Nasty Party: Conservatives uncovered

David Cameron’s attempted detoxification of the Conservative brand is failing to trickle down to the party’s membership. A survey for Conservative Home shows that, at the local level, Tories are obsessed by immigration, crime, and tax cuts. They care little about the economy, environment, or public services.

Conservative Home recently polled 2,352 members and asked which issues Tory members wanted on campaign leaflets. The top choices were:

• 84 per cent want a cut in net immigration of three-quarters

• 65 per cent want no more early release for convicted criminals

• 63 per cent highlight the Tories inheritance tax giveaway and a similar number want a two year freeze in council tax and the same

Put against Ipsos-MORI’s chart of the most important issues, it shows a party that has little to say about voters’ number one issue, the economy, or about unemployment which is the top issue for 20 per cent of the electorate. Cutting the budget deficit in half by 2014 (the Government’s policy) is ninth on the list and the sole mention of an economic issue.

A separate poll of 101 Conservative PPCs for this week’s New Statesman showed that only 28 per cent agree that “next government will need to legislate to make people behave in an environmentally ‘greener’ way.” Meanwhile, 59 per cent believe that “The inheritance tax threshold should be raised as a matter of priority.”

In 2005, the party’s “dog whistle” focus on immigration backfired. Immigration and crime remain important issues but their salience has dropped in recent years as the recession has taken hold. The only mention of public services by the ConservativeHome list is 56 per cent who want “Headteachers to be put in charge of school discipline.”

http://twitter.com/houseoftwitslab/status/9672811517 HouseOfTwitsLab

RT @leftfootfwd Nasty party: Conservatives uncovered as new poll show they're out of touch with the electorate http://cli.gs/eS4Vp
http://twitter.com/houseoftwits/status/9672812132 House Of Twits

RT @leftfootfwd Nasty party: Conservatives uncovered as new poll show they're out of touch with the electorate http://cli.gs/eS4Vp
http://twitter.com/lmwalter/status/9672838966 Luke Walter

RT @leftfootfwd: Nasty party: Conservatives uncovered as new poll show they're out of touch with the electorate http://cli.gs/eS4Vp
http://twitter.com/zeonglow/status/9672927664 Chris Huang-Leaver

RT @houseoftwits: RT @leftfootfwd Nasty party: Conservatives uncovered as new poll show they're out of touch with the electorate http://cli.gs/eS4Vp
http://twitter.com/tristanosborne/status/9673026852 Tristan Osborne

RT @HouseOfTwitsLab: RT @leftfootfwd Nasty party: Conservatives uncovered as new poll show they're out of touch with the electorate http://cli.gs/eS4Vp
http://twitter.com/sophiaparker/status/9673080414 sophiaparker

great post @leftfootfwd re ConHome and @NewStatesman polls offering fascinating insights into minds of local membership http://cli.gs/eS4Vp
topsy_top20k

Nasty party: Conservatives uncovered as new poll show they're out of touch with the electorate http://cli.gs/eS4Vp
http://twitter.com/bencooper86/status/9673161294 Ben Cooper

RT @leftfootfwd: Nasty party: Conservatives uncovered as new poll show they're out of touch with the electorate http://cli.gs/eS4Vp
http://twitter.com/lindamarric/status/9673192315 Linda Marric

RT @leftfootfwd: Nasty party: Conservatives uncovered as new poll show they're out of touch with the electorate http://cli.gs/eS4Vp
http://twitter.com/spcs8472/status/9673762215 John.D

RT @leftfootfwd: Nasty party: Conservatives uncovered as new poll show they're out of touch with the electorate http://cli.gs/eS4Vp
http://oldrightie.blogspot.com oldrightie

13 years of Campbell,McBride, Whelan et al and this sort thing, http://rachelnorthlondon.blogspot.com/2005/11/90-days-and-90-nights.html
plus illegal wars, torture and Stafford NHS Trust and you have the nerve to write this bilge. Straw kettles and pots indeed.
http://twitter.com/goodoldmj/status/9674729335 Martin Johnston

RT @leftfootfwd: Nasty party: new poll shows Tories are out of touch with electorate http://cli.gs/eS4Vp #reasonsnottovotetory
http://twitter.com/shibleylondon/status/9675707201 Shibley Rahman

RT @leftfootfwd: Nasty party: Conservatives uncovered as new poll show they're out of touch with the electorate http://cli.gs/eS4Vp
http://twitter.com/shibleylondon/status/9675845118 Shibley Rahman

RT @leftfootfwd: Nasty party: Conservatives uncovered as new poll show they're out of touch with the electorate http://bit.ly/9FSFh2
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=242290599294&ref=ts Shibley Rahman

Unfortunately somebody has reported this link as offensive so you can’t open it from Facebook

this one is better

http://bit.ly/9FSFh2
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/02/vote-blue-go-blue-survey-reveals-91-of-tory-ppcs-and-73-of-mps-are-climate-sceptics/ Vote blue go blue: Survey reveals 91% of Tory PPCs and 73% of MPs are climate sceptics | Left Foot Forward

[...] blue go blue: Survey reveals 91% of Tory PPCs and 73% of MPs are climate sceptics Following our story this morning about the outdated views of Tory members – obsessed with immigration, crime and [...]
http://www.ubervu.com/conversations/www.leftfootforward.org/2010/02/nasty-party-conservatives-uncovered/ uberVU – social comments

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http://twitter.com/tristanosborne/status/9686829833 Tristan Osborne

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http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/02/look-left-the-week-in-fast-forward-26-02-10/ Look Left – The Week in Fast Forward | Left Foot Forward

[...] members, candidates and MPs, who, various surveys revealed this week, remain stuck in the past, as far from the David Cameron’s attempted rebranded as [...]
http://twitter.com/rebeccaking3030/status/9724533766 rebeccaking3030

RT @sophiaparker: great post @leftfootfwd re ConHome and @NewStatesman polls offering fascinating insights into minds of local membership http://cli.gs/eS4Vp
http://twitter.com/fuzzfaceglos/status/9787059943 Steve Thomas

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