What a Tory Revival Needs
By Lord Hargreaves
I'd like to talk about the UK Conservative Party if I may:
In some respects the current Tory Leadership contest is rather asinine, because both Davids don't really disagree on much. Perhaps this is why I still haven't decided who to vote for, because of the lack of choice - yes, both sidesplay up their differences, but they are of style and method, not substance. Both agree that the Conservative Party's problem is one of image rather than policy.
Lets focus on one clear area of disagreement: tax policy. David Cameron, in his wisdom, has called for "the proceeds of growth to be shared between tax reduction and public services".
Eh?
It seems Cameron has not learned anything - when we call for lower taxes and increased public spending at the same time, voters usually scratch their heads and wonder "How does that work?"
Answer: It doesn't, not really.
In contrast, David Davis promises a 3% tax cut of £1,200. The reaction to this was largely a rather hysterical hissy-fit, and we were treated to warnings of how if we only focus on our "core vote" we were doomed to loose again. And this is over 3%!!! How can people say belief in conservatism is not dying before our eyes?
A Tory revival starts with a 10% tax cut.
I believe 10% is a good number to begin with but the prospect of further cuts must be kept in mind — and this is the beginning of economic wisdom, and we are the party of that. Economic initiatives must be encouraged for economic growth to happen. Yes, the Treasury will say that you must cut spending to make this possible. This insistence will make tax cuts impossible.
On social policy, I believe a Tory revival must incorporate Liam Fox's vision of addressing the "broken society". Left-Wing ideas about crime, immigration, health and education should be attacked and discredited. The family is one archetypically conservative institution and should be privileged as such. Cameron has mumbled something about tax benefits, but other than this the leaders seem all too silent.
A word on foreign policy. The Conservative party should announce that European integration has gone too far. A common European market is a good idea and those commonalities that emerge naturally among its members are usually good ideas as well. But what is developing is not a European union of nations but a transnational Europe with its political centre in Brussels. This is unacceptable — or should be — to the UK. Why is this so difficult to say?
Yes, it is absolutely essential for a Tory revival that we address public services, the environment and global poverty. However there is no need for our solutions to be left-wing. The public services require real choice, the environment can only be saved with technological solutions and not a subversion of capitalism, and global poverty can only be addressed with a defence of free trade and responsibility in the governments of recipient nations.
It is also essential we do not forget that our logo is the torch of liberty - We must begin to trust the people again - to manage their own money and their own lives. The best way to start this is to restore powers to local government, and allow elections for police comissioners, and perhaps judges too.
Our party has an excellent chance of winning the next election under either Cameron or Davis, like we had an excellent chance of winning in 1979 without Thatcher. We can always find ways to win elections. I am arguing that for a true revival of a party capable of building a legacy, we must do these things.
One other thing: a conservative party historically, in all countries, has been the patriotic nationalistic party. The Conservative party of Great Britain should celebrate this spirit. Fly the flag on school buildings - bring it on baby
I'd like to talk about the UK Conservative Party if I may:
In some respects the current Tory Leadership contest is rather asinine, because both Davids don't really disagree on much. Perhaps this is why I still haven't decided who to vote for, because of the lack of choice - yes, both sidesplay up their differences, but they are of style and method, not substance. Both agree that the Conservative Party's problem is one of image rather than policy.
Lets focus on one clear area of disagreement: tax policy. David Cameron, in his wisdom, has called for "the proceeds of growth to be shared between tax reduction and public services".
Eh?
It seems Cameron has not learned anything - when we call for lower taxes and increased public spending at the same time, voters usually scratch their heads and wonder "How does that work?"
Answer: It doesn't, not really.
In contrast, David Davis promises a 3% tax cut of £1,200. The reaction to this was largely a rather hysterical hissy-fit, and we were treated to warnings of how if we only focus on our "core vote" we were doomed to loose again. And this is over 3%!!! How can people say belief in conservatism is not dying before our eyes?
A Tory revival starts with a 10% tax cut.
I believe 10% is a good number to begin with but the prospect of further cuts must be kept in mind — and this is the beginning of economic wisdom, and we are the party of that. Economic initiatives must be encouraged for economic growth to happen. Yes, the Treasury will say that you must cut spending to make this possible. This insistence will make tax cuts impossible.
On social policy, I believe a Tory revival must incorporate Liam Fox's vision of addressing the "broken society". Left-Wing ideas about crime, immigration, health and education should be attacked and discredited. The family is one archetypically conservative institution and should be privileged as such. Cameron has mumbled something about tax benefits, but other than this the leaders seem all too silent.
A word on foreign policy. The Conservative party should announce that European integration has gone too far. A common European market is a good idea and those commonalities that emerge naturally among its members are usually good ideas as well. But what is developing is not a European union of nations but a transnational Europe with its political centre in Brussels. This is unacceptable — or should be — to the UK. Why is this so difficult to say?
Yes, it is absolutely essential for a Tory revival that we address public services, the environment and global poverty. However there is no need for our solutions to be left-wing. The public services require real choice, the environment can only be saved with technological solutions and not a subversion of capitalism, and global poverty can only be addressed with a defence of free trade and responsibility in the governments of recipient nations.
It is also essential we do not forget that our logo is the torch of liberty - We must begin to trust the people again - to manage their own money and their own lives. The best way to start this is to restore powers to local government, and allow elections for police comissioners, and perhaps judges too.
Our party has an excellent chance of winning the next election under either Cameron or Davis, like we had an excellent chance of winning in 1979 without Thatcher. We can always find ways to win elections. I am arguing that for a true revival of a party capable of building a legacy, we must do these things.
One other thing: a conservative party historically, in all countries, has been the patriotic nationalistic party. The Conservative party of Great Britain should celebrate this spirit. Fly the flag on school buildings - bring it on baby
Posted at
2:23 PM
1 Comments:
What seems to be lacking within UK Conservatism is the sort of intellectual armament that Mrs Thatcher and her friends developed in the 1970s.
She didn't actually run on an explicitly 'Thatcherite' platform. That is, people did not expect the enormous revolution that actually occurred. Had she governed as a slightly to-right-of-Heath traditional Tory, accepting the socialist 'ratchet,' no one would have been surprised.
I think what we need is to find a way, independent of the personal ambitions of individual Tory politicians, to create again the intellectual preconditions that will allow a future Conservative majority to carry through serious reforms.
This also means being prepared in advance for the barrage of shock-horror we will receive from the UK MSM if a future Tory government actually tries to implement its programme.
Related to this: we need to consider how to become a campaigning party, or at least to create within our ranks a campaigning organization, that can orchestrate letters-to-editor, demonstrations, marches, "campaigns" in short. The SWP is more effective at this than we are, and their efforts definitely affect the political climate.
When I joined the Conservative Party, I expected that there would at least be the occasional meeting to discuss political issues. Not a bit of it. Even a pub dinner to hear a report from our excellent local MP saw us being treated just to a rah-rah campaign speech. No serious report, or discussion, at all. That needs to change. We need some form of conservative activists association which can educate itself, then other Party members, and then the general public, through all of the sorts of activities which used to, in another tradition, be called "agitation and propaganda".
By
Doug1943, at 11:58 PM
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