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The tories have been sending out a number of confusing signals for years. The one clear signal they do send is that they are not fit to govern and have had no new ideas since Thatcher.

The Conservatives didn't do very well in the last two General Elections by sticking to "core Tory values", whatever they are. It's time for the old guard to accept that what was right in the past is not necessarily right now. The heritage of the party is rich, but let's not pretend that it can be applied without change.

The Tories cannot help but self-destruct. It makes no matter that Cameron is sending out policy reviews and that Ancram is contradicting his policies. Unless they bribe the public with such giveaways as 0% inheritance tax, they have no chance.

David Cameron is pursuing core Tory values - the difference between him and Michael Ancram is more about a generational gap than real differences. David is presenting our core principals in manner that modern voters can understand and are able to vote for. Michael is living in the past and should wake up to the fact we life in a different world - albeit one heavily shaped by previous Tory governments.

The confusion has come from an ill-judged campaign to persuade the country that the party is not Conservative. But it won't win support as a pale version of New Labour: it will succeed only if it presents a manifesto which affirms what its members believe, and which are increasingly being sought by voters disillusioned with ten years of empty promises and soaring taxes from the present government.

i think it is a case of old has beens not wanting david to do well and make changes.you carn't tell me that we are better off with labour.what is the matter with these people

The General Election results in 1997, 2001 and 2005 are an indication of voter's thoughts on "core Tory values". It is time to get rid of the confusion, get rid of the links with the past and time to get rid of Michael Ancram.

i think it is a case of old has beens not wanting david to do well and make changes.you carn't tell me that we are better off with labour.what is the matter with these people

I still don't see the Conservatives as a credible alternative to New Labour. Cameron started off as a hoody hugging etonian and now shouting for harsher penalty's and promising to equal Labours spending plans. The Conservatives still do not present themselves as a credible opposition party. I left the UK because as a voter my vote doesn't count with the present Government and Cameron doesn't cut it for me. Sadly William Haig was their best option but he was undermined from within the party and it seems the same thing is happening again. Margaret Thatcher may have stayed in office too long but she had the courage to stand up for good old fashioned values. That is what politics is missing.

Tory Core Values created the problems of unemployment, flogging off cheaply of public utilities and the invention of PFI, which new labour took on with a vengeance.

Mr Cameron would do well to distance the conservatives as far as possible from Mrs Thatcher and her, so called, legacy.

What do the Tories stand for? In every interview we are told by senior party members to 'wait for their policy review committee to decide what their opinion is'. When pushed, we are told that we shouldn't expect any policy announcements until the general election. I desperately want to support this party, but it is impossible to know what they stand for, and why I should support them. I almost agree with the previous comment that no one in the party has come up with an new idea since Thatcher (if pushed, I might have to admit that Ken Clarke had a fresh idea or two).

The current 'confusion' just demonstrates what those of us who work in politics already know. Whatever 'changes' David Cameron thinks he has made they are at best skin deep.

Membership of local Tory branches continues to go down and the average age up. Until Cameron gets different people joining with fresh attitudes, let alone ideas and in great numbers, then nothing much will change and he will always be under attack from that unreconstructed section of the party which actually represents the majority of it.

Cameron is a toffee-nosed immature idiot who thought he could out-do Blair in his Blair-ness. But his zig-zagging and shifting ground is getting him nowhere.

"Are the Conservatives in danger of presenting confusing signals to the public?"

Yes. They'd be better off with Boris. At least he's fun.

Yes, the Tories are, and have been for some time, sending out conflicting messages. David Cameron, as several of his modern predecessors, is perceived as weak and ineffective. The party grandees carry much more weight, and while they still have unopposed voice, the Tory Party will lurch from one disastrous leader to another. None will measure up to Margaret Thatcher. She was in a different time, and opportunity, and seized the moment. David Cameron is not in that position. At present he and his party are unelectable as Tony Blair has long since run off with Tory policies.

