France Gets a Downgrade, Labour Need an Upgrade

As the Eurozone crisis grows rapidly worse and a series of countries find themselves losing their gold plated credit ratings due to unprecedented economic turbulence, it’s not surprising that many people are thinking – thank god the Tories got in. After years of Labour splurging our hard earned cash on useless projects and wasteful ventures, the time for ‘good housekeeping’ was long overdue. In the final days of the Labour administration, the obsessive ability to waste our money, like a fruit machine addict, at the expense of the national interest was not simply foolish – it was obscene.

Earlier in the week, we were promised the spectre of a newly revitalised Ed Miliband, policy rich and passionate about how he might change the country. This was inevitably a disappointment, as we were greeted with a weak, weedy leader of the opposition whose speech was both flat and boring. The main problem facing the younger Miliband is his outright refusal to admit that Labour spent too much money. Maybe it’s arrogance or simply the influence of Ed Balls that’s stopping Ed making a break with the past, but the current strategy neither inspires nor encourages confidence with voters. Until Labour can come to terms with its mistakes, apologise and make amends then it will remain trapped in a black hole – deluded with the warped notion that one day voters will wake up and see Ed Miliband is the natural choice for Prime Minister.

Labour did indeed spend too much, far too much. The Conservatives have made tough and challenging cuts that have impacted everyone. But the difference is that the Conservative have made these choices in the national interest. Britain must stay on a clear and sensible course of deficit reduction if it is to avoid falling into the economic abyss.

The Iconic Lady

After seeing the teaser trailers and the TV promotions, I was very much looking forward to seeing Meryl Streep’s performance as Margret Thatcher in much hyped film The Iron Lady. Taking my seat in London’s Odeon cinema in Leicester Square on Saturday evening with a group of friends, the audience sat with excited anticipation as the introductory credits began to roll.  The opening scene features a frail old woman, walking across London’s streets to the local corner shop to purchase a pint of milk. The proceeding shots paint Britain’s greatest peace time Prime Minister as a woman consumed by dementia, confused, vulnerable and alone in the world.

Having personal experience of a family member suffering from dementia, the on screen pain as the frail former Prime Minister becomes forgetful and confused is particularly difficult – and realistic. Yet the film itself repeatedly reminds the audience of this condition, scene after scene to a point where the lingering on the condition verges on gratuitous. This is an aspect of the film most viewers have also criticised, and rightly so.

Nevertheless, despite the uncomfortable viewing, the film has several moments of magic. Watching the young, vulnerable Miss Roberts fend off and triumph over sexism and snobbery over her humble background working in a grocer’s store is a delight. As is her meteoric rise to power, with her straight talking, no nonsense approach captures the imagination of voters, delivering her into the position of Prime Minister.

Thatcher reminds us all of the dangers of dithering when it comes to policy. In an era when politicians are fixated with being ‘liked’ instead of respected, her approach illustrates perfectly how a commitment to beliefs and actions can raise unprecedented and sometimes unexpected support from the electorate. Whilst Labour’s Ed Miliband refuses to admit that Labour spent too much, as Conservatives we must stand firm on our commitment to cut the deficit and get our country back on track. It is our moral duty to reduce the toxic amounts of debt saddling our country and help get Britain firmly on the road to recovery.

This approach will undoubtedly trigger criticism, smears and attacks from those on the left, but as Meryl Streep’s character says in her booming voice, “We will stand on principle or we will not stand at all.”

Rioting in Croydon should not be tolerated again

My piece in full published on ConservativeHome this morning:

Like many other residents returning home from a hard day’s work on that mild August evening in Croydon, I was forced to witness horrendous acts of mindless vandalism and violence targeted at the very fabric of my local community. Local shops were burned, windows smashed and armies of thugs lined the streets, intimidating passers-by and throwing rocks at Police. Already the skyline of the town centre was filled with huge plumes of black smoke and burglar alarms and sirens rang out along the streets of ransacked shops.

