The Conservative Manifesto 2010

A country is at its best when the bonds between people are strong and when the sense of national purpose is clear. Today the challenges facing Britain are immense. Our economy is overwhelmed by debt, our social fabric is frayed and our political system has betrayed the people. But these problems can be overcome if we pull together and work together. If we remember that we are all in this together.

Some politicians say: ‘give us your vote and we will sort out all your problems’. We say: real change comes not from government alone. Real change comes when the people are inspired and mobilised, when millions of us are fired up to play a part in the nation’s future.

Yes this is ambitious. Yes it is optimistic. But in the end all the Acts of Parliament, all the new measures, all the new policy initiatives, are just politicians’ words without you and your involvement.

How will we deal with the debt crisis unless we understand that we are all in this together? How will we raise responsible children unless every adult plays their part? How will we revitalise communities unless people stop asking ‘who will fix this?’ and start asking ‘what can I do?’ Britain will change for the better when we all elect to take part, to take responsibility – if we all come together. Collective strength will overpower our problems.

Only together can we can get rid of this government and, eventually, its debt. Only
Together can we get the economy moving. Only together can we protect the NHS. Improve our schools. Mend our broken society. Together we can even make politics and politicians work better. And if we can do that, we can do anything. Yes, together we can do anything.

So my invitation today is this: join us, to form a new kind of government for Britain.

Read the Conservative Manifesto 2010

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01 Invitation to Join the Government of Britain
02 Contents
03 Foreword
04 Chapter 1_Change the Economy_Introduction
05 Benchmarks for Britain
06 Ensure macroeconomic stability
07 Create a more balance economy
08 Get Britain working again
09 Encourage enterprise
10 Ensure the whole country shares in rising prosperity
11 Reform public services to deliver better value for money
12 Create a safer banking system that serves the needs of the economy
13 Build a greener economy
14 Chapter 2_Change Society_Introduction
15 Build the Big Society
16 Make Britain the most family friendly country in Europe
17 Back the NHS
18 Raise standards in schools
19 Fight back against crime
20 Chapter 3_Change Politics_Introduction
21 Make politics more accountable
22 Make politics more transparent
23 Make politics more local
24 Restore our civil liberties
25 Strengthen the union
26 Chapter 4_Protect the environment_Introduction
27 Combat climate change
28 Conserve and enhance the natural environment
29 Chapter 5_Promote our national interest_Introduction
30 Defend our security
31 A liberal Conservative foreign policy
32 An open and democratic Europe
33 One World Conservatism

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Tuesday, March 30 2010

Previously unpublished papers reveal the true scope of Labour’s dependency on union cash.

Following Conservative pressure, the Government will publish the previously confidential minutes and papers of the Inter-Party Talks on the Funding of Political Parties.

Francis Maude, Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, led the Conservative delegation in the Talks. “Gordon Brown wrecked the opportunity to clean up politics because he wanted the unions’ votes to become Labour Party leader”, he said. “These documents expose the Labour Party’s addiction to union cash”.

The Talks were chaired by Sir Hayden Phillips and were suspended without substantive agreement in October 2007.

Peter Watt, then Labour General Secretary and a delegate on the Talks, has subsequently written how the Talks failed since “the Labour Party could not resolve its internal issues”, “my own party was the biggest block to reform” and Gordon Brown “repeatedly warned the Prime Minister [Tony Blair] that he would block any attempt to reduce the unions’ power.”

Peter Watt also notes how the Liberal Democrats were bought off by Labour:  “[Labour] managed to clinch a deal with the LibDems by promising that Menzies (Ming) Campbell would get a taxpayer-funded car and driver if the reforms went through.”

The newly published papers today reveal the true extent of the union funding of the Labour Party:

• Many union members would not pay a political levy to the Labour Party if given a choice.
• Some trade unions affiliate more individuals to the Labour Party than they have union members paying a political levy (only money from the political levy can be used for political purposes).
• From 2001 to 2006, the unions gave the Labour Party £45 million in cash.
• Trade unions pay £1 million a year to the Labour Party at a local and regional level, tying in local Labour Party branches through binding “Constituency Development Plans”.

Sir Hayden Phillips drew up detailed option papers on how the political levy could be reformed to give union members genuine choice. The Labour Party objected to these proposals. This was the key stumbling block that led to the Talks failing.

It’s wrong that union barons, not rank-and-file union members, decide how much to give to Labour”, Maude added.

“A Conservative Government will seek an agreed long-term settlement that would introduce an across-the-board cap on donations to end the big donor culture. As part of that reform, union members must have real choice on whether they want to pay a political levy and where it goes.”

