On my way into 5 Live this morning I heard most of David Cameron's twenty minute interview with Julian Worricker. The first half was taken up with the Middle East where he re-emphasised William Hague's view that Israel's strikes against Hizbollah targets in the Lebanon were disproportionate. In fact, not only did he re-emphasise, but he re-emphasised again. My friends at CFI will not be pleased.But something which others do not seem to have picked up was Cameron's announcement that in future CCHQ would put a shortlist of candidates for by-elections to the local association to choose from, and this might be as few as two or three people. They might be A Listers, non A Listers or local people, according to circumstances. This is not a huge departure from what happens now, but it is currently the norm for the local association to whittle a list of between 10 and 20 down to a final three. In future it seems that task will be performed centrally, albeit in consultation with the local constituency chairman.
Is this a good thing? I am a staunch defender of local association's rights to choose the candidate they want, but everyone must recognise that by-elections are very different. Local associations generally have no idea what is about to hit them. Therefore it is only right that there needs to be more help and direction provided from the centre. We need to learn some lessons here from His Lordship, the Baron Rennard at the LibDems here. They make great pretence of running local campaigns, but Rennard is pulling all the strings and is usually resident for the last week of the campaign. As I've said before, we need to find our own Chris Rennard. And so far, we haven't.
17 comments:
Any suggestions of a Conservative campaign guru?
Iain wrote: "I am a staunch defender of local association's rights to choose the candidate they want,"
Echoes of Henry Ford "You can have any colour you want as long as it's black."
Mark Oaten.
Knows how the Lib Dems operate and would do the business.
This treacle-brain, who has never known active service and, to be candid, has never known much of anything as being a PR spiv, is suddenly an expert on terrorism and warfare is he? He knows what's a "proportionate" response from nation facing destruction by terrorists?
You know what this tells me? He would be weak on terrorism at home, not wanting to be disproportionate,or anything. I knew Cameron was ridiculous, but now I think he is also dangerous.
I 'ad that Dave Cameron in the back of my cab once. Couldn't understand a word he said. But then, I'm Japanese, so what do I know?
Excellent article in the Sunday Telegraph. warning of the complacency being adopted by DC's team, the inevitabilty in ditching Maude and Letwin and the need for true tory policies!!!
Now what have I and many been saying?
As for the A List. Sorry Iain but local constituency committee's will not bow to this. Maude tried this before and lost comprehensively. DC better sit back and do some thinking.
The article believes that Brown will come out fighting and take on DC.I liked the analysis, do not totally agree with it. But I am shocked that DC and his team do not have a plan to take on Prime Min ister Brown, (although I cannot see him removing Blair!)
I took a trip to the Tory heartlands today (leafy Bucks as it happens - it's nice to remind myself why I moved out of the South East). Do they like young Dave there? To judge by my in-depth random survey; no they do not! Does it matter? Probably not, Hell will freeze over afore their seat returns other than a Tory. But, as verity says, what does the chap know of conflict?
'Disproportionate response' - very popular phrase at the moment. Of course, those that use it never actually define what, in their opinion, would be a 'proportionate response'. Tit for tat missiles, launched at random into centres of population, perhaps? Or maybe it's politician speak for "I need some press coverage, but I've got nothing worth listening to"
Wanting to choose councillors now, are they?
And what next?
The Chairmen of Local Associations? The members of the selection committees?
My, my. Dear Dave really has been studying the NuLabour handbook, hasn't he? Still, musn't let silly, old fashioned ideas like personal principles, local democracy and independent thought intefere with 'The Project', must we? We've got a country to rescue from the centralised control of the Downing St power freaks. Be different when we're in charge. 'Course it will. Won't it?
bt - Good post.
Forgive me for pointing this out, but I doubt very much David Cameron actualy described hits on Hezboulah in Lebanon as dissproportionate. By definition they would not be.
I think he was referring to the bits of lebanon that are not Hezboulah being hit as dissproportionate.
On shortlists - utterly ludicrous. Bob Neill was not a wonderful candidate but he was alright. You said it here and others said it elsewhere, and you were all correct. Bob Neill came under fire but everyone always comes under fire - that's politics. It is the campaigns that cause you trouble in these seats, not the candidates. As a Lib Dem I am delighted that the Conservatives still miss this crucial point.
Cameron's going to learn all about what a 'disproportionate response' looks like at the next General Election when the chickens of his vapid LibDem-style policy announcements come home to roost.
By then, CCO will HAVE to 'impose' all sorts of local candidates & officials on associations, because all the Tory starlwarts will have already left in despair & disgust.
Good to see John Reid starting to talk about limits on immigration - a topic Labour will probably make its own now the Conservatives have nothing to say...............
Glad I missed him. Yes more assaults on the rights of local associations by know-all Dave. I think he honestly thinks we should be honoured to have him as leader. When will we have to wait for an election(defeat) before voting this muppet out?
Ruichi Sakamoto - you should have got IDS, apparently he is one sixteenth Japanese...Kamurano san wa nani o iimashita kaaaaaa???
Michael Oakeshott - Arigato gozi matsu!
Verity,
After your pedantry last week, I could repeat the trick and correct your incorrect spelling and Japanese grammar. But that would be pedantic...
Guido says James Cleverly has withdrawn from the London mayoral race anyway, because he has heard he is on the A-list.
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