A nervous crowd alighted on Brighton this weekend, and rightly so as polls put Labour ahead in terms of seats won. There was frustration on the part of delegates attending: ‘what does Time for Change mean if we don’t know what the change is?’ one asked. In discussions overheard at fringes and in corridors one could hear a collective sigh at the prospect that this election may echo those of recent years and that the Conservatives might not be able to see it through after all.
However, despite the stakes that rested on Cameron’s speech on Sunday afternoon, there was some reason to be positive. A more low-key and relaxed atmosphere than at October’s conference meant that there was room to discuss and debate openly the prospect of a hung Parliament, what this might mean for the Conservatives and how to avoid it.
It is of course vital that the Conservatives prepare themselves for all eventualities following the election. Being aware that a hung Parliament may not necessarily involve a Conservative-led government is an important element of this. The Liberal Democrats are holding their cards close to their chest at the moment and could find themselves in a position of extraordinary power both during the formation of a coalition government and in the coming months when they could force constitutional reform to maintain and stabilise their position in the centre.
These are sobering thoughts for the committed Tory delegate but could this prospect provide the spur that Conservatives need? The October conference resonated with the fear of losing hold of what was a substantial lead in the polls and it was almost as if the Conservative leadership were afraid to ruin it by taking the risks needed to push their campaign one direction or other. Now that the Conservatives feel under the kosh, they conversely have less to lose by throwing in everything they can and not being afraid to outline concrete ideas. By rolling up their sleeves to fight a very real threat from Labour and the Lib Dems they more likely to be able to win the election than by trying to maintain a shining image as a ‘government in waiting’.
It is from honest debate as seen at moments this weekend, rather than the polished pr of the October conference, that a real plan of action can surely emerge. The question to ask is: is it too late?
Posted by Administrator on behalf of Isabella Sharp
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I don’t think it’s too late; rather, we’ll have to be able to adjust our priorities pragmatically in response to the real world (as opposed to Labour’s ideological world-as-it-should-be) right up to and beyond the wire.