I have been reflecting on David Cameron's speech to the Welsh Conservative Spring Conference earlier today.It was certainly a more confident speech than last week's effort.
More importantly, it carried clear messages which, although not 'sexy' as some political commentators noted, will certainly strike a chord with many voters.
First of all was his statement on the economy and what the Conservatives would do to encourage enterprise.
"Take the economy. We understand that in the end it’s not government that will get the Welsh economy growing……it’s enterprise, it’s entrepreneurs, people with a great idea and the courage to start their own business. That’s why we’ll cut corporation tax rates, abolish taxes on the first ten jobs created by new businesses and get people off welfare and into work."
Clear, simple and unambiguous - cut taxes for entrepreneurs to help them get the economy working and establish a contrast with a Labour Party that is increasing taxes on industry.
Secondly, on further devolution:
"We want a relationship of co-operation, not confrontation, between Westminster and Cardiff. I will be a Prime Minister who acts on the voice of the Welsh people and will maintain strong relationships with the Assembly Government. That’s why I’m happy to come to the Assembly each year and make myself available to answer questions on any subject. It’s why I want Westminster Ministers appearing in front of Assembly committees – and Assembly Ministers appearing in front of Westminster committees. And it’s why I will always support devolution and make sure it works for the benefit of everyone. And if people in Wales want a referendum on full law-making powers that is a matter for them – so a Conservative Government will not block it."
Again, a simple but effective statement that kills stone dead any fantasy from nationalists and the Labour Party that David Cameron would stall any referendum on further powers.
Indeed, I fully expect that when the Conservatives win, they will push ahead with a decision on a referendum date quickly.
Finally, the message on government waste:
"So after all this waste, all this failure and now all this debt, it falls to us, the modern Conservative Party, to restore hope in all those Labour have let down. Showing government can be smarter, better, more imaginative and more competent. Explaining how we can make things better without just spending money, how we can deliver more for less. More for less is not some pie-in-the-sky political promise. It’s something that businesses up and down the country do day-in, day-out. They think: how can I deliver more for my customers while reducing my costs? Businesses are constantly looking for creative ways to get more bang for their buck. Reforming work practices. Buying wholesale when they can. Eradicating duplication. Innovating new delivery systems. Cutting out waste. We need to bring that business sense and imagination to government. We’re going to shape government in a way it has never existed before so we use our instincts as Conservatives, our understanding of how people and communities really work and the latest technology to deliver more for less. And this means doing three things in particular. First, tackling the root causes of our social problems so that we can make millions of lives better while at the same time reducing the costs on the state. Second, reforming our public services so we deliver both choice and efficiency. And third, making government more local and more transparent so we cut waste as well as improve outcomes."
Actually, this is where the political commentators safe in their Cardiff Bay bubble may have really misunderstood the electorate.
This may be a boring message but reducing costs is what millions of families across the UK have had to do to ensure that they survive the recession. They, more than anyone else, can understand the need to cut their coat according to their cloth and this message will resonate with all those families who have had to cut down whilst government continues with its spending.
Indeed, this may be a masterstroke if the message continues to be pushed by the Conservative Party to the wider electorate.
After the phony wars of bullygate, Ashcroft, polls and posters, the real election started today.
Comments
If families start thinking 'If we can do it, why can't the government', then the conservatives may have finally found the message they need to win this election, and win it well.
Every party talks about tackling Government waste and in dire economic circumstances it may win you more votes, but as David Cameron said in his speech yesterday all politicians waste money and most go native when they get into power looking after their own pet projects although DC promised to be different, we’ll see what happen after all even Margaret Thatcher held up by most Tories as the best example of cutting Government waste only managed relatively small savings.
In fact, if you had read the post (or the speech) properly, you would see that Cameron did talk about job creation and economic growth, but by cutting taxes to release the entrepreneurial potential of businesses across the UK. Given the relative failure of the over-bureaucratised business support structure across the UK, I would rather if businesses had the money to spend themselves rather than have government doing it for them.
The message about waste is important, and it will resonate with many voters who have had to cut their household budgets to deal with a recession caused by this Labour Government's mismanagement of the country's finances. Many understand the need to create efficiencