Why Tory?
Christine Constable today invited me to join the English Democrats. This is not the first time and I shall explain why I will probably never do that.
First, I do not believe "My party, right or wrong". If Cameron does not turn out to be a right-wing, freedom-loving libertarian then I will agree with those who have already left that the Conservative Party is lost. If that were to happen, though, I cannot imagine the circumstance where the EDP would be my next port of call.
The EDP have an agenda that does not fit with my personal politics. An English Parliament is not their only goal... but even concentrating on that there is an underlying current of nastyness — just read their forum.
The EDP say this in the manifesto "Public services should not be seen as a minimal safety net for the less fortunate." I don't agree. Much of the Ecology and Environment section is frankly bizarre; consider "Encourage the use of local building materials and designs throughout England". Not the concern of government if you ask me.
And their manifesto is dated 2002, three full years before the last General Election... What are they doing?
As I was delivering Conservative and Campaign for an English Parliament leaflets this afternoon I asked myself why I think it is acceptable to be a Conservative who doesn't believe in continued membership of the European and British Unions. The answer to that, I think, is that the Conservatives have not yet made their policies public. The issue of English Votes on English Matters has not been finalised to the extent that Malcolm Rifkind can say something completely different to David Cameron without anyone batting an eyelid. On Europe the Tories are beginning to talk tougher and, with Hague as Shadow Foreign Secretary we needn't worry too much.
As I say, there is a waiting game going on for a lot of Conservatives, but that wait will not mean that those who find themselves in the wrong party will likely end up in the EDP.
First, I do not believe "My party, right or wrong". If Cameron does not turn out to be a right-wing, freedom-loving libertarian then I will agree with those who have already left that the Conservative Party is lost. If that were to happen, though, I cannot imagine the circumstance where the EDP would be my next port of call.
The EDP have an agenda that does not fit with my personal politics. An English Parliament is not their only goal... but even concentrating on that there is an underlying current of nastyness — just read their forum.
The EDP say this in the manifesto "Public services should not be seen as a minimal safety net for the less fortunate." I don't agree. Much of the Ecology and Environment section is frankly bizarre; consider "Encourage the use of local building materials and designs throughout England". Not the concern of government if you ask me.
And their manifesto is dated 2002, three full years before the last General Election... What are they doing?
As I was delivering Conservative and Campaign for an English Parliament leaflets this afternoon I asked myself why I think it is acceptable to be a Conservative who doesn't believe in continued membership of the European and British Unions. The answer to that, I think, is that the Conservatives have not yet made their policies public. The issue of English Votes on English Matters has not been finalised to the extent that Malcolm Rifkind can say something completely different to David Cameron without anyone batting an eyelid. On Europe the Tories are beginning to talk tougher and, with Hague as Shadow Foreign Secretary we needn't worry too much.
As I say, there is a waiting game going on for a lot of Conservatives, but that wait will not mean that those who find themselves in the wrong party will likely end up in the EDP.