I've just been watching Alan Milburn on Sky talking about a general election. What struck me was the complete discipline he showed. We all know he's had his differences with Gordon Brown, but he was backing him up fully. We've also seen Peter Mandelson doing the same. This is the sign of a disciplined, united party.
Let's hope EVERY Conservative is as disciplined in Blackpool. If an election is approaching everyone in the Tory Party had better get behind David Cameron 100%, no matter what their 'naughty brain' is encouraging them to do. The media will understandably hit on any sign of disunity, so any Tory MP that wants to be self indulgent and rock the boat should zip it and stay away.
62 comments:
Stay away like Thatcher is doing, despite Dave's attempts to persaude her to come?
Hope spring eternal !!
Why? Cameron is a tit. But then politicians do have a problem with speaking the truth so i am sure lying about their support for the boy king won't be too difficult!
Iain, Perhaps you should do a rendition of Kylie's "I should be so lucky.."
I think you will find the usual suspects will be out in force..
We have got a very real problem here: there are members of this party who are anti-Cameron and have been very vocal about it. The problem is that some people are so shallow that they would rather lose the election than lose face about being wrong about Cameron and our chances.
We have not dropped in the polls because of David's popularity. He has already proved he can be popular and lead in the polls. We fell behind Labour for two reasons: Brown got his expected bounce and we started squabbling amongst ourselves. Brown’s bounce will end, of that there is no doubt. But to win the election or to at least smash Brown's majority we need to show that we are a team.
We are on a war footing now and dissension in the ranks only happens on the losing side.
Let's stop it now and win
Since when have Conservative MPs got brains?
They are good at wife beating, infidelity, drinking etc.. but brains? Based on the experience of the last 12 months, a 6 year old child has more sense and intelligence..... than 2 Conservative MPs.
:-))
What's the point of rocking the boat, when the rather thick Captain and his crew are going all out to take it over the falls?
I've jumped out and swam to a Rock named UKIP.
Shouldn't that be "Ignorance is Strength" ? Given the new Brown order.
Blairstein has be cut from the pillars of New Labour and stuck from its records.
Still, I see your point. Oddly Brown may have done the Conservatives a great favour by forcing a focusing of minds and a raising of our game.
I'm not sure how much longer the media is going to be happy having its chain yanked by Gordon spins doctors either on the election issue. You can see the irritation appearing on some commentators blogs already.
I also hope every Tory will be focused on highlighting Labour's legacy of failings, broken promises and outright spin - and explaining how a Conservative government will improve the country.
Surely I am not the only person who finds it sickening that Brown is making a show of pretending to be concerned about the problems that have been exacerbated under Labour? I cannot get over how many people are being taken in by it.
I though the Tory 'naughty brain' was in trouser area? And as for zipping it...ouch!
I shall be in Blackpool all week if you fancied a glass of vino one night?
After what he's done since he became leader this may prove a bridge too far-we can hope.Mandy and co will be looking for positions and will of course tow the line.
If the election is called I fear the bottom line will be "who do you trust with running the economy"?--Browm/Darling or the Bullingdon?
Idiots and dissenters in the Conservative Party keeping their mouth shut for several days in a row? What a prospect.
Unfortunately, Iain, it looks like too many Conservative MPs actually prefer to be in opposition, strange as it seems.
Agreed Iain. There are a bunch of Tory MPs which are dragging the party down by sniping behind peoples backs.....
Some might say these idiots are too used to their comfortable position in opposition (lets face it, it can't be that hard being an MP)....
Lets see some hunger and desire.
Release your 'inner tosser' !
It's quite simple..keep rocking the Tory boat and we get five more years of Brown. A chilling prospect indeed.
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David Cameron has made it plain that he doesn't like Conservative Party members unless they fit a narrowly defined profile dreamt up by his dickhead advisers. There is no sense that he's going to stick up for the rights and interests of Conservative members and voters. If he dislikes the members so much it seems perfectly reasonable that they should dislike him back. If his beliefs and policies threaten their standard of living, traditions and cultural icons it is right that he should be castigated.
Does that include Patrick Mercer and John Bercow?
