role of the national government in education.
Now, the Lib Dems have released this leaflet attacking Maria Hutchings for a statement she made about education, and they highlight her supposed gaffe with a giant quote-bubble. Here is said leaflet:
Now, think about the fact that Maria Hutchings has at least two, and possibly three, children who are autistic. And if you know anything about autistic children, you know they require different levels of attention and modes of learning than a public school system is typically capable of offering.
So, it appears that Maria Hutchings sends her child to a special school capable of handling his needs as an autistic child, and the Lib Dems have chosen to maliciously attack her for this. This is politics at its worst and lowest. The Lib Dems should be ashamed, they should condemn this attack piece and they should apologize for this ridiculous attack.
This is not the way to run a campaign. Focus on the issues, force the debate. If you can not get elected on your own merits, get out of the race. For the Lib Dems and Mike Thornton, they are obviously over-matched and they should reconsider their issues and their candidate. If this is the best they can do, it is time to pack up and go home and wait until the next election.
(h/t Conservative Home)
UK: Lord Ashcroft Analyzes Effect of David Cameron Speech
I think that conservative UK pollster Lord Ashcroft has found some interesting results in the aftermath of Prime Minster David Cameron’s recent EU speech where he offered the voters of the UK an eventual in/out referendum vote. Ashcroft’s findings are detailed and complete, and his analysis is worth review.
The Europe speech has cheered Tories, not moved votes
The policy contained in the Prime Minister’s speech of ten days ago was a good answer to the question “what should we do about Europe?” It was never, I hope, supposed to answer the question “what will ensure we win?” If anyone expected an immediate leap in the Conservative Party’s popularity, the evidence should by now have disabused them of the notion. Polling I completed earlier this week shows little change in the bigger political picture.
As with most of the published polls since The Speech, I found a small increase in the Conservative vote share; my poll put Labour ahead by just to 38% to 33%. Analysis of the numbers shows much of this is down to some 2010 Tory voters. Back in December less than three in five of 2010 Tory voters said they would vote Conservative in an election tomorrow; after the speech that number had risen to two in three. Existing supporters also say they are marginally more likely to turn out and vote this month than last.
In other words, The Speech, and more importantly the policy it articulated, has made Tories feel better about being Tories. This is not to be sneezed at – but let’s not confuse it with having changed anybody’s mind.
One thing it did achieve was a small but measurable boost to David Cameron’s leadership ratings. I found people were more likely to say they were satisfied with him as Prime Minister, and those who were dissatisfied were slightly less likely to say they would rather have Ed Miliband instead. Cameron’s advantage on representing Britain in international negotiations, having a clear idea what he wants to achieve, being able to lead a team and doing the job of Prime Minister overall was enhanced.
Otherwise little has changed. Though the coalition remains more trusted than Labour to manage the economy overall, people are if anything less optimistic about economic prospects than they were at the end of last year. While the Conservatives retain a small lead on steering the economy through difficult times, Labour have edged ahead on helping businesses grow and recover; the Opposition’s lead on getting the balance right between tax rises and spending cuts is, at 11 points, as big as the Tories’ had been in September 2010.
The 34-point leads the Conservatives enjoyed four months after the last election on tackling abuse in the welfare system and dealing with immigration have been cut to 6 points and 10 points respectively.
The Conservatives are no more likely to be seen as united, or to have clear plans to deal with Britain’s problems, than they were last autumn. Not surprisingly, given all this, the promise of an EU referendum has not unleashed a desire for an overall Conservative majority. Just under a third (32%) of voters told us last weekend that this would be their preferred outcome of the next election – a proportion unchanged since last November. A Labour government remains the most popular choice, with 38%; 17% would rather have a Labour-Lib Dem coalition. Another round of what we have now is the least popular choice, with 13%.
None of this is to say that The Speech was in any way undesirable. The issue needed to be dealt with, and it has been. It showed David Cameron as a strong leader, taking the initiative and enhancing his credentials as a Prime Minister who stands up for Britain. But the lack of movement in overall perceptions of the party is instructive.
