Outside The Westminster Bubble

The A-list

2006-05-21T05:40:00.000+01:00

Well, if you're a tory you'll have heard all about it. The best and the brightest of the party... plus Adam Ricket!

Many of my political friends object (both women and men). But your intrepid host, torygirl79 is nothing if not controversial. I've said before that we need to broaden our party's appeal and diversity but I'll go even further.

There were some people on the list at the last general election who were terrible candidates.

Of those I know, the two worst didn't make it onto the A-list and one is off the list altogether. Whereas three very talented people I know well are on it, and another has already been selected for a seat, pre A-list.

There are too many people who can pull strings and get on the normal list, since it is so large. If you are in a safe tory seat and your MP makes enough noise, it has happened in the past.

There is a lot less room for that with the A-list.

What's more and what I keep reminding people (despite living in a safe labour seat which will not be A-list for a very long time, even with the likes of me running for council) is that good local candidates on the normal list can get an interview at the discretion of the association chairman.

This is particularly important for Northern seats, where local candidates are important as the swings have been smaller in the past and they do not just want someone who comes up occasionally for the weekend. It's the best of both worlds.

And no, I'm not planning on running for parliament :-p

Leaflets versus Life

2006-02-10T20:14:00.000Z

Well I've been a bit too busy to post recently: I can't believe a month of silence has gone by on the blog front!

And what a month it has been... for the Liberal Democrats. They started off badly, losing Kennedy, went even worse with the scandal of Mark Oaten followed by revelations about Simon Hughes. Then, just when all my Tory friends were rubbing their hands in glee, their fortunes took a sudden upshot in winning a parliamentary by election in Dumfernline yesterday.

Was this amazing result over Labour, in a seat close to Gordon Brown's own, a sign of the Liberal party re-energising nationally? Well no, not really.

Elections are often won on who works hardest on the ground. Local issues are key, not national figureheads. By elections are however often won on who is mostly likely to get rid of the incumbent. The Liberal Democrats are always good in small areas, where they can ship in activists, but lack the man power and the gravitas to replicate this on a national level. A lot of Conservatives could learn a great deal from their local issue campaigning techniques, but a lot of time they gain votes because they are not one of the two main parties. People don't know what they stand for, so a traditionally Conservative voter or a traditionally Labour voter could both vote Liberal Democrat. Without something radical happening they will never become a real opposition party, because then the public will look too closely at their policies and not vote for them.

Another one bites the dust

2006-01-07T16:50:00.000Z

The Liberals have clearly grown jealous of our leadership election and decided to have their own!

Charles Kennedy's drinking has hardly been a secret for a long time and, given how many people want his job, it's hardly a surprise. Indeed it's openly acknowledged that the only reason he came out publicly about his alcohol problem was because it was going to hit the media anyway. Nonetheless, he has come across very well as a politician in his dealing with the situation.

Of course, as a Tory I'd have preferred Kennedy to stay. Now we have to hope for Simon Hughes, who comes from the left of their party. I think Menzies Campbell will probably get it though....

Dear Mr. Cameron

2005-12-13T02:27:00.000Z

Thank you for your invitation for me to be the next candidate for Kensington and Chelsea or Aylesbury.

Lots of love,

Torygirl79

Okay, so not quite. But the way some of my male colleagues in the party are whinging, you might think that was what he did say.

What David Cameron has said is we need to be more representative as a party. We only have 14 women MPS, less than 10% of the parliamentarty party. And we only have one black and one asian MP.

He hasn't proposed women only shortlists, just a 50 / 50 male female split on the approved list of candidates for target and safe seats. It's up to the seats themselves who they pick off that list, as it always has been.

Strangely enough this is proving unpopular amongst my white male friends. Can't think why....

The party is changing. We need to be seen as more in touch and what's more we need to be more in touch. Cameron is showing he is not afraid to make the difficult or unpopular decisions: good luck to him.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

2005-12-07T00:04:00.000Z

David Cameron is our new party leader.

*dances round her office in sheer delight* Our party is at last not just showing sense, but showing that it is serious about wanting to win. At the last general election even some of our activists weren't certain we'd do it, but now everyone I am speaking to is full of hope.

Under Cameron, we can do it. Of course, we've got a long way to go yet, but I haven't seen the party so confident in years. Ever possibly.

Cameron's star continues to rise

2005-11-02T19:01:00.000Z

It's been a busy week so I am just catching up on posting in here again.

I've had the pleasure to see David Cameron speak once again recently. He was addressing a large group of Conservative members and then answered their questions afterwards.