If we're talking about naughty trouser areas, hasn't Nick Raynsford (Labour) just left his wife of 30yrs?
Didn't Robin Cook have similar zip problems? and Mark Oaten? and Ron Davies?
It's hardly an exclusively Tory area, wouldn't you say?
Why have a conference then ? do not understand this concept of 'passive 'activists-
Agreed Iain.
A lot of Tory party members read your blog. I hope they'll make it very clear to their MP that he/she shouldn't rock the boat, with such a hostile media waiting to pounce.
My local MP is a Cameron-supporter, or at least he says he is. If he were to join the antis, I'd give him a hard time would try to get him deselected.
There is and has been plenty of dissension in the Labour ranks, and it get's reported, but for some reason it always seems more damaging for the Tories.
@ Madasafish: "They are good at wife beating, infidelity, drinking etc.. but brains?"
And this is solely the province of Conservative politicians? Why is that, do you suppose?
Unity is strength, war is peace...
How have Cameron, Osborne and Co managed to 'damage' Brown in the last 90 days or so since Tony Blair stepped down?
Brown goes AWOL during the Northern Rock criss- funny how The Times, FT and The Economist commented on his 'disappearance', and McCavity act. Cameron ought to be putting Brown under some pressure over this.
Look at how unconvincing the Tories were when the West of England wsa flooded, Brown cuts flood defence budgets and is let off the hook.
Broon is packing the NHS consultations with people who say what he wants them to say, and Cameron says or does nothing. How is being silent and ineffectual going to win the next election?
Did DC really get into Oxford on merit or is this some sort of urban myth? If he has an effective leadership record can someone conscisely list his achievements?
Just seen that turncoat Quentin Davies "sucking up to"the Labour conference at Brighton - he actually had the "brass neck"to mention " having principles" in his address !!!!!!!! Perhaps he like others in the party ought to follow their own advice and have as a guiding principle loyalty to their party and its leadership rather than making trouble under the excuse of "having principles" !
And if they think that someone other than Cameron leading them would ensure a better standing in the polls then perhaps they should ask why the party has lost the last 3 elections ?
I agree, Iain, that in the atmosphere of a coming election this October (which I reckon is now 80% likely), they should quite rightly keep quiet.
But - IF an election does take place, and IF Cameron loses and loses big time, the voices of discontent will then be thoroughly justified. I think a reduced Labour majority would be a good target to aim for. A standstill - or worse, an increased Labour majority - would be quite reason enough for them to demand his head. After all, Michael Howard managed a 3% swing to the Tories in 2005.
Rest assured that DD is waiting in the wings.
I voted for Thatcher and haven't voted Conservative since other than in local elections where it would be daft not to.
At a national level there is no point at all voting Conservative. Gideon has already said we can look forward to three years of Labour-level taxation and it's only going to be a 4-year term anyway so for 3/4 of the next term we've got Labour levels of expropriation whomever we vote for.
It migth make a difference if it was going to be spent sensibly, but we've already heard that in fact it will all be spent on pampering the producer interest, which is what Dave means by "putting the professionals in charge". What about putting the tax-paying customers in charge Dave?
I'm not going to vote. Dave was warned this would happen if he crawled up the left's arse, it has happened but he still needs it demonstrated to him, sadly. Also we are doing him a favour by making sure he loses. When the economy implodes, as it is showing signs of doing, it will be best if Stalin McSporran Bogie-Eater is still in charge to take the blame.
What the media don't hit on they will invent anyway.
suggest that someone has a word with Graham Brady then,
This is the most shocking thing you have ever said on your blog.
You are basically throwing your hands up and saying "dump your core values", "leave your principles at home" "vote for a wanker because he is wearing a blue badge".
It is revolting and you should be ashamed of yourself, but you are probably not.
What Cameron - or Hague maybe - needs to do is give a speech next week like Kinnock's in 1985. But this time on unity.
I find it difficult to write the following sentence but...I refer to the Daily Mail on 1820 today, which is uniquely on the ball in highlighting the fact that Europe and Scotland are the two big blind spots the media has on what i like to call Gordon Brown's Big Election Problem.