Please say they will not have any more infighting! Tax cuts are okay if the country can afford them - why don't the Conservatives concentrate on the horrendous waste of tax payers money and outrageous salaries given to the bureaucrats (large pensions and retirement 8 years before the private sector! Also health service, Iraq, education!!) Prioritise - government cannot put money into everything.Maybe look at doctor's visits having a minimum charge of ÂŁ5 (France and other European countries do this.) Attack, attack on what I feel has been an inept 10 years of government (regardless of the "feel good" economic statistics -wages have not kept up that well) - Brown has been a part of producing thundering house prices - what, no inflation there? My young adult children will take many years to be able to afford a home anywhere. And I haven't mentioned excessive immigration and crime! Do not fall for Labour's stupid "Oh, here they go again being divisive". Ignore Labour's trite responses. But I think Cameron can do it if he is supporting common sense policies and not being on the defensive.

"Are the Conservatives in danger of presenting confusing signals to the public". No, but the media are. There is a clear difference between the report of a policy think tank, making SUGGESTIONS and coming up with NEW IDEAS, and a policy that is formally adopted by a party as part of an election manifesto. At the moment the media are keen to blow up what it thinks might be contentious ideas coming from the Conservative policy groups to create a story, even though each Chairman of the groups reporting so far has made it clear these are only suggestions to the leadership. Jeremy did it last night, deliberately confusing think tank IDEAS with POLICY. It's surely a good thing that a party wants to have an open debate about new ideas? The only result of the media hysteria is that parties won't be so open in the future - surely a bad thing. And no, I don't vote Conservative.

it is time david cameron got rid of
these people that tell him what to
do. He is the leader it is about time
he got rid of these old torys that
dont shut up

Ancram is a has-been who is sour over being so ignominiously side-lined in the late Conservative Leadership race. His present intervention would be hugely damaging IF he was taken seriously! The Tories are rightly coming up in the latest polls, and seeing the last election was won by Labour on a minority 26% vote of the electorate, the Tories stand every chance of a land-slide win next time round. The last election results have persuaded many of us to become converts to Proportional Representation - anything to be rid of this present hypocritical, tax-heisting, slippery governemnt.

What the Tories need is more than a PR man's re-branding, they need a root and branch reassessment of what they're for. If their only raison d'etre is to win power for their mates in the City then this is not enough and is indicative of just why the electorate don't trust them. Reliance on past success when Labour were 'lost in the wilderness' is no guarantee of it now. They need more than pompous wrapping themselves in the flag or the flavour of the month to succeed. We need a New Conservative party that can take the best of the old (no matter how small that might be) and form socially inclusive policies to meet the challenges of a new Britain. It is only when they stop being seen as 'the nasty party' of callousness, money, privilege, plumby accents, blue rinses and little englanders and instead start to offer something real to the electorate that they'll stand a hope of winning the power they crave. And by that time they might even deserve it. At the moment, they're far, far short of what it takes to supplant a very settled, capable and in-touch Labour.

Of course the Tories should return to Thachers ways.
Tony Blair inherited all that had been acheived, The Tories just commited 'Hari Kari' and Still are.
J Major and Co were the culprits.
Brown/Labour could go the Same way and the conservaties could really reap the beniffits. The leadership should be strong enough to realise that Thacher ways.......
.....should Still be the Conservative ways.
pip In Thailand

Ancram is a has-been who is sour over being so ignominiously side-lined in the late Conservative Leadership race. His present intervention would be hugely damaging IF he was taken seriously! The Tories are rightly coming up in the latest polls, and seeing the last election was won by Labour on a minority 26% vote of the electorate, the Tories stand every chance of a land-slide win next time round. The last election results have persuaded many of us to become converts to Proportional Representation - anything to be rid of this present hypocritical, tax-heisting, slippery governemnt.

Nice to see you've whipped your thesaurus out, and opted for something other than 'broken'.

Are the policy reviews sending out conflicting messages?

Yes. Isn't that partly what they're supposed to do, and must have been expected to do? Isn't the point of them to provoke debate, so that Conservatives can choose between the proffered options?

Are the Conservatives in danger of presenting confusing signals to the public?

That public who are easily confused, and prefer the constant reiteration of short slogans? Or the actual public, who may just be less planklike than you imply?

Without minimising the crisis in the Conservative party, are these really the most important questions you could be asking? Michael Ancram's motivation seems a much more interesting topic; he must have been well aware that his contribution would hardly be seen as neutral. Not to mention the Thatcher legacy. Exactly what do these young old Etonians think it was, and is there supposed to be consensus that it would not be a good thing to abandon? If so, that would be a Tory party people could vote against (or for, of course) on principle. As it is, the internal havering and lurching continues, and apathy may win the day if the Tory party don't defenestrate Cameron first.

