open Democracy News Analysis - Conservative Party - Comments

shan oakes on "Red Tory"

shan oakes — Tue, 05 May 2009 08:04:03 +0100

Thank you for this, Phillip. I'd be interested in your views on Trident, since the Tories seem wedded to this insanity which negates all your proposals regarding community and higher values. Shan Oakes, Green Party European candidate, Yorks and Humber.

owly on "The Tories' authoritarian tendencies"

owly — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:43:24 +0100

Piffle. Visa checks are hardly a Civil Liberty matter. For God sake the border controls are a joke. If they were decent we wouldn't have so many illegal immigrants in the land. Mind you the Civil Liberty crowd seem to think illegal immigrants should have a soft ride.

There are far more pressing matters at hand. Labour have been so authoritarian it just isn't true. Seems to me the Left are all for stuff when they are getting what they want, but not so keen when it starts looking like they might be inconvenienced by things. But the Left also needs to examine the role of the EU in all of this. Another authoritarian little outfit. Perhaps you should all go back and actually study the differences between our systems and those on the continent and then maybe some will start to appreciate the rather messy British way of doing things. It works rather well.

Malcolm Hardman on "Red Tory"

Malcolm Hardman — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:25:59 +0100

Michael Wheeler has booked the Athenaeum for Thurs 25 March 2010 6.30 pm. Would Philip Blond please confirm that he will meet that date? Failing this, we shall be compelled to find another speaker. Deadline for PB's reply:
May Day 2009 (i.e. May 4 2009) . Reply to above email.

padav on "Returning trust to local government"

padav — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:36:15 +0000

Quote:

Trouble is Local Taxation is a politically poisoned chalice

Yes and that is precisely what Mr. Cameron is handing local authorities with these half-baked proposals. In just the same way as the Scottish Parliament dare not invoke its capacity to vary income tax by 3p in the pound to raise additional revenues, no English local authority would dream of utilising these proposed powers - a certain route to electoral extinction. Cameron knows this only too well which is why his announcement is nothing more than financial sleight of hand.

When Mr. Cameron comes up with a plan that amounts to actual transfer of existing tax raising powers away from Whitehall to more local tiers of governance, we will be able to congratulate the Conservatives on a bold political move. Until that happens, these proposals are only worthy of derision.

Peter Davidson, Alderley Edge, NW.England

owly on "Returning trust to local government"

owly — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:37:24 +0000

Trouble is Local Taxation is a politically poisoned chalice – a wise politician gives it a wide berth for obvious reasons. Everyone wants this, that and the other locally, but people resent paying for it. Council Tax is a bubbling political issue because it has quite obviously gone far beyond reasonable levels and it now quite ridiculous in many areas of the country. Also by not having a directly link between taxation and expenditure you have destroyed accountability and this is something which must be addressed urgently.

John Redwood has an interesting post on the topic of setting the Council Tax - http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/02/17/council-taxes-are-too-high-time-for-change/

He is quite right in what he says. So perhaps we need an honest debate and examine just what local and national government should or shouldn’t be doing.

Anthony Barnett on "Victory for Cameron but at what future cost?"

Anthony Barnett — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:09:11 +0000

I think Owly is onto something - the entire episode is symptomatic of the corruption of parliament

owly on "Victory for Cameron but at what future cost?"

owly — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 18:04:26 +0000

What you fail to grasp is that it was Harriet Harman - the Labour Government - who were busy cooking up this daft idea. She went to the other parties with it not the otherway round. Surely the logic is that it was the Government that had something to hide or they would never even have started this nonsense. Frankly the Chairman of the 1922 Committee should have told her to piss off.

Toque on "Cameron's flawed plan for the Commons"

Toque — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:40:16 +0000

The standard of legislation under New Labour has been abysmal, improperly drafted, debated and scrutinised. And much of it not required.

But given that there were only 128 days in the last parliamentary calendar, I have to conclude that the malaise won't be fixed by tinkering with the numbers of MPs.

Interestingly the Guardian reported that the number of Scottish MPs wouldn't be affected by Cameron's plans:

The Tories would not change the number of Scottish constituencies,
which were cut at the behest of English cabinet ministers, such as Jack
Straw, as the price of their support for a Scottish parliament. But
Cameron would reduce the number of Welsh seats from 40 to around 30 and
would cut small inner-city constituencies. These changes would benefit
the Tories.

So the MPs that have the least to do, at least in theory, will have the smallest constituencies.

owly on "Cameron's flawed plan for the Commons"

owly — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:57:07 +0000

I think you are dismissing this far too quickly. At the last general election Labour lost the vote in England. It has a disproportionate number of MPs because of the weight of urban constituencies, and Scotland and Wales both of which have over representation. Personally I would be more ruthless and cut more MPs. And I would also drastically reduce, by statute, the 'payroll vote'. There are far too many on this and it does inhibit holding the executive to account. Finally I would abolish the Parliament Acts and form an Elected House of Lords, restoring to it its ancient rights. That will do for one small bill.

Hendre on "Cameron's flawed plan for the Commons"

Hendre — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:53:45 +0000

The FT speculates that Welsh seats would be particularly vulnerable but perhaps the FT is unaware that the debate in Wales has generally been conducted on a ‘quid pro quo’ basis i.e. if and when the Welsh Assembly is granted primary legislative powers there will be a reduction in the number of Welsh MPs and an increase in the number of Welsh AMs.

In response to this article the shadow Secretary of State for Wales Cheryl Gillan has said:

“We believe there is a strong case for reducing the overall number of MPs across the UK.

“In addition, as recommended by the Committee of Standards in Public Life, constituencies should be so far as possible of similar population size, to allow all MPs to best serve the electorate in their seat and ensure fair representation in Parliament.

“Our proposals would, however, respect the current special arrangements for Wales.”

It sounds as if Welsh seats will not necessarily be part of the equation - an added complication!

Wyrdtimes on "Cameron is standing up for the Union"

Wyrdtimes — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:46:21 +0000

We he's certainly not standing up for England - I hope the English are paying attention.

Hendre on "Cameron at the UUP conference"

Hendre — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:42:34 +0000

You couldn’t get a much better
example of the British/London establishment’s view of the worth of the union. It’s not about what’s best for the British people – it’s all about the British establishment getting to strut its stuff on the world stage.

steve devos on "Cameron at the UUP conference"

steve devos — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 13:15:04 +0000

Interesting that there has been no comment on Obama's comment that Cameron is a lightweight....

why is this do you think ?

English Republican on "Cameron at the UUP conference"

English Republican — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 12:44:13 +0000

Why is this man chasing votes in foreign lands anyway when he should be putting the interests of the country where his party receives the vast majority of its votes first and foremost? Fat chance of that happening with David "Scottish blood through these veins" Cameron at the helm though. He is as anti-English as his fellow traveller Brown.

Toque on "Cameron at the UUP conference"

Toque — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 12:12:53 +0000

Hopefully UUP MPs will do the decent thing and follow David Mundell's example of a self-denying ordinance on English matters.