He continues to impress me greatly. Although I still have a broken heart at the loss of Michael Howard, a truly great politician and an honest and decent man, our party needs a change. It needs youth and vitality. David Cameron offers just that. He also offers the same honesty we have grown to expect from the example of Michael Howard.

He is not another Tony Blair, as some claim him to be. When asked a question he does not reel off whatever will win him the votes of the members in the room. He goes beyond what he is asked. For example he was asked about cuts in the armed forces. Not only did he answer that question, but he went on to say what more should be done for forces families, and the people our country owes such a great debt to.

He appears human and approachable. Let's hope the voters see that too, without him being villified by Labour and the media for where he went to school.

In my words that translates as

2005-10-31T19:47:00.000Z

Conservatives believe in honesty. In standards. A whole way of life that is fast disappearing in modern Britain.

Conservative men hold the door open for you, regardless of whether you are male or female. Conservatives are usually the first people in the bar to buy a round, even if they are also often the last to leave. They work hard and play hard and usually know what they want, even if it's not something people agree with them for. They are independent people who want to think for themselves, not be told how to do so. They want to make their own way in life, yet understand that others are not so lucky. They can occasionally come across as impatient, as they do not tolerate laziness or self pity, yet they are fiercely loyal to friends, family and country.

Michael Howard's version is more likely to win us votes!

What does a Conservative believe?

2005-10-31T19:25:00.000Z

I have stolen this list from Michael Howard, but I am sure he will forgive me. This is another post for the non-Conservatives, as I'm guessing most of the Conservatives have already seen this!

I believe it is natural for men and women to want health, wealth and happiness for their families and themselves

I believe it is the duty of every politician to serve the people by removing the obstacles in the way of these ambitions

I believe people are most likely to be happy when they are masters of their own lives, when they are not nannied or over-governed

I believe that the people should be big. That the state should be small

I believe red tape, bureaucracy, regulations, inspectorates, commissions, quangos, 'czars', 'units' and 'targets' came to help and protect us, but now we need protection from them. Armies of interferers don't contribute to human happiness

I believe that people must have every opportunity to fulfil their potential

I believe there is no freedom without responsibility. It is our duty to look after those who cannot help themselves

I believe in equality of opportunity. Injustice makes us angry

I believe every parent wants their child to have a better education than they had

I believe every child wants security for their parents in their old age

I do not believe that one person's poverty is caused by another's wealth

I do not believe that one person's ignorance is caused by another's knowledge and education

I do not believe that one person's sickness is made worse by another's health

I believe the British people are only happy when they are free

I believe that Britain should defend her freedom at any time, against all comers, however mighty

I believe that by good fortune, hard work, natural talent and rich diversity, these islands are home to a great people with a noble past and exciting future.

I am happy to be their servant.

So, just what does a Conservative do?

2005-10-29T01:20:00.000+01:00

In my absurd longings for views I passed on the details of this blog in my other, personal journal. This means I have now had views! An email magically appeared in my inbox (okay, I don't quite understand the internet yet...) telling me that I was writing for those already in the know, the slightly deranged die-hard Conservatives who seem to make up most of my circle of friends. Yet I was also inviting my other friends, the socialists, liberals and non voters to glance into my mind.

To be honest I hadn't expected them to come. But now that they are here, what am I to do?

Well, I can start by answering the questions one of them asked. She wanted an explanation of the technical aspects of being a Conservative, what we actually do to win elections.

Lets start with the basics. The Conservative party is currently the main party of opposition in the United Kingdom. We are also the oldest and most successful in Great Britain. Yet we have been out of power since 1997.

We lost in 1997 because we were seen as sleazy and out of touch with the public. We had been in power since 1979 and, as with any government, the public had grown bored. They wanted something new and were swept away with the promises of New Labour. Promises that have now seen to be based on spin, but that were believed by many in 1997. Since then we have suffered two more election defeats, although we have cut down Labour's majority and become the largest party in local government and in the European parliament.

With a few legal exceptions, almost anyone can be a member of a political party. But there is a huge difference between being a member (like 300,000 people are) and being an activist.

Members do not have to do anything. By paying £15 a year (£3 for under 22's) they are already contributing to the party, providing much needed funds towards the winning of elections. But many chose to do more. They join the party because they want it to win. For the very same reason they go out and help it in a number of ways:

Leafletting

Canvassing (asking how people will vote, either at their door, over the phone, or using surveys)

Putting up a poster at election time

Holding house meetings, where neighbours are invited to meet a candidate

Fundraising by helping to organise social events and appeals to raise money

Standing themselves (usually for council, but also for other positions of responsibility such as school governors)

Joining letter writing circles, getting mentions in the media

Assisting on photo shoots and celebrity visits as part of the crowd

Those are most of the obvious ones. But why do we do these things? Surely the national policies dictate a result, not to mention the media coverage?