The problem isn't that the electorate can't make choices, it's that the Tory party can't agree and unify around anything more positive than the fact that there's 'anarchy in the UK'. Let alone be a strategic coherent Opposition, which is what they're paid for.

Michael Ancram’s intervention has just surrendered
the next election to the Labour Party. There will be
no contest. Gordon Brown must be delighted to see
the possibility of renewed Tory party internal strife.

David Camereron is doing a good job. When the Old Guard ever learn?

They have a problem don't they? The electorate do not find the image of traditional tories - and their values - very appetising. That's presumably why they chose Cameron to lead them, in the belief that he could re-connect with the majority, and win the next election. He has picked the right topics, but seems to have little new to say about them. But he's hamstrung - as his hapless predecessors were - by the party, who, deep down, don't like his touchy feely style, and compassionate approach. They are hangin' and floggin' conservatives, who ideolically had more in common with the "Italianate scholar" IDS.

But he creeped us all out, so they went for a nice boy instead. If only the party were nice too..

Before Mrs. Thatcher, the Conservative Party was, well, a ... conservative party, with emphasis on continuity, tradition, community, family, nationalism...
Mrs T. transformed the party into an economic neo-liberal one, with emphasis on entrepreneurship, de-regularisation, social and geographical mobility, a modern outlook, all intended to make the economy competitive, but undermining all conservative values. Lord Tebbit’s “on yer bike” slogan was good for the economy, destructive for continuity, families and communities.
The Conservative Party is now – because of all this – schizophrenic: it does not know which way to look. Whatever it attempts now, it would antagonise lots of people. This has been the tragedy of all post-Thatcher leaders.
Logically, the party should split into a traditional conservative one and an economic neo-liberal one, but that would ensure Labour rule forever.
Cameron is not the man to solve the identity crisis of his party. For this, one needs an intellectual heavyweight, and – alas - I don't see anyone around. Brown will be PM until he drops dead!
Love,
George x

The cycle of political disillusion is unstopable - the time is coming when Mrs Thatcher will be widely regarded as something of a national treasure - the last time the country believed in itself and before supposed political correctness muddied the water (forever?)

I've heard Cameron being criticized because "he is a Blair look-alike" and "the people do not want another Blair."

Well if that indeed is the case it is the party that wanted a Blair look-alike by electing Cameron in the first place. He is, after all, a what-you-see-you-get candidate.

The Tories should have stuck to William Hague. Changing one leader after another has only underlined the fact that the party is at a loss as to what it wants exactly. It underlines a long-going crisis.

Michael Ancram is 'an elephant'! That's what the crusty old politicians were called in the run up to the recent French Presidential Election. He should keep quiet and support his leader!
Margie Burn

As post '12' to be precise, & the sooner the better. No more cozying-up to Labour in the interests of our Nation...get those 2x Tories back in the fold quickly before the Brownites are bleating about defections (as Milliband hinted last night)Today PM talked of Conservative factions destroying the Party ....!!that really displays a joined up agenda.

As a life long conservative, I am very sorry how the party is going.

What do they are think they are doing matching labour spending plans. That is not what conservatives, or I believe the general public want.

What they want is commitment to maintain and improve public services at REDUCED COST with REDUCED TAXATION. With all the wasteful nonsense jobs created by labour since coming to power, that should not be impossible.

The conservatives seem to have lost their way and not know what they believe in.

I must agree with most of the above comments. Michael Ankram's outburst simply shows up David Cameron's impotence as a political leader with no real ideas, elected simply as a face for the media. In a way his leadership, is a bit similar to Neil Kinnocks election, as a leader chosen, somewhat desperately, amongst media hype, although I feel there was more substance to Kinnock than there ever will be to David Cameron. The general poverty of political debate seems to me to show up the inadequacy of our representative democracy in the UK; where gaining power in government basically depends on the winning of a minority vote in key marginal seats. The so called Middle England vote which I think is a big myth. There is no centre ground, and, will someone please tell me where Middle England actually is?

In reality there is a battle over a small number of votes in so called marginal seats which affect the general swing of votes, and, which can make or break a government. We should be worried about a democracy that represents the victorian world view according the British Empire. We have plainly failed to convince countries in the Middle East how wonderful it is! The same is true of America where most people feel that George Bush got into power quite fraudulently, and the American people actually voted for Al Gore, at least someone with some political expertise, if I don't agree with his politics.

