Did Manchester like us?

Posted by on Oct 10, 2009 in Conservative Party Conference | 3 comments I was keen to know if holding the Conservative conference in Manchester had influenced local voters at all, whether they were more likely to support us. I very much doubt it. I asked a group of commuters at the tram station about this and it was impossible to gain any eye contact, but they made it clear they were loyal Labour voters. Despite being very friendly (and I single out the taxi drivers...
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My YouTube of Guido on Cameron’s speech

Posted by on Oct 9, 2009 in Conservative Party Conference, updates | 4 comments I spotted Guido Fawkes – the man who claimed the scalps of Derek Draper and Damien McBride in the Smeargate scandal – as he left the Conservative conference  and asked his views about David Cameron’s speech. I finished by asking whether he would vote Conservative. You will have to play the video to find out his reply...
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Happy birthday David Cameron

Posted by on Oct 9, 2009 in Conservative Party Conference, Politics | 4 comments I hope David Cameron treats himself to a well earned glass of champagne today to celebrate his 43rd birthday, well out of the sight of the paparazzo’s prying telephoto lenses, of course. That makes him a Libran, and I have it on good authority that his rising sign is in Virgo, which means he pays close attention to detail. A Conservative supporter at Manchester was telling me this as we...
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“We are all in this together”

Posted by on Oct 6, 2009 in Conservative Party Conference, updates | 17 comments Trying to convince a nation that “we are all in this together” – the catch prase of George Osborne’s key conference speech today – is going to be hard work as countless people who were faultless find their lives ruined by today’s economic downturn due to the actions of our banks and government. The conference hall was packed, so I watched the announcememnt in a...
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The Times and Tory support

Posted by on Oct 5, 2009 in Conservative Party Conference, updates | 8 comments A hiss could be heard when The Editor of The Times, James Harding, refused to pledge his paper’s support to the Conservative Party for the next election. He was asked today at a fringe meeting whether he would follow the lead of The Sun, but he made it clear that he was not yet convinced. In fairness, neither did he pledge his support for New Labour as in the previous two elections. He said...
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A dramatic conference eve

Posted by on Oct 5, 2009 in Conservative Party Conference, updates | 4 comments I am one of 12,100 Conservatives here in Manchester for the party conference which promises to be packed with policy announcements and optimism. And there have been a couple of dramatic events before I even stepped foot in the heavily policed secure zone. As I arrivedd at my hotel last night, David Cameron walked down the steps and into a waiting car; maybe he had popped his head into the...
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Let the debate begin

Posted by on Oct 4, 2009 in Politics | 11 comments Now that Gordon Brown has thrown his hat in the ring and agreed to go head-to-head with David Cameron and Nick Clegg in a series of televised debates, I hope similar events will be held in the regions for parliamentary candidates. All too often hustings are planned by organisations with partisan views and attended by a room full of their supporters. Even worse is when candidates travel many...
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York student wins Norfolk seat

Posted by on Oct 3, 2009 in Politics | 4 comments I was amazed to read today that a 19-year old Liberal Democrat student based at York University won a Norfolk district council seat in a by-election this week. The Lib Dems always make a big deal about candidates not living in their constituency, even if they are just two miles out. Yet here they are not only supporting Ben McGilvray who lives 180 miles away, but then winning the seat with a...
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My mum’s adventure

Posted by on Oct 3, 2009 in Personal | 8 comments Ever since my mother-in-law died last month, my mother Loula has been anxious to visit the country of her birth, Greece. She particularly wanted to stay in a favourite hotel in Rhodes where she had spent many happy holidays with my late father. Unfortunately, it was not possible to arrange because the flights from Gatwick were either too early or too late. So my sister Rosalind put plan B into...
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Preparing for the Conservative conference

Posted by on Oct 2, 2009 in Conservative Party Conference | 9 comments I bumped into a very relaxed Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley in a Cambridge car park today. We talked about next week’s Conservative conference in Manchester and he told me an extra 2,000 people were going. Talk about positive vibes! This will be the first time I have attended the Conservative conference. I am swamped with a choice of fantastic events to attend, and impressed by the...
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Scientific study crucial for GMO decision

Posted by on Oct 1, 2009 in Environment, PR client, Robert Sturdy MEP | 3 comments Each Member State in the European Union will decide whether it approves growing GM crops in its own country. My MEP Robert Sturdy, who is a farmer and sits on the Agriculture Committee, believes it is crucial that full scientific impact tests are carried out to enable rational decision making. It is impossible to argue against that, and we should not let scaremongers dominate the serious debate...
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