Tomorrow (Friday) Annabel Goldie will address the Scottish Conservative Policy Conference. Here's hoping that this conference will actually come up with policies that will get the public interested in the Tories again.
On the face of it you would think it was encouraging. Annabel will say tomorrow:
"I applaud the vision of David Cameron in making us examine what we are as a party and how we are seen by others. He was spot on when he said we had spent far too much time talking about what was important to us rather than what was important to ordinary people. Nowhere is that more obvious than in Scotland. Annabel Goldie and the Scottish Conservative Party are back, slap bang in the mainstream where we belong."
So, that's encouraging, she has accepted that much of what the Tories are saying in Scotland is irrelevant to most Scot's every day lives. They haven't provided evidence that they have really moved on.
However, I was disappointed when I read how she thought they were back in the mainstream with policies already announced:
- a drugs strategy to take people off drugs
- help for pensioner households with their Council Tax
- a robust sentencing proposal for repeat offenders
- an eco bonus scheme
Hardly new positioning that demonstrates a change in direction!
Hopefully tomorrow's policy conference will deliver some new policies that really do speak about what the average punter is concerned about. However, they need to ensure that some normal every day people become Tory MSPs next May too.
I must say editor you appear a little confused. If the policies you mention are not 'mainstream' - by which I would assume is meant addressing the concerns of ordinary folk across the country - the can you suggest a few that would be more to your liking? You sound like you are in to criticism for its own sake. Where do you stand on cutting the tartan tax?
Posted by: Boy Blue | 29 October 2006 at 03:15 PM