We have to bring our democratic system into the 21st Century with some form of proportional representation to replace the crooked boundaries which define so called constituencies, themselves more like the rotten boroughs, deliberately drawn up in favour of the conservative hegemony which has ruled this country for the last century. This poverty of democracy allows non-entities like Michael Ankram to seem important and gives us leaders like Thatcher, who rather like Hitler, maintained her grip on power because of the split vote in the opposition.

The majority, or popular vote, does not count any longer, and this situation has led to truly authoritarian dictatorship of the state, whichever party is in power.

tHE CONCERVATIVE PARTY WILL NOT GET ELECTED AS THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE EMPLOYED BY THE GOVERNMENT ALSO THE UNEMPLOYED.

why don't the old guard have the decency to resign if they can't weigh in behind the leadership? and let those of us loyal to David Cameron fight these seats under modern Conservative values. they won't because they are wedded to their membership of the Westminster Club. M. Ancram classsic gutless Majorite politician. didn't see him making much of an impact anywhere.
DC needs to carry on keeping a cool head. the message is evidently one that the public likes.

I believe it is time for decisive changes in our country. Education is the key for the future. We need 'think tanks' from every walk of life to look at our education system. The 'customer' needs value for life! We need to teach 'life skills' such as nutrition, cooking, how to look after someone other than ourselves, how to deal with the paperwork one meets in the real world etc. We need change in our 'loutish' and 'me, me, me' society.
The tax system needs to be simplified. We must look at how other countries such as Iceland to see how a low basic rate of income tax woks well.
We need the Conservative party to be clear on modern issues and that probably means annoying the 'old guard'. Many of the elder statesmen have valid opinions and ideals, but there are some who do not! We need governing for now!
New Labour made, and still makes. sweeping changes to our everyday lives without thinking it all through. They 'leak' ideas to test the water. This is the stuff of playgrounds not Her Majesty's Government.
The Conservatives need to promise to have discussion groups to make sure the rules, laws and legislation really works. In this day of e-mail they can reach so many more people and they should have forums and someone reporting on the general opinions from such groups.
Most of all, David Cameron is the Party Leader and he, as such, must be given full support and a united front. Party squabbles are damaging. What was it our parents said during the War..."careless talk costs lives".
I would like to live in a fairer democracy where the opinions of the majority matter and where the statistics are not manipulated.
Honesty and no sleeze, please.

The Tory party should be wrapping themselves in Mrs Thatcher's policies, it is the only way we can win by promising less government, freeing business, privatisations, being tough on law and order, squeazing back the state and slashing taxes.

What does seem curious in all this is that for years we have had a government that puts a spin on everything being rosy, and it seems that everyone believes them!

Our schools are a disaster and we have 1.2m 'hidden' school leavers who cannot find work, most of them because they can hardly read or write
- but does no one care about how badly the young are being educated?

The health service is a shambles with almost more people dying of diseases picked up in hospital than those going in with one - but no one cares.

We have far too many horrendous cases of terminal gun crime many involving young people and we have a survey saying that the majority of old people are too terrified to go out at night - but nobody cares.

Welcome I say to the party that goes back to basics on these issues, starts telling the truth, and comes up with a better game plan. What an opportunity for the Conservatives!

The voting system needs to be rationalised. None of the two leading parties will do this when in power. The best outcome for the next election would be a hung parliament. So all who agree should vote for the liberal democrats. Let Parliament hang. They at least had the guts to vote against the Iraq war which has been the main reason for most of our current problems. PM Brown when Chancellor funded the war so obviously agreed with it or was forced to do so by his predecessor. The UN at the time refused to OK the hostilities and USA offered UK a chance to not join the war but Mr.Blair refused to even consider. The Tories backed him in Parliament. History doesn't forget. The people were duped and the voice of reason rejected. Let us NOT have any of these two in absolute power again.

I agree with Michael Ancram. The Media call both Cameron and Osbourne "Modernisers" I believe that they are a dangerous element that have a leftwing blairite agenda and are trying to destroy our values, history and "the soul of the Party" they behave like extremists they are the enemy within.

To the Modernisers waiting with baited breath for that favorite media catchphase the u-turn I have only one thing to say you turn if you want to the Party is not for turning!