Anonymous wrote,
"When the economy implodes, as it is showing signs of doing, it will be best if Stalin McSporran Bogie-Eater is still in charge to take the blame."
Yes, I agree. The UK economy is tipping over the precipice right now and it could fall any time soon. If Brownie had any sense, he would purposely lose the next election so that he could blame the Conservatives who would be panicking to pick up the pieces.The problem is with Brownie in this case, is his overriding ambition to rule, for which he has waited so long, and is now blinding his judgment. However, watching Dave and the Dewdrops scrabbling around on the floor picking up loose change, would be a sight worth seeing.
Maybe the talk of elections is just to keep them in line for this conference. By the next one our 'esteemed leader' will have abolished elections anyway - and most likely them, too.
Well said . If Gordon gets a strong mandate he will go for a PR formula that will kill off the Conservative Party forever.
Lets get serious ( as Germaine Jackson once sang....oops )
I agree with your point and Tories should take note.
However if I were a labour Brutus I would wait until a week or two before the polling date for maximum effect. The anti-Brownite lot (Charles Clarke & co) last showed their teeth when the labour leadership contest was on. So there is form.
I agree with Desperate Dan - Cameron has turned his back on traditional conservative values - it is only right that the voters turn their back on him !
yvolndThe media, with the help of the Labour spin machine, will be out to highlight ever bit of "Tory disunity". They are sure to go in droves to the Fringe meeting on Grammar Schools, which I hope Graham Brady will now keep away from- he has already done enormous harm.
My fear is that we are in real danger of losing some of our brightest and most promising new MPs and that we will be left with a rump of the old "dinasaur" guard who have done so much damage to us already and who give the image we no longer are trying to represent- the impression from a lot of them is that they have safe seats, good second incomes, so why bother?
Iain is right- the Labour party shows tremendous dicipline and you can tell there is a ruthles determination to win from Brown downwards. I wish that at least some of our invisible Shadow Cabinet showed the same commitment.
The media, with the help of the Labour spin machine, will be out to highlight ever bit of "Tory disunity". They are sure to go in droves to the Fringe meeting on Grammar Schools, which I hope Graham Brady will now keep away from- he has already done enormous harm.
My fear is that we are in real danger of losing some of our brightest and most promising new MPs and that we will be left with a rump of the old "dinasaur" guard who have done so much damage to us already and who give the image we no longer are trying to represent- the impression from a lot of them is that they have safe seats, good second incomes, so why bother?
Iain is right- the Labour party shows tremendous dicipline and you can tell there is a ruthles determination to win from Brown downwards. I wish that at least some of our invisible Shadow Cabinet showed the same commitment.
Iaian's argument makes some sense if one is prepared to hold one's nose and vote ABB (Anyone But Brown) to get this incompetent filth out of power.
Newmania, he'd have a job getting PR past Labour or the unions, but that's by the by.
We have people taking the Tory or Lib Dem Whip while serving as Ministers in all but name and salary - they are such true believers that they are doing it for free!
And we have members of no party (even including Digby Jones) serving as Ministers (even for Labour's most prized NHS) both in name and in salary.
So what difference would PR actually make? No Tory would ever be PM again. But none ever would have been, anyway. If you doubt this, then who exactly, when exactly, and how exactly?
I wouldn't dream of getting behind Cameron because I believe he is as dangerous as Blair and Brown and all the other New World Order internationalist monsters.
He is, as someone said above, taking the Conservative Party over the falls and it will be a merciful death. They are clapped out and cowed. No bedrock of beliefs. Fearful and/or contemptuous of their own members.
I think they will meet their well-desrved end at the next election, and then a phoenix will emerge from the flames. I think people suppressing their own instincts and putting their shoulders to the wheel for Dave will be doing a disservice to Britain.
Iain
What you are saying is just a paraphrase for "Stay On Message" - ie one of the things everyone hates about whipped politicians
Iain Dale writes:
'This is a sign of a disciplined and united party'.
The Tories were saying that about themselves right up to 1997.
Lemmings are disciplined and united;
even lunatics in an asylum excitedly agree with each other.
It's a mantra and it means absolutely nothing.
What's that fairy tale about the kings new suit of clothes....?
