Advice to the Australian Liberal Party
Just after I got elected, I had dinner with Alex Downer, Australia’s now ex foreign minister, just after England had won the Ashes (so a long time ago). Alex, who is an Anglophile and a Conservative, gave me some tips on what the Tories should do to win, quite rightly so, as his party had been in power for a decade. But I did remember thinking that nothing lasts forever, and one day I might have to give him tips on how to survive opposition!
And so it has come to pass, with the Labor party ousting the Liberals with a swing reminiscent of Tony Blair’s against us. So here are my top tips on how to make a sucecss of opposition, based on ten years’ experience of how not to do it…
1. Accept the verdict of the electorate. They are always right, no matter how unfair or illogical it might seem. Whether it was time for a change, Iraq, Aborigines, immigration, climate change, analyse why you lost and do not complain.
2. Which means do not be pushed off the centre ground. If the opposition won by nicking your clothes and moving to the centre, do not think the right response is to move to the right. Stay put, even if it means supporting some of the things your conquerors are now proposing.
3. Stay united. Politics abhors a vacuum and what normally fills it is a prolonged bout of navel gazing and in-fighting. That is a huge waste of energy. You may not win the next election, but if you fight amongst yourselves, you won’t make any gains either.
4. Choose your next leader very carefully. OK, this is a bit of pointless advice as (a) you can only choose from a limited pool and (b) you have no idea what kind of leader your leader will be until he (or she) is your leader. But do not choose one on factional ideology. Choose someone with energy, vision, charisma and from a new generation. Then support him (or her) to the hilt, no matter how bad the polls get.
canvas said on November 26th, 2007 at 9:16 pm:
Welcome back, Ed. Do you ever interact with your blogging community? It would be fun if you did actually comment on ‘comments’ left here!
David Cameron responds to us on Webcameron - and so does Iain Dale on his blog. But it’s your blog - so do it your way… Anyway, you have a fun blog - and you make interesting posts. Thanks for that.
Regarding Point 1)
Yes, good point. The OLD Conservative Party stopped listening - and that’s why Labour have been in power for a decade. Too true.
Point 2)
Centre ground is where the Modern Conservative Party should be. A right wing party would NEVER win a general election. A modern liberal Conservative Party WILL win the next general election.
Point 3)
“If the Party was united they would never be divided”
This is one of main reasons I have never voted Conservative in my life. All the nasty internal Tory politics of old was such a turn off. But times have changed and so have I. David Cameron could be the best thing that has happened to this country in decades.
Point 4)
Too true again. DC is a great leader - he represents the hopes and views of my generation perfectly. Labour have lost the plot and they let my generation down - badly. Tony Blair promised so much and he didn’t deliver.
Let’s hope David Cameron continues do decontaminate ‘the brand’. He is making great progress.
The Tories of yesteryear are slowly becoming a distant memory - and DC’s modern and progressive Conservative Party really are the way forward.
Sue said on November 26th, 2007 at 9:21 pm:
Oooh, that caught me off guard, I’d come back here for more chit-chat!!
Votedave said on November 26th, 2007 at 9:43 pm:
I agree with just about all of that Ed. Cameronites rule!
canvas said on November 26th, 2007 at 9:56 pm:
Iain Dale reckons that tomorrow’s Independent will show new poll results…
“it will show a 13 point Tory lead. Yes, you read that right. Tories on 40% and Labour on 27%.”
So, DC has been gifted a 13 point lead by Brown’s total failure as PM - let’s hope DC keeps going up the charts!
Tizzy said on November 27th, 2007 at 12:47 am:
1. The electorate are not always right but, yes, one has to accept the verdict (unless you’re a LibDem who will complain about the voting system).
2. Yep. Took your party long enough to find that out, though.
3. Yes, unless you’re Labour or LibDem’s- they can stiff themselves all year round for all I care.
4. (see 2)
Can I add another point?
Party wonks should be on the ground, finding out what went wrong the last time. Stop shutting yourselves in the ivory towers created by your donors and spend some time with real people.
Votedave said on November 27th, 2007 at 8:02 pm:
27% is SO LOW - Labour have hardly ever been lower than that. Tories down 1%, but still, their biggest lead since August 1988!