A couple of weeks ago, I was asked to participate in a special survey conducted by the editors of Conservative Home for PPCs in target seats. The results of the key policy questions have now been published on the site here.
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A few of my readers have written in and indicated disappointment that I have not been blogging more.
They are quite right - it is the one big area that I have let go of, whilst rediverting my attentions to the three big local campaigns in the last couple of months - the Euro Campaigns, the Regal House redevelopment and Twickenham Riverside.
Many apologies and thank you to all of you who have asked for more - both supporters and opponents. It’s nice to be missed, and you will be getting much more from me from now on!
I haven’t blogged for a while, simply because the team and I have been flat out on working on local issues and Euro elections for the last few weeks.
After the euphoria of Friday’s county council results, I had hoped to write an upbeat post on the Euro results. I am still pleased that the Conservatives came first in Richmond Borough, beating the LibDems in to second place. I give the team and other volunteers my heartfelt thanks for all the hard work they have put in.
However, the evening was ruined by the news that the BNP won two seats in to the European Parliament, giving them access to research, funding and media, as well as causing me the embarrassment of seeing my country represented, however lightly, by a fascist party abroad.
I’m not going to get hysterical about it, though - it was a small victory, on a small share of the vote, enabled by a flawed proportional representation system.
We are not going to see the Hitler Youth on the streets and my hope is that the revulsion felt by the vast majority of people will translate in to a big swing against the BNP when we next go to the polls.
Nonetheless, it is an important message to people that every vote counts. No matter what colour badge you wear, no matter how pee’d off you are with the political class, the “stay at home” vote only helps those on the extremes.
Voting is something that we have fought and died for - against the very fascists who have now gained seats. The BNP’s great irony is that they do not represent Britain or Britishness.
So yes, I am delighted with Conservative result this week, but much more disappointed with that of the BNP.
Beyond the grandstanding, hubris and superciliousness of much of what people see in politics, it is important now to talk a little about what the public doesn’t see in the role of a politician.
There is a huge amount of substance that no MP or candidate can campaign on, much of which revolves around the casework that we do for our constituents.
Sadly, one of the worst aspects of the current political crisis in Westminster is that a number of important stories have been pushed down the news agenda.
One of the most concerning is that of the ruling of the High Court yesterday that stated that armed forces in combat should receive the full protection of the Human Rights Act.
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