Well said, Iain. Let's hope for a rousing conference!
I know the old paranoia may be setting in a bit early tonight but am I the only one that thinks there is more at stake at the next election than who runs the country for the next five years.
The public in their media induced naivety are seeing that 'nice' Gordon Brown chappy solving all these nasty problems and if we are not careful they will stop seeing the need for an Opposition, especially one that is continually divided or undisciplined (take your pick).
And dont forget once proud political institutions can become an irrelevance, just ask the LibDems.
I am not pleading a case for Dave but maybe a bit of discipline will give his successor a fighting chance whoever and whenever that is
It's been really obvious for some time that Brown's best line of attack against Cameron was "Unity".. and, by demonstrating extraordinary levels of public unity he demonstrates his own strength. Strength, of course, being his new favourite word.
The Tories cannot compete with Brown on Party Unity, so Cameron appears weaker, which means the public will trust Brown more.
It's kinda sad that you Tories can't pull yourselves together long enough to bring down this corrupt, disgusting regime. I mean, seriously... the idea of 5 more years of this lot just makes me feel sick.
You want power but you quibble at the price.
David Cameron should ban the Cornerstone group - and throw them in jail!!
Dear David Cameron - Labour are saying what we've been telling you all along - stop moralising about 'traditional married couples with children'.
The message to you is: 'Families' come in all sizes and shapes, married and unmarried, with and without children, gay and straight.
Start sticking up for all of us - not just 'the chosen few' or 'the lucky ones'. All the children in the UK need your help.
I hope David Cameron goes HEAVY on social justice.
No doubt these words were written with some selection committee in the south of England in mind.
this election guessing game is just a gimmick to keep the labour left in check at the conference. brown will confirm that there is no election just before the tory conference. that way the media will be able to compare united labour versus disunited tories
Ah, unity! Absolutely. I hope the real conservatives unite in slow handclapping Dave onto to stage, and then get up and walk out in protest.
So Tories should zip up even though they're being led by someone who quite clearly isn't a Tory in any meaningful sense. Or if he is, he's happy to pretend not to be. And this is all calculated to get the Tories elected.
I think not.
Why don't y'all carry on being thoroughly nasty but just a teensy bit principled. You'll go down to defeat anyway, but you might as well try to retain some tiny shreds of self-respect.
So Tories should zip up even though they're being led by someone who quite clearly isn't a Tory in any meaningful sense. Or if he is, he's happy to pretend not to be. And this is all calculated to get the Tories elected.
I think not.
Why don't y'all carry on being thoroughly nasty but just a teensy bit principled. You'll go down to defeat anyway, but you might as well try to retain some tiny shreds of self-respect.
Newmania, he'd have a job getting PR past Labour or the unions, but that's by the by.
The unions will be paid off as they have been with my money ! .Pensions gold plated , 8,000,000 in the Public sector , and no accountability . Thats why they are in line now .(Not that anyone cares anyway.) You have a few preening idiots that have been lured into their ‘one meeting a year’ out of vanity. Not all the public is especially political but they recognise words like traitor disloyalty and dupe and midget. Noone on this planet we call earth gives this any thought at all except you. Are you seriously taken in by such a transparent petty piece of sniping ?
The difference PR could make is that it could allow second preferences to play a part and less people vote Conservative as a second preference. It could lead to a situation where the Conservatives might well be the largest single Party but they would have to work with the Liberals which in this country would be difficult ….not impossible though.As the Liberal Party leaves it socialist past I have hopes there is scope for cooperation but it is an unlovely prospect.
As for this
No Tory would ever be PM again. But none ever would have been, anyway. If you doubt this, then who exactly, when exactly, and how exactly?