Interesting to see how easy it was to buy off the Libdems.  I suppose some things never change.

Jim Ferguson

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Tuesday, March 16 2010

Michael Gove has spoken about “Charlie Whelan’s New Militant Tendency” in a speech setting out how dependent the Labour Party is on Unite – Britain’s biggest trade union.

His speech marked the launch of a new document that shines a light on how Unite has taken advantage of Labour’s near bankruptcy and the departure of Tony Blair to gain an unprecedented grip on the party.

Under the political direction of Charlie Whelan, Unite is using its financial and organisation muscle to drive government policy and build a Labour Party very different to the one that appealed to Middle England and won three general elections. Instead, with Gordon Brown as leader, there has been a reversal of much-needed public service reforms, a return to industrial militancy and a regression into atavistic class war rhetoric.

“There can be few more powerful forces of conservatism opposed to the flexibility, freedom and choice of the post-bureaucratic age than the Whelanist Tendency now in control of the Labour party”, Gove said.

“Labour’s re-unionisation has put them in bed with the past at a time when it is crucial that this country wakes up to the future.”

The document sets out in detail the way in which, in the three years since Gordon Brown became Prime Minister, Unite has spent more than £11 million of its members’ money on buying influence within the Labour Party.

This extends from placing a key union operative inside 10 Downing Street to taking effective control of many cash-strapped constituency Labour parties and installing Unite activists and officials as prospective Parliamentary candidates.

Gove said that “the last thing we need is a political system where genuine participation in democracy is out-muscled by union power”.

“This election will decide the future of this country and Labour represents a move backwards, not forwards”, he added.

Read Michael Gove’s speech in full

You can read our dossier on “Charlie Whelan’s New Militant Tendency” in the document reader below, or alternatively click here to download a copy in PDF format.

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Corus workers’ anger over government ‘platitudes’

Corus workers on Teesside have accused the government of talking “platitudes” over the future of Redcar’s plant, which is being partially mothballed.

The shutdown of the blast furnace at Teesside Cast Products (TCP) begins later, with up to 1,600 jobs set to go.

Gordon Brown said he was “desperately looking” for investment. Corus has said the closure is temporary, with the firm open to “credible offers”.

Unions say the mothballing is premature and have threatened industrial action.

We are dead, gone, finished. There is absolutely no way it can be saved Alan Blackwood, Corus worker

TCP has been under threat since last May, when an international consortium pulled out of a 10-year contract.

The mothballing was confirmed earlier this week, despite hopes that a buyer could be found in the meantime.

Alan Blackwood, 57, who has worked at Redcar for 42 years and is now facing voluntary retirement, said: “I am just gobsmacked. It just feels to me that Corus doesn’t want Teesside to exist.

“We are dead, gone, finished. There is absolutely no way it can be saved. I think I am more concerned about the company than the government is.”

Linda Robinson, 50, whose family have been working at the plant for three generations, said her brother had just finished last shift and would never be going back. Three generations of Linda Robinson’s family have worked at the plant.
“They say mothballing, but really it’s closure,” she said.

“It is catastrophic for the community. The future is bleak.”

The mothballing could take up to six months, meaning the job losses will be gradual, but there was a sense of finality among workers.

Geoff Waterfield, multi-union chairman at TCP said: “I think the mood today, as it’s been for quite a while, is quite a sad mood really amongst everybody.

“And today I think will be very emotional on the site, and very emotional in the region for the community – because it affects not just the workers but pretty much everybody in the surrounding area”.

The predicted knock-on effect has been described as “horrendous”, with Redcar and Cleveland Council estimating up to 8,000 further jobs could be lost at local companies.

Speaking on Thursday, Business Secretary Lord Mandelson maintained the plant will be protected by the company, with a view to re-opening once a buyer has been found.

I’m very proud of the people here because they’ve had to live with this hanging over them John Bolton, TCP managing director

However, the Community union says it plans to ballot its members on industrial action over the decision to mothball, while the GMB union has announced it is also considering action.

The shutting down of TCP’s blast furnace will start on Friday, followed by the “blow down” process to use up the remaining raw materials.

On Saturday, holes will be drilled in the furnace to take out residual metal – a procedure known as “tapping the salamander”.

Work to preserve the machinery will then begin, in the hope that it can be restarted at a future date.

John Bolton, managing director of TCP told the BBC: “It’s a very sad day today. We’ve known about the potential of this happening since May.

“I’m very proud of the people here because they’ve had to live with this hanging over them.

“Everybody here has done everything they can to keep this plant going.”

Link to original BBC article

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