Whilst those on the left would have you believe that the perpetrators of these atrocities were simply ‘victims’ who had been dealt a bad hand in life and needed to be heard, the reality for those on the ground was very different. The selfish thugs that looted and burnt down some of town’s most historic buildings and terrorised innocent members of the public did so because they wanted to – and they enjoyed doing it.

There have been mountains of paperwork, essays and data analysis conducted to try and find an excuse for the rioters’ actions in the summer. Social, economic and cultural angles have been explored, graphs produced and pie charts formed. The reality is of course that many of those involved in these atrocities had a well-documented criminal history along with a complete disregard for their communities and neighbours.

Little attention was given to the numbers of victims impacted by the riots. For example, a shocking 100 Croydon households - many with young families - lost their homes or were unable to return home because of the vandalism inflicted. This is something we need to bear in mind when allegations of ‘harsh criminal sentences’ are levied at the courts.

I was proud and inspired to see hundreds of volunteers lining the streets with their brooms at the ready, to work with the Council, Police and local residents to assist the clean-up operation. In the first few months Croydon Council provided £90,000 in grants to those who lost their homes in the riots. Approximately 280 businesses across the borough were directly impacted by the disorder, doing tremendous damage to the local economy. In response the Council has put in place a comprehensive £1 million Business Support Fund to help the recovery.

As Conservatives, we must not falter on a tough agenda of law and order. Our response and the lengthy sentences accompanying it sent a clear signal to those looking to engage in criminal activity that this mindless thuggery cannot and will not be tolerated. The public’s strong and cohesive response proved beyond doubt that those behind these atrocities were very much in the minority.

As you walk around Croydon town centre it is hard to believe that last August’s atrocities ever took place, but a poignant reminder are the dozens of post-it notes containing personal messages of support for the town written by local residents and displayed in the Green Dragon- one of Croydon’s local pubs.

As well as initiating a Croydon regeneration drive to the tune of £23 million, London’s Mayor Boris Johnson and Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell have publicly called for residents to help make our town great again.

Wasting time ‘reading’ the riots will not solve the problem, but a strong stance on law and order will help deter criminals and opportunists from terrorising our communities in the future.

Our town is once again a vibrant, modern and forward looking place to be. With strong leadership and an overwhelming sense of community spirit, it is time for Croydon to look forward to an exciting and optimistic 2012.

Musing on the Nestle move

Yesterday Property Week announced that Nestle were leaving Croydon after 47 years in the borough after signing a deal to relocate to City Place in Crawley, just outside Gatwick Airport.

This news was confirmed today by all parties and Cllr Mike Fisher, Leader of Croydon Council expressed his disappointment at this decision stating that:

“We are obviously very disappointed that Nestlé has decided to leave the borough after more than 40 years.

“We have done everything we possibly could to avoid this outcome, but ultimately we have to respect the fact that Nestle are a footloose global company and can choose where they locate their business.”

However current Nestle staff can take comfort in the fact that the location is not as far away as some previously predicted as most of them will be able to commute to the new offices. The Council has also pledged to offer Nestle any support that they need to ensure that staff can make a smooth transition. Another bonus is that relations between the two boroughs are positive as both are partners in the Coast to Capital Local Economic Partnership (LEP) 

Whilst this is disappointing news if we continue to focus on regenerating the town centre then we will be able to attract potential investors, creating a place where people want to live and an economy that links outer London to Gatwick and the world. 

Party Chairman Thanks Conservative Future

It is inspiring to see that Conservative Future has received recognition from Party Co-Chairman Sayeeda Warsi in her Christmas video message. 

Over the last year, our activists have given up many hours of their time to campaign on issues that matter to the party and played a key role in the No2AV campaign. 

With the Mayoral elections coming up next year, it’s more important than ever for activists to work together and to encourage support for the Boris campaign. Through a collective effort from all our members across the UK, CF is once again respected and an influential organisation within the Conservative Party and one of which we should be truly proud.

Our newly elected National Executive Team who will take office in January is made up of some of our organisation’s best and brightest stars who I know will do everything they can to strengthen CF’s structure to drive up membership over the next 12 months. 