Wrong!

People vote for the person who they think will do the most for them. That's human nature after all. So, if the Conservative candidate, at whatever level, is the one who organised the litterpick next to your house, helped sort out your daughter's problems at school or just spent 20 minutes on your doorstep listening to all of your problems, you are more likely to vote for them. It works. I've seen rock solid opposition wards go Conservative because of a hard fought, pro-active local issue campaign and vice-versa.

Politics is about listening to people. Politics is about being seen to campaign on the issues that matter to them in their local area. And don't forget, it's usually our local area as well: we do have some self interest in going about doing this! In general, people get involved in politics because in their own way they want to make the world a better place. That might mean stopping a by-pass, protesting against a war or just getting the drains in the neighbourhood cleaned. It doesn't have to be big things that annoy us, after all.

We campaign ourselves into the ground. We stuff envelopes for hours on end, that most people only glance at on the way to the bin when they arrive through their doors. We try and make things as personal as possible: hand written envelopes (and on occasion letters), personal telephone calls from the candidate, house visits, single issue leaflets to cover just one or two streets.

We work for change. Positive change. We don't always succeed, but at least we try.

Fame and glory

2005-10-27T23:03:00.000+01:00

Popular misconception number two: Most people are only in politics to benefit themselves.

This is complete rubbish, regardless of which party. A group of friends and I once sat down and tried to work out how much we gave to the party.

Financially at least £1000 a year. The dinners. The donations. The travelling expenses. The shoes that simply dissolve after too many hours out in the snow. They all add up on top of the £15 membership.

Time wise, at least a couple of hours each week. Hours we could be spending doing other things, like working or checking our partners still acknowledge we exist and aren't asking for a separation.

What do we get in return? A fat salary? No. Fame and glory? Think again. Outside of our own association no even knows what we are doing.

There are a few at the top of all parties that give the rest of us a bad name. We're in it for one thing, and one thing only. A Conservative Government. Because we genuinely believe that will make Britain a better place to be.

Why are you a Conservative?

2005-10-25T18:14:00.000+01:00

Popular misconception number one: Rich people vote Conservative, poor people Labour.

If anyone wants denial of this, see my bank balance. Or the guy I canvassed who nearly tried to run me over with his Porsche.

A friend and wise man once told me a story. "Two politicians come to an area. The Conservative politician sees lots of large houses, with two or three cars in their drives. He thinks, 'This is a good place for me to get elected.' The Labour politician, on the other hand, is in the constituency down the road. He sees lots of small run-down houses, with burnt out cars in the street. He thinks, 'This is a good place for me to get elected.' So, what motivation does the Labour politician have to improve the lives of those in his constituency?"

Answers on a postcard please.

You have comments

2005-10-24T23:37:00.000+01:00

Wow! A voice from the void. Someone knows I exist. My finger raced to the button, waiting for whatever words of wisdom the comments box was about to impart... and there they were. The quality feedback from a fellow Conservative, acknowledging my existence here on earth....

"Middle East Business FeaturesBreakaway Brands Three-year study on U.S.-based brands shows direct link between brand health and shareholder wealth.Find out how to buy and sell anything, like things related to private road construction on interest free credit and pay back whenever you want! Exchange FREE ads on any topic, like private road construction!"

Well, I suppose as a Conservative I'm not allowed to be that angry. It's a free market after all. Sure, I'd been expecting feedback not advertising, but maybe this was some form of modern statement, questionning my Conservative values. Would being angry make me dreadfully left wing? Or maybe the next step would be going on rallies denouncing capitalism?

Sod it. I'm not angry, I'm bemused. I think such ads are a waste of space, I mean, really, who is going to follow their links? Yet I dislike the sheer proliferation of spam on the internet. I want to go to the sites I want to visit, without half a dozen pop-ups appearing on route. I don't have a penis, so how can I enlarge it?

Conservatism is about choice. I want to choose to not view all this crap. As a result I have a spam filter, a pop up blocker and an array of firewall software. Some of it still filters through, but little in life is perfect. Maybe under a Conservative government it might be closer to perfect though, as I'll be too busy smiling to get pissed off by the ads.

No one seems to have looked at this

2005-10-24T18:48:00.000+01:00

What does it take to get views around here? Am I not talking about sex enough? Or scandals, juicy gossip from behind closed doors?

