Articles tagged Conservative Party:
Is Starmergeddon Coming for the Tories?
- 23 Jun 2024
There are still ten full days of campaigning to go, yet virtually everyone on the right has given up hope of anything that will dent Labour’s seemingly impregnable likely majority. So naturally the papers are full of articles about what happens to the Tories in the aftermath o...
The Tory Leadership Runners & Riders: My Take for The Telegraph
- 10 Jul 2022
Party leadership contests often come down to being between a ‘change’ candidate and one who promises more of the same. This time, a key dividing line maybe between candidates without a huge amount of government experience and those who have been vocal adherents of the policies...
Telegraph Column: The Diminished Role of the Conservative Party Chairman
- 7 Oct 2020
This article first appeared in the Daily Telegraph. Back in the not-so-distant past, the job of Conservative Party Chairman was one that every single Conservative MP hankered after. In the Thatcher government it held the status in Cabinet of being almost on a par with ...
An Appreciation of Sir John Redwood
- 29 Dec 2018
I'm not a massive fan of the way the Honours System operates. It's more open and transarent than it used to be, but it is undermined by the domination of honours for civil servants who are just doing their jobs. Indeed, some seem to get honours for doing their jobs very badly....
Poll: Who Would Win a Conservative Party Leadership Contest?
- 8 Dec 2018
It is not beyond the realms of possibility that by this time next week, a Conservative Party leadership contest could be underway. I know, I know, we've been here before, but if the Brexit vote goes ahead on Tuesday, and the government loses by a substantial three figure major...
Tory MPs Go To War Over John Hayes 'Utter Cock' Knighthood
- 24 Nov 2018
It’s no secret that the parliamentary Conservative Party is riven with splits over Europe, but when Tory MPs start laughing uncontrollably about government decisions and taking little notice of government whips, you know it is a government in trouble. Yesterday Downing Stre...
Tory Rebels Need to Bide Their Time Before Toppling Mrs May
- 19 Nov 2018
The Germans have a phrase ‘Immer mit der Ruhe’. Keep calm at all times. The Conservative Party would do well to heed that message. Voters don’t like divided parties. The fall in support for the Tories in the weekend opinion polls is more to do with voters not liking the disuni...
Two Ways Conservative Conferences Need to Change
- 10 Oct 2018
I’m getting heartily sick of conferences in Birmingham and Manchester. Because of the cost of accommodation many party members are put off attending. They just can’t afford it. One of the joys – if that’s the right word – of going to Bournemouth or even Blackpool was that anyo...
A Candidate No Longer
- 17 Jun 2010
Last night I attended a reception at Number 10 and had a brief chat with David Cameron. He said he hoped I would try for a seat at the next election. I explained that that wouldn't be happening and that I had made a decision well before the last election not to try again if I ...
Thoughts on Candidate Selection
- 25 Oct 2009
When I applied for Bracknell I made much of the fact that I hadn't applied for other constituencies. None of the other candidates were able to say that. A fat lot of good it did me! It also meant that when the next batch of constituencies were advertised (Esher, Gosport, Deviz...