The effect of the referendum policy on attitudes to Europe has been interesting. There has been a small boost in the numbers saying they feel positive about Britain’s EU membership (from 18% to 22% since December). However, a substantial fall in the numbers saying they feel negative about EU membership and that Britain would be better off out (from 34% to 26%), and a smaller decline in those saying they are negative about it but we are better off in (by 1 point to 19%), has been accompanied by an increase in the number with no strong views either way (from 28% to 33%). While most Conservatives are excited by the in-out part of the policy, others have registered the negotiate-and-decide part.
In debating the question in the coming years we must remember that there is only so much oxygen in the room. Most people do not pay much attention to politics at all; when they do, let’s make sure they hear something that changes their view of the Conservative Party, not just of Europe.
Find the original article here.
ConHome: David Cameron will enjoy this morning’s newspapers
Prime Minister David Cameron delivered what is being hailed not only as a great speech, but easily his best speech since he became Prime Minister in May 2010. You can see (picture below) some of the love that the London papers (left, right and center), have heaped upon the Prime Minister in the aftermath. Britons will now have the opportunity to vote themselves out of the European Union.
Conservative Home is a great website that I really enjoy. I wanted to post in its entirety, this entry by Tim Montgomerie, as he hits upon the highlights in the coverage of David Cameron’s historic day.
David Cameron will enjoy this morning’s newspapers
By Tim Montgomerie
Yesterday I argued that Cameron’s Europe speech would bring four benefits to the Conservative Party. One of those benefits was a better relationship with the centre right press. There’s plenty of evidence of that this morning. Here are key quotes from Britain’s five centre right/ Eurosceptic newspapers:
- Daily Mail: “This was an historic day, which could yet mark a turning point in this country’s relationship with the EU. For the first time in the 25 years since Margaret Thatcher’s Bruges speech, a British Prime Minister openly called into question the founders’ ambition to forge an ‘ever closer union’ among the peoples of Europe.”
- The Telegraph: “Many of the arguments in yesterday’s speech were made in another keynote address, delivered by Margaret Thatcher in Bruges in 1988. She, too, bemoaned Europe’s insularity, its lack of accountability, its drift towards federalism, all of which have accelerated since. What even she did not offer, however, was to let the people decide whether they wanted to stay in. In proposing that they should, Mr Cameron has taken an audacious and momentous step, and one deserving of the highest praise.”
- The Express: “This newspaper has had its criticisms of the Prime Minister and would much prefer the in/out referendum to take place before the next election rather than two years after it. But nobody should deny that yesterday David Cameron did something genuinely bold. The question that many non-aligned voters will be asking themselves between now and polling day is why on earth they should trade in a Prime Minister who has shown high-level leadership qualities for an Opposition leader who has not? The fact is that Miliband isn’t even up to the job he’s got, let alone the post he aspires to fill.”
- The Sun: “WHO should decide Britain’s future in Europe? David Cameron finally answered the question yesterday and promised us a referendum. He was immediately condemned by Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg and Europhile grandees like Tony Blair. They do not want the people to have their say. It wouldn’t be in the national interest, they claim. But the truth is they do not trust us to come up with the “right” answer. Mr Cameron, by contrast, said the people must decide.”
- The Times (£): “Mr Cameron is correct that the EU has become bloated and inflexible in a global marketplace where the penalties for such failings have grown, and that newly emerging nations will leave the European economies behind unless there is change. This was a speech with Europe’s interests at heart, not only Britain’s; and framing his argument in such a way gives the Prime Minister a chance of building an alliance inside the EU.”
It is worth noting that the Tory operation has had a good few days. At the weekend the PM looked more tired than I’d ever seen him look before. The Algerian crisis had taken its toll. It must have taken its toll on the Downing Street and Foreign Office staff too. Despite this, an operation that is often attacked has performed brilliantly well. It’s not just the welcome in the press – for which the PM’s much-maligned Director of Communications, Craig Oliver, deserves proper credit. There’s the constructive reaction from European leaders – notably Angela Merkel. There’s the letter in today’s Times (£) from a large number of very senior business leaders, welcoming the PM’s approach. All of this reflects a lot of behind-the-scenes work.
