The colour of balance

At the age of five I learned to mix colours with my poster paints.  I was not the world’s greatest artist – to be honest my greatest creation at that age was something I called “Modern Art Slosh”!  However, I did begin to learn about colours and that if I mixed blue and yellow together I would get green.

That early lesson has stood me in good stead – and not least politically.

Green is not only the environmental “colour du jour” but is the colour of balance and equilibrium.  It is no coincidence that operating theatres – an area of high stress where calm and order needs to prevail – are often green.

There is no doubting the stressful and combative environment prevailing in Westminster politics – the seating which reflects its adversarial “cockpit” nature as opposed to the consensual politics symbolised by the hemicycles in Strasbourg and Brussels is testament to that.

On May 6^th the British public delivered their verdict in the latest contest (perhaps the last) to take place under that adversarial “first-past-the-post” system.  They judged that despite the fact they were heartily sick of the last thirteen years of Socialist incompetence and arrogance, they did not wish one Party to completely rule the roost.  They yearned for a more “grown-up” form of politics where legislators would need to consult, debate and negotiate terms in order to produce new solutions to some new and some very old challenges – fixing our Broken Society and our Wrecked Economy prime amongst them.

I have been a Conservative since the late 1970s – I joined the Party to campaign for Margaret Thatcher and see a woman Prime Minister elected for the first time in the history of our country.  Thatcher was the right woman for the time – she transformed Britain and pushed back the power of the State.  She gave people control over their own lives by buying their own homes.  She curbed the power of the mighty Trade Unions.

However, Thatcherism outgrew itself.  It became hard, authoritarian and intolerant.  A gentler Conservatism was needed.  The mid-90s were an unhappy time despite the vastly under-estimated John Major being at the helm.  In-fighting almost destroyed our Great Party and in 1997 came our Nemesis in the form of Tony Blair.

It was clear that the people did not want unreconstructed right-wing Tories.  Our name was – frankly – “mud”.  It was considered eccentric, strange and deeply “uncool” to vote Conservative.  Despite the best efforts of the Party under William Hague (who had yet to grow into the mature statesman that he is today), 2001 saw little improvement and even in 2005 under Michael Howard, the mountain still proved insurmountable despite the very real progress made in terms of seats won back.

Those of use on the modernising wing of the Party had been looking for a Champion and we found it in 2005 in the shape of David Cameron.  Since that time he has “detoxified the brand” beyond all expectations.  Moderate, compassionate, empathetic – yet tough when needing to be – he is not afraid to take difficult decisions and to upset some in the Party occasionally…..

I am delighted that we now have a Coalition Government – an anti-Socialist alliance of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.  I am optimistic about the future provided that we can face down the “naysayers” and the wreckers from both the Left and Right.

I am convinced that with Blue and Yellow mixed together, a very real Green balance can be achieved.

Posted by Administrator on behalf of Sally Roberts

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