To chase the 'core vote' or not?

6 October 2012

A great deal of pressure is being placed on Cameron to re-base Conservative strategy onto the core vote.  There is good reason for this, to take votes back from UKIP.

But a core vote strategy is not an election winning strategy and, sadly, must be resisted.  I say sadly because the kind of policy that would come out of a core vote approach would suit me down to the ground.  Anti-EU, pro 'tough on crime' maybe even a return to the death penalty (yes, please...), more grammar schools, an end to daft environmentalism etc etc...

George Osborne is the man who holds the key to election victory for the Conservatives.

But it will not work.  To win Cameron has to build a coalition, no not one with the LibDems but one with a wide selection of the British people not just a particular section.

A more selective approach can and will work.

It does mean keeping environmental and green elements in policy but, I hope, with the worse of the extreme aspects edited out getting it back to some semblance of common sense.

On the positive side a tougher line on the EU will go down well but again care needs to be taken to prevent Labour's fellow travellers and quislings in the BBC from accusing the Conservatives of extremism.  It is a careful balancing act.  A referendum needs to be a firm commitment,  Not an in/out one but one that provides an alternative to EU membership - the Swiss option is preferred.

Then of course there is the Human Rights Act.  A full commitment to end that, the worse ever piece of legislation to blight this country can and must be made with a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities to replace it.  The BBC can do its worse over that, the more it focusses on this issue the better for us.

But at the end of the day there is only one issue that counts.  The economy.

Osborne must push aside the wimps of the LibDems and speed up the spending cuts and bite deeper into public spending.  He must pass on the extra savings in tax cuts aimed at where they will do most good for the economy.  He must force through more supply side reforms.

Only a recovering economy will win the election and while an underlying recovery has started this is fragile and needs to be strengthened in the ways I suggest.

As the Conservative Conference starts maybe we will see the start of an election winning strategy.  Let us hope so.

• Guest 710 wrote:
  There is a lot to be said for "an election winning strategy". I'm sure all Partys would agree, and as none of them had this at the time of the last election there is little for any of them to go on.
  What with all who have a history of leather-warming in Parliament singing the different parts of the same tune - a low rumbling harmony - the coming election will look more like a Barber Shop Quartet competition. (Boaters for floaters?) There is little but obvious success to distinguish them, and there is no sign of that as yet.
  It is something to know that whatever Policies are promulgated in the run-up to the election what we would get by electing a Tory administration is the same old gruff Captain Bligh approach of simmering mutiny and long lunches.
  How long is it now since the Conservative Party put forward an election winning array of policies?