Parlour games for the Tories in Blackpool.

[Taxloss]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4297540.stm

"... in Blackpool this week, the contenders for the Tory leadership may actually want to avoid pause for applause because they have little time to bathe in admiration of party members.

"There are so many possible candidates that shadow cabinet ministers - plus other senior figures like Ken Clarke - have been allocated speaking slots of just 20 minutes each.

"That could convert to little more than 15 minutes' speaking time in speeches meant to cover both policy briefs and the wider debate on the Conservatives' future (or why the contenders are worthy of becoming leader)."

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Ladies and gentlemen, we are looking at a trifecta - all three conferences could turn out to be PR disasters. The Lib Dems' conference reminded me of IDS's agonising last conference a couple of years ago - Chazza's back was fair bristling with daggers. Labour's was marked by PR gaffes and, again, leadership speculation, this time with overtones of Lear. The Tories ... well, I think it's unprecedented to hold a conference in these circumstances. It should be compelling viewing.

[non sociopath skin]

1. Just flipped over to live coverage a while back ...

.. to hear Theresa May mention the popularity of Margaret Thatcher and her Vision of A Better Britain ... then pause very pointedly for applause ... which never came. Do you think that they've gotten over her - or have the doddery old buggers just forgotten who she is?

The Skin

[fedsron2us]

2. Maybe their hearing aids were turned off

or just possibly you have caught the most significant moment of their conference. Before Thatcher became their leader the Tories were normally very suspicious of ideology of all types and eschewed the cult of the leader. The party's function was to ensure that the traditional ruling class retained political power and their privileged position within society. Their view of the world had its roots in an agrarian past that predated capitalism. Thatcher's neo liberal economic agenda really came from the alien Whig tradition of politics. In many ways it had as little to do with historical Conservatism as Blair's policies have to do with true socialism. In fact the current Prime Minister and Thatcher share many of the same ideas about the world. It is possible that the Conservatives may have decided to return to this more pragmatic roots. If they have then the Labour party may find themselves on the receiving end at the next election.

[non sociopath skin]

3. In a funny kind of way, I hope you're right.

Nothing scares me as much as cult of the personality, and - whatever else may be wrong with the Tories - if they've broken that habit, it can't be a bad thing.

The Skin

[Guy_Montag]

4. I'm really rather enjoying the Tory conference

unlike recent ones, it's not been about getting rid of the leader, it is an interesting contest and seems pretty open. I really hope at the end of this the Tories will have sorted themselves out, we need an opposition in parliament.

To be honest we need to realise that another party will take over from Labour eventually, I hoped it would be the liberals, but I regret it does not look like that will happen.

So lets all hope that one of the Tory left get in.