With soaring membership, flagship events with Cabinet Ministers and a strong, diverse leadership team representing the whole of the UK, there has never been a more exciting time to be a Conservative Future activist.

Cameron´s Bulldog Spirit Should Make us Proud to be British

David Cameron has demonstrated true courage and conviction by standing up to EU bullies to put Britain´s interests first. Despite criticism from the usual suspects and biased coverage on the BBC, Cameron has proved he is a radical Prime Minister, with a strong agenda, rejecting the ludicrous regulations that could suffocate our financial services industry. This is a great moment for our country where we rejected measures which could seriously threaten our economic prosperity, and a moment of which we should all be truly proud.

Many have been left surprised by the outcome, assuming that Cameron would simply roll over and do as he was told. But the decision to use the veto sends a clear signal to our European partners that Britain is not a country to be taken for granted or one that will give into intimidation and simply do what other leaders want.
The outcome of this decision is that Cameron returns home a Conservative hero, but he must now stand firm on his decision. It is deeply disappointing that the BBC´s coverage of a British triumph has been painted as a disaster across the airwaves. But he cannot allow this bias to force him to change course.

As Cameron stands firm as the British Bulldog, it is nothing short of embarrassing to see the the small puppy Ed Miliband attempting to nip at his feet. So weak is the leader of the opposition´s statement on the issue, it hardly warrants a mention in the press. Miliband has managed to shift from confused to simply annoying in a very short space of time.

This is a stark wake up call for those with fluid political convictions who left the Conservative Party and Conservative Future before the full facts had been established. Remaining loyal to your fellow Tories is a core value that we must all maintain if our party is to deliver on its promises. Now the wind is blowing in a different direction, don´t be surprised if you hear a timid knock knock on the door in the coming months.


This British victory also opens the door for a new, more collaborative approach for Conservative Future and external groups. As I´ve long believed, our organisation can be strengthened by working together with our fellow partners for events, speaking and training of our activists of the future. Now is the time for like-minded Conservatives to come together and send a clear signal that the British Bulldog is back.

Jeremy Hunt, CF Chairmen Training Day, CF Christmas Party & Campaign Day....

Over the last week Conservative Future has hosted a reception with Jeremy Hunt as part of our ‘Meet the Cabinet’ events, a CF Chairmen’s Training Day, our National CF Christmas Party and a campaign day in Feltham & Heston!

Ben, Jeremy and myself

Last Monday Jeremy Hunt MP spoke passionately about delivering the Olympics on time next year and how the government is supporting young people in the sporting sector.

On Saturday we hosted our second CF Chairmen's Training Day where over 60 CF Chairmen representing the Regions, Areas and CF Branches in England, Wales and Northern Ireland turned up.

We had a jam-packed agenda with workshops and speeches from Ministers, CCHQ staff, party Chairmen’s office and the BackBoris2012 Campaign Team.

Lynton Crosby from the BackBoris Team spoke very eloquently about tactics and strategy ahead of next year’s Mayoral election. They are holding a student bootcamp tomorrow so click here to attend

It was great to hear from our members about how they feel this year has gone in their respective areas and the challenges that lie ahead over the next year.

A few of us posing with Jeremy Hunt!

We all learnt a lot about the party’s direction and future over the next few years. CCHQ told us that it was the first time in a number of years that they were relying on us to provide help with the party’s new campaigns for the coming year as well as debating ad providing policy solutions ahead of the 2015 election.

It was great to see so many people who had travelled from across the UK and I look forward to regions holding their own training days next year.

After the Training Day we left for our Christmas Party in Soho where a few of us dressed up in Santa Claus and Mrs Claus costumes and danced the night away!

CF Chairmen 

With little sleep and bleary eyes CFers met for breakfast and then headed to Feltham & Heston to campaign for our candidate Mark Bowen.

If you have any spare time over the next few weeks to support Mark Bowden then please contact: campaign.support@conservatives.com