Dear Sir,

I think itÂŽs better to follow the Former LeadersÂŽ steps & listen to their advices. To solve the problems, but not to shine off. To be with the people in time of need. To bend where
the wind blows - to be with people.

Many people regard "Conservaties" as a high Class people, who will not care for them - mark this! Make a radical change if you really want to win. Brush off all the negative talks
or critism, because it blocks success!
Develop a positive attitude towards
people & Business & their needs. Be a good Listener & solve the problems!

Thanks & Good Luck in your life, family & Business!

Vicentina (Vincentina)

There are 39 comments on this post as I start to write. How many of them are about Jane Tomlinson? None.

Yet which politician mentioned above is comparable to Mrs Tomlinson? Again, none.

There were some kind souls who said Jane Tomlinson was a fake. Well, she has proved them wrong today.

RIP - beautiful lady.

God in Heaven.Thatcher? The Tories? Why in hell is the programme dwelling on these appalling people who have put us to this mess? Thatcher was electable because, in the minds of many, she represented firm policies on Law and Order and Immigration. Unfortunately for us, when elected, she did as all Tory, (and of course, Labour) PM's have done in the last 50 years, and allowed those cherished issues to go to hell, while she created opportunities for her elite supporters to accrue vast wealth.Brown has already accomplished this from his former post, in respect of the Private Equity "industry", and will doubtless continue assiduously in this task, as PM.
What are usually referred to as core Conservative values(Emphasis on the family/freedom of speech and from oppressive Govt/low taxation/strong defence policy etc.) have long since passed to the BNP, along with a determination to prevent the invasion of the country. Not a man or woman who went to War in 1939 to defend this country, would give you tuppence for today's Tory party, which has presided over unknown millions of immigrants being forced on us without our consent, and has failed to seriously oppose Labour, in doing the same.
By all means continue to vote Tory and you'll get more of the same; then you can continue to grumble about things.The BNP won a local by-election last week with more votes than the Conservatives, Labour and, the Establishment's favourite spoiler-UKIP, put together. Strange isn't it that this was totally ignored by the media, including of course, Newsnight, the very same programme which is now trying to keep up interest in the totally and terminally finished Tories. If you want conservatism, get off your knees and vote BNP.

I do want Conservatism but I wont be voting BNP as they are fascist nazis not Tories.

As a long term Conservative supporter, I do confess to having had doubts about the direction in which Cameron was taking the party, particularly in the early days. However, I gave him the benefit of the doubt, since his declared intention of earning the "right to be heard" was spot on. Much of the broadcast media (especially the ±«Óătv I am sorry to say) has a liberal left bias which meant the Conservative message was denigrated at best or ignored at worst. I think Cameron has broken through that barrier to some extent (although Stephanie Flanders line of questioning when Cameron recently appeared on Newsnight was absurdly personalised).
To cut it short, I am much reassured by Cameron's stance on the family and his statement on Newsnight that immigration has been too high since Labour got into power (something which is so obvious it should hardly need saying).

Without taking sides (between Labour and the Conservatives), what I fail to understand is how 'dinosaurs' such as Michael Ancram still have the ability to cause such a kerfuffle among Tory ranks and in the media. I hope Mr Cameron realises that unless he he is seen to take a firm grip and denounce utterances such as this, then the Conservative Party will remain unelectable. Never was a finer word spoken than a few years ago when Teresa May was honest and perceptive enough to use the word 'nasty' to describe how many voters viewed the party. The truth is that there are some very definite parts of the Tory legacy that are best buried and forgotten, and with some rightful embarrassment too. Those, in particular, which upheld that discrimination, prejudice and bigotry had a rightful place in party policies. Mr Cameron should not flinch from condemning those who argue that there was some golden age when all was right and fair in the Tory family. That has never been the case with any political party.

What is needed is a credible opposition. Democracy does not work unless there is a mechanism which enables those people who believe the government is downright wrong to have a voice.

Dear Editor,
This broadside of Ancram only shows that there are differences within the Conservative Party It shows that over the last year the Conservatives were trying to paper over the massive cracks in they Party. The policy reviews have brought to the surface these divisions. It is the Right trying to assert itself again by demanding a return to "core values" and Thatcherism.
The Conservative Party has failed to undrstand that "New Labour" has accepted a lot of Thatcherite policy and that there needs to be a rethink. The Right cannot accept Cameron holding to social democratic expressions as "Britain is a broken society".
Thsi division is going to make the Conservative Party unelectable.

interesting bbc article from feb 06 predicting this and calling it the clause 4 moment.

>Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said if he had tried to outline the changes Mr Cameron was calling for when he was Tory leader, they would have been "highly controversial".

"There would have been a lot of resistance to it - that shows how much the party is changing," he said.

"I didn't speak to an audience with this mix of age groups and backgrounds." >But ex-Tory chairman Lord Tebbit described Mr Cameron's new initiative as just "clever marketing", saying it was hard to see any differences with Labour.<<

Mr Cameron added: "If we don't change, we will let millions of people down.

"But if we do change, if we stick to it, if we show that it's built to last - then we'll be able to meet the challenges this country faces and help create a better Britain - built to last."<<

so the more the right wing attack him the more he must be doing the right thing? Kinnock is remembered for his victory over the militants reds. Will Bullingdon Cameron have the nerve, for the good of the country, to show the far right the old cold steel and so prove he would be a worthy PM?

What part precisely do ‘core values’ play in modern politics?

By definition ‘Core’ refers quite simply to the heart, pith, centre, call it what you will, that holds together everything comprising the whole.

‘Values’ refers to those things regarded as desirable, worthy, right as a belief, precept or standard.

Politicians constantly purport to reverently embrace their own Party’s core values; but political aims, objectives, goals, and suchlike cannot possibly be construed as ‘core values’ per se: and to talk about them as such is illogical and pointless.

Take for example Brown’s arrogant and sinister intention - to hand over Britain’s head on a plate to the unelected bureaucrats in Brussels – this against the wishes of over eighty per cent of a sixty million population: does he advocate that this is consistent with the Labour Party’s core values? A devious aim, or covert goal certainly – a core value never – ask any of my furious, hitherto Labour-voting neighbours!

A ‘public mood’ question that David Cameron should have addressed a long time ago and to which he now really must come up with an intelligent answer before digging himself into any more holes, is, why at the 2005 Election did more people in England vote Conservative than for Labour, or any other party for that matter? His conclusion needs to take into account that this happened despite the fact that his own name was virtually unknown to most of the Electorate at that time; even more-so his modernising agenda.

People at long last seem to be waking up in droves to the fact that for the past ten years the Electorate has been subjected, as never before, to a relentless brain-washing agenda drawn up by Brussels, fervently promoted by the hideous, politically correct brigade and delivered via the auspices of certain sections of a generally compliant media.

The truly ‘core values’ held by the British Nation at large, reflect, as any intelligent being would acknowledge, neither a ‘right’ nor ‘left’ political bias and a newly-formed Political Party capable of identifying and implementing these as a vital priority, would wipe the floor with what remains of the political dross that has the colossal crust to call itself a Parliament.

Warned not to abandon the Thatcher legacy? What is this a joke? As I recall it was the Conservatives themselves who abandoned Thatcher when she was Prime Minister. It was the Conservatives who knifed her in the back and drove her out of office. Is that the Thatcher legacy they were referring to? I'm sure that's one they won't abandon.

Tory cor Values , ?? Maggie Who ....
Are the Tories every going to get past that woman and Europe , and start to look at forming a electable government

The thatcher legacy....millions unemployed...factories closed ...ship building ended...steel works closed...mines closed...etc etc etc.NEVER NEVER NEVER!

Here we go again - on the same old roundabout. Core values. What on earth does that mean? The middle of an apple?
The real idea is to get what we would wish and not what they who would be elected want to give us.
To be fair let would be's prove their worth. Keep the 'Freedom of Information Act' and only allow those who really believe in it to even think about being elected!Like the Baden Powell idea - badges for INTEGRITY, HONESTY, BEING "MY BROTHER'S KEEPER" (and maybe knitting for those long dreary days in the Commons when its too noisy to sleep). Oh yes, a 1 for 1 vote.
Wishful thinking - You bet. I vote.

Here we go again - on the same old roundabout. Core values. What on earth does that mean? The middle of an apple?
The real idea is to get what we would wish and not what they who would be elected want to give us.
To be fair let would be's prove their worth. Keep the 'Freedom of Information Act' and only allow those who really believe in it to even think about being elected!Like the Baden Powell idea - badges for INTEGRITY, HONESTY, BEING "MY BROTHER'S KEEPER" (and maybe knitting for those long dreary days in the Commons when its too noisy to sleep). Oh yes, a 1 for 1 vote.
Wishful thinking - You bet. I vote.