Have you been drinking or are you being humorous ? I`ve not noticed you being funny before so I am going to assume you are sloshed, at your age as well. Labour have a just over a 5% lead probably less in the marginals which is why their MP`s there are desperate to go for broke now . They were recently well behind and the pent up loathing of this government will be vented on Brown from day one. If he scrapes home he may well wish he had not . There is of course the probability of a future Conservative Administration . It is, however , Browns stated aim to obliterate all opposition and destroy the Conservative party forever. He will do this by taxing them out of the country , settling their strongholds with immigrants and socially housed state slaves just as he has done so far. It is a sort of gradual ethnic cleansing and the country had better wake up to what he is up to . He is a new sort of danger , a man capable of leading us into post democratic age. His wish for constitutional change is driven by the danger of Scotland ceding and the consequent probability there will never be another Labour PM of England . He sees he may lose the game and therefore wishes to destroy our democracy. Milliband says "Another ten year plan" and I`m not sure he dosen`t mean a 1000 years of national socialist hell. We are not going to an election so much as resisting a Brown Reich. There will be no place for me in it .
Daily Referendum says: We have got a very real problem here: there are members of this party who are anti-Cameron and have been very vocal about it. The problem is that some people are so shallow that they would rather lose the election than lose face about being wrong about Cameron and our chances.
No. We would rather lose the election, full stop. We don't want Cameron's faux socialism to be the alternative to the socialists real socialism. We want capitalism to be the alternative, and that is not on offer in the wonderful world of David Cameron.
Voters tempted to go with socialism-lite should remember that Cameron and his family and his clique are well-insulated against the proposals they propose to legislate for others further down the food chain.
As I said to Felicity the other night....I blame it on the bounce....
Newmania, you have actually agreed with me. You have set out how and why there will never be another Tory Government.
The Tories are simply no longer the default option in Britain, or even any option for most people: it would just never occur to well over half the electorate to vote Tory. I'm not saying that that's a good thing or a bad thing. It's just a fact. And you know it to be so.
Therefore, what you haven't even tried to do is set out how, when,or led by whom there might ever be one. When even Patrick Mercer sees more hope of doing anything politically as an unpaid Brown adviser without even being paid, then it really is all over.
As for whoever it as who said ban the Cornerstone Group, moral and social conservatism, which is of course incompatible with neoliberal economics, plays well with core Labour voters, but is hated by the One Party now fraudulently trading under all three names.
Together with the Keynes-Beveridge-Attlee Settlement and with all round patriotism (i.e., both southwards and westwards, not to say eastards as globalisation's erosion of sovereignty really kicks in), moral and social conservatism will be a key plank in the platform of the desperately needed new party.
Those three elements all play well to core supporters of all three parties. Do Labour voters want the Euro, or the Iraq War, or the unrestricted immigration, drinking, gambling, drugs, prostitution and pornography all required by the "free" market? Do Tory voters want to abolish farm subsidies or the NHS? For that matter, do THEY want or the Iraq War, or the unrestricted immigration, drinking, gambling, drugs, prostitution and pornography all required by the "free" market? The Lib Dems strongest support is in rural Scotland, Mid-Wales, and the West Country. And so forth.
Bring on the new party as soon as possible!
You are gibbering David and I`m too busy working. Not one syllable of that exists outside your K-papxian fantasies which you are welcome to
Brown is an extremely dangerous bugger for the simple reason he is an introvert and demonstrates no emotion. His smiles are forced and he has to work hard to try and make himself appealing. He is ruthless and nobody is even close enough to him to know what he is thinking. People who call him the "clunking fist" are not far off target.
Then take Dave Cameron, a flowery child with stars in his eyes and an inner circle of adoring admirers, full of fanciful ideas on how to make the world a better place, and absolutely not a single sensible idea of how to do it. He's neither tough in a "tough" way, nor is he able to fight, unless it is by the Queensbury Rules.
Will somebody please tell me how Cameron is going to lead anyone to victory, other than by giving Brown a "Glasgow Kiss" or a hard kick in the nuts?
I find it truly amazing that people on this blog are saying that Graham Brady has harmed the party with his stance on grammar schools - I thought that was Cameron and Willets.
And if the country is suffering from the burden of taxes and public spending caused by Brown then why is Cameron not going to change any of that except to make it more expensive to fly away on holiday?
As a conservative I am indifferent as to whether Cameron "the heir to Blair" has unity at his conference or not. You don't seem to get it -Brown is looking more and more like a statesman and Cameron looks like a, ahem, schoolboy and the Conservative party is in danger of being in breach of the Trades Descriptions Act.
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