Well I'm going to have to continue to disappoint you. I'm not a Westminster-ite. If everbody was sleeping with everybody else there I would be the last to know: news travels slowly to us out in the Labour voting wilderness. I have no rich or powerful connections or confessions to send the News Of The World beating on my door. I'm quite boring that way really.

Psychology students are forever trying to justify that everything in the world comes down to sex. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but tramping about for six hours in the mud and rain, with blue ink staining your fingers, is difficult to tie in with the bedroom. Sure, a lot of sex is about power and a lot of power is about sex, but we're the foot soldiers not the elite. Even in my days as a Young Conservative the main reason men wanted to get you drunk was so you would agree to hand out leaflets with them the next morning. Did I miss out? Does this bother me? Well no, not really. Strange creature that I am, I believe that was why I got involved in the first place: to change the world rather than to fall into bed with the nearest guy with a cute body. Of course if the two come together all very well and good, but I never held my breath.

You've discovered how much I ramble, haven't you? My fictional reader, who exists only in my head for now, bear with me. You will learn no great secrets. The meaning of life is not between the (electronic) pages of this journal. Yet I may throw in the occasional pearl of wisdom, like where to buy the perfect pair of aqua-marine sandals. Or how to avoid having your hand bitten by a hungry doberman on the first leaflet. I bet you can hardly contain your excitement....

Jeb Bush or Hilary Clinton?

2005-10-23T20:01:00.000+01:00

A question posed on the radio earlier. All I can say is "Thank God I'm not an American!".

To all the Brits out there: do any of you truly understand US politics? Or do you just pretend to every once in a while? We see snippets of it on our television screens, but it seems more like science fiction than fact most days.

Would you ever hear a British politician saying, "God told me to invade Iraq."?

Well yes, you might, but then the politically correct lobby would jump down their throats for offending those of other nations. In a society where even McDonalds lids have been deemed religiously offensive, it just isn't going to happen.

Now, I hate McDonalds as much as the next person. The staff who can't speak English. The repulsive tomato sauce even after you asked specifically for it to be removed. The fact that your queue always is the slowest, no matter which one you pick. But even I am on their side on this one. We don't want to go around causing offence, but sometimes things can be taken just too far. So pigs are considered unclean by at least two of the major religions. Do we eradicate all pigs from society, leaving them an extinct species? Or do we simply learn about other faiths, acknowledge our differences, but accept also that we cannot all be the same. Every single one of us is unique. Sometimes that difference irritates the hell out of us, sometimes it enchants us. But it's part of life. Stop trying to make one bland, offenceless society where everything is shades of grey and instead celebrate the things that make each of us different.

Davis vs Cameron

2005-10-23T18:40:00.000+01:00

Is anyone else as sick as I am about the leadership contest at present?

I'm listening to a panel on Radio 5 live discuss the two remaining candidates. It's a Sunday morning. Why, oh why, am I doing this? Surely I have something more meaningful to do today, like sleep or deliver some of those bloody leaflets clogging up my living room (only 1000 left to go....)?

I'm a David Cameron backer. I was before party conference. I'm unlikely to change my mind, bar him killing someone or being accused of child abuse or similar. It's quite simple really: do we want a fresh, young leader who is prepared to think the unthinkable and modernise to win? Or do we want to lurch further to the right, not accepting that some of our policies at the last general election were frankly unappealing or confusing to even our own supporters?

Yet still I put myself through it. I listen to the fights, post on the internet message boards (AOL does amuse me so!) and wear my, slightly creased, I love DC sticker with pride. I'm called left wing, side-tracked by looks and even, on occasion, just plain delusional. Like Labour vs Conservative, or even worse the Lib Dems, things can get really bitter in elections, even the internal ones.

Unlike some of the abusive posters I'm prepared to listen to both sides. I listen to the radio broadcasts, even on a Sunday morning, read the websites and even attended the conference speeches. Yet I doubt I'm going to change. No one person is ever going to be all things to all people... well, not until you get the chance to vote for me as party leader!

An introduction

2005-10-23T17:51:00.000+01:00

Who am I? Why am I doing this? Does my bum look big in this dress and which do you prefer, hotdogs or cheese?

No, I don't have all the answers to life's questions. Half the time I can't even remember what day of the week it is. Yet, although the scope of this blog is broadly political and I have another blog elsewhere for my personal ramblings, that doesn't mean I'll stick to the subject at hand all the time. I'm a woman after all. Our minds work on a higher plane: mysterious, awe-inspiring but, just occasionally, a little bit odd. If you're a woman you'll understand me, if you're male it may be best to leave now.

So, for now I will retain my air of mystery. Those who know me, know me. Those who don't, be thankful. Being a Conservative isn't always the most revered of jobs, but someone has to do it.