What couldn’t have been anticipated was Ed Miliband’s very clumsy reaction. He gets ridiculed in the press this morning and rightly so. Thank you Ed. Your contribution was the icing on the cake.
Campaign In Britain For Conservative Future
I am always a junkie for a campaign. When a good, movement oriented campaign comes along, I get even more intrigued.
While U.S. politics is in the governing season, across the pond things are more interesting for campaign junkies. There is a lot of talk about the coalition formed government in Great Britain. The coalition faces its next election in 2015, so they have roughly 2 1/2 years left to make their case for more time, or to fumble completely and give Labour a victory. In the run up to 2015, and looking at the conservative movement in Britain beyond 2015, it is always necessary to look beyond the current leadership in the Tory party and think about what is next, and who is next.
Prime Minister David Cameron currently sits at the helm of the Tory party. There are many that might be perceived as next in line, among them, George Osborne, Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt and Theresa May.
But what about that next generation of leaders? Those working their way through the ranks, some just getting their start. To that end, Conservative Future is an organization similar to the Young Republicans (YRs) here in the States, but where the YRs is for people 18 to 40 years of age, Conservative Future is for those under 30. Conservative Future will hold leadership elections this March, and this election is getting interesting.
Paul Holmes and Charlotte Argyle have teamed up to run together as a leadership ticket in the March election. This 24 and 28 year old respectively, make up an impressive team for National Chairman and Deputy Chairman.
To show that even races like this can get negative, witness this anti-Holmes flier being distributed around:
Pretty weak in my opinion, but also very typical. At this point, the Holmes/Argyle campaign has remained positive, focusing on positive ideas and moving forward toward a real vision and real goals. Having paid attention to this contest for a while, I suspect that the Holmes/Argyle team will stay above the fray and not go negative at any point.
This campaign will be interesting to watch. We (those of us that follow politics) will be hearing these names for years to come. Whether the Holmes/Argyle team wins or one of the other campaigns, the future of the Tory movement is on full display and it is worth paying attention to right now.
For those inclined, the Holmes/Argyle team has posted a manifesto that is worth looking over. This is the equivalent of position papers here in the States.
David Cameron’s New Year Message 2013
Prime Minister David Cameron has issued a New Year message. I think the Prime Minister’s statement “we can look to the future with realism and optimism”, is an interesting sentiment and I think it is well said.
We’re posting the video and the full text of the statement.
2012 was an extraordinary year for our country. We celebrated our Queen with the Jubilee. And with the Olympics and Paralympics we showed beyond any doubt that Britain can deliver. It was a great year. But, if we are honest, it was a tough one too.
We are still dealing with debts that built up over many years. And for many families, making ends meet is difficult. So to anyone starting this New Year with questions about where we are heading and what the future holds, I want to reassure you of this: we are on the right track. On all the big issues that matter to Britain, we are heading in the right direction and I have the evidence to prove it.
This government inherited a huge budget deficit that was dragging our country down. Well, this New Year, that deficit is forecast to be £13 billion smaller than last New Year, down by one quarter since we came to office.
We inherited a welfare system that was frankly out of shape, that paid people not to work. So we made some big changes, and this New Year almost half a million more people are in work than last New Year. That is real progress.
We inherited an education system where too often mediocre was deemed good enough and discipline in many schools was slack. We said we need more discipline, tougher exams and more academies because those schools consistently get better results. Well, this New Year we’ve got more than 1,000 academies open than last New Year. The numbers studying science and languages are going up. And teachers have more power over discipline than they’ve had for years. This is, quite simply, a government in a hurry. And there’s a reason for that.
Britain is in a global race to succeed today. It is race with countries like China, India and Indonesia; a race for the jobs and opportunities of the future. So when people say we can slow down on cutting our debts, we are saying no. We can’t win in this world with a great millstone of debt round our necks.
When people say we’ve got to stop our welfare reforms because somehow it is cruel to expect people to work, we are saying no. Getting people into good jobs is absolutely vital, not just for them, but for all of us. And when there is a fight on our hands to change our schools, we are ready and willing to have it because having a world-class education is the only way our children are going to get on in this world.
And we know what we are doing all this for: not just to get our country up the rankings in some global league table but to get behind anyone who likes to work hard and get on in life. It’s for those people that we made changes to our tax system in 2012, cutting the income tax bills of 24 million workers. It is for them that we have frozen the council tax for three years in a row, to keep bills as low as we can.
And we did the right thing by our pensioners too, in 2012, bringing in the biggest ever increase in the state pension. This is what this government is about: making sure Britain succeeds in this global race and, above all, helping our people succeed, the people who work hard and aspire to a better life for their families.
So this is my message to the country at the start of 2013. We can look to the future with realism and optimism. Realism, because you can’t cure problems, that were decades in the making, overnight. There are no quick fixes and I wouldn’t claim otherwise. But we can be optimistic too because we are making tangible progress. We are doing what’s right for our country and what’s best for our children’s future. And nothing could be more important than that.
So Happy New Year and best wishes for 2013.
Tory MP Louise Mensch and I Debate on Twitter
Yes, Prime Minister
The events that took place today in London were nothing short of remarkable. If you were able to watch any of the proceedings during our 1pm-3pm hours (CST), you know what I’m talking about.
During that time, Gordon Brown resigned as Prime Minister, he then left 10 Downing Street to head to Buckingham Palace where he gave the Queen his resignation. Then, within minutes, David Cameron went to Buckingham Palace where the Queen asked him to form a government, he agreed, and with that a new Prime Minister made his way to Downing Street to get to work.
Upon arriving to 10 Downing Street, Cameron gave this speech, with no notes and no teleprompter.
The dynamics of the election last week and some of what led to the changes today, will be stuff of history. We’ll be reading about it for years to come I’m sure. One of the people who had led Obama’s campaign in 2008, Anita Dunn, was a key player in Cameron’s campaign. It’s no coincidence that “change” was part of the Conservative Party logo and message this year.
As I touched on before and will write more about later, the Cameron campaign was a conservative model that we should look at following parts of here in the United States going into 2010. From the “contract with young people“, to their “contract for jobs“, to their “quality of life manifesto“, I think the Conservative Party put forth one positive proposal after another and they earned the trust of the people of Britain (yes there is a hung parliament, but the number of seats that changed hands was overwhelming).
One thing we must understand, and learn to live with, it that in those proposals, people may not have agreed with the Conservative Party 100% on each idea in each proposal. However, the party itself was bold enough to say “here is where we stand, where does the other side stand?”. I think when you make the choices that clear, people will always follow the logical options and the ones based on the most common sense
Conservative Offense Must Be Keeping Gordon Brown Awake At Night
As I reported yesterday, Conservative Party candidate for Prime Minister, David Cameron, introduced what is known as “A contract between the Conservative Party and you”.
Obviously, I was impressed. Then, I woke up this morning to see that the Conservative Party has now introduced a “contract for jobs“. In my opinion, this contract is full of common sense solutions. One of the highlights was this:
“introduce Work for Yourself, a new scheme to help unemployed would-be entrepreneurs start their own business by giving them access to a business mentor and start-up loans.”
I happen to think this overall concept is great, it’s something we should have been doing here since the beginning of the internet boom. I do wonder about the word “scheme” though. Maybe overseas that word carries a different connotation, but here, that word sounds under-handed and negative.
The election is four days away. The Conservatives are on serious offense right now. I almost can’t wait until the 10pm and 11pm hours here in the States for the new articles to start hitting the British websites in their early morning hours. You have to assume Gordon Brown wants to respond, which would mean Cameron is controlling the debate. I suspect we’ll have four more days of full throttle offense from Cameron and the Conservatives on their way to victory on Thursday.
American Renaissance Political Consulting Group 