Change is unavoidable. Loose change is usually useful. Now could we have a change for the better? That seems to be the 'change' we never seem to get; surely, it is time for A CHANGE! Lets give it a try. Now, yes today. (Didn't think it could be so simple!)

Change is unavoidable. Loose change is usually useful. Now could we have a change for the better? That seems to be the 'change' we never seem to get; surely, it is time for A CHANGE! Lets give it a try. Now, yes today. (Didn't think it could be so simple!)

A new leader decides to conduct policy reviews. We have had years of New Labour deciding to do something and then constructing the evidence to support it. So when the reviews are conducted a tainted media will not believe that they come from a neutral base. The Redwood and Duncan-Smith policy recommrndations will I think have the same gravitas as the Beveridge Report historically.
What these policy reviews are showing is that old Tory values are the cure to New Labours anarchic, deceitful chaos.

If David Cameron goes back to the dreadful "values" of Thatcher he will never get into power.

He and his party have to change and get away from the awful legacy of her damaging and devisive rule of this country as we can see from a seperate parliament for the Scots and an assembly for the Welsh as neither wanted to be dominated ever again by such a Tory government and that's just one of the awful legacy's we have from Thatcher.

David Cameron knows this and is trying to do something about it and the further he gets away from her policies the greater his chances become of achieving office.

Most people haven't forgotten the atrocities committed by the Tories in the 1980s & 1990s. The huge unemployment, 'attack' on the weak and the elderly, 'reverse robinhoodism' the bungling of the economy....; the list is endless! Now this smart-ass who calls himself Cameron comes along masquerading himself as latter-day Blair (at least Blair was original Blair - with all his faults) trying to bribe us with some phoney tax cuts, hugging hoodies, 'anti family' concepts, the list goes on & on & on (to coin a phrase!) Is this the new Conservatism? Give me back Thatcher then; Even though I didn't like her(and I still don't) but I respect her immensely because I knew what she stood for and what to expect. These bunch of '16-year-old-William-Hagues' I neither like nor respect!

Another example of the Tories snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, will they never learn. Cameron does come over a bit Blairish but he was voted leader.therfore try and get him elected all this stupid in-fighting just guarantees a future in opposition, not power, which is where we should be.

This present government has told too many lies and continues to do so re the vote on Europe.
I shall vote for the Tories however much some of them stir the pot at the moment. At least it is honest and that should never be unwise.

Re-post 44.
Brilliant analysis Iain. That's answered all my points and no mistake.

"If you want conservatism, get off your knees and vote BNP."

The BNP in many ways indulge in the same pseudo-patriotism as the neo-cons in the US. And who in their right minds would want that? Racists and bigots, all.

We have had over a decade of some of the worst government ever in this country.

Tony Blair has abandoned the Labour Party in order to get rid of his mistakes.

Every year the Conservative hierarchy open their mouths and put their foot in it.

If they do not stop this they will also lose out

I believe the time has come for all political parties to stop fighting each other and work together for the good of the community.

Speaking to others parties, I have been pleasantly surprised that many agree with me.

And for many years I stood in elections as a Conservative.

I was no fan of Margaret Thatcher but she was honest about her targets, in both senses of the word.
I was a Labour voter until after 1997 when I realised I had been conned into voting for a neo- Conservative party.
David Cameron should be brave and represent the working class because that is what most of us are now. The middle class is being hammered by debt and when the money supply is reduced, times will be even harder.
He must look into money reform because the interest payments on government debt cannot go on increasing. Our taxes pay for part of that, not for services. Goverment could print interest free money and use it to gradually pay the national debt and finance major projects also allowing a reduction in taxes.
See "zeitgeist the movie part 3" or "The Money Masters"
Its Common Sense.

We do need a return to former Conservative values - those which prevailed BEFORE Thatcher and Keith Joseph sold this country's soul to the materialist philosophies they developed.

Who is to say Margaret Thatcher represents 'core Tory values'? I think they were a nightmarish aberration. Now thankfully the Conservatives seem to be leaving behind returning to the one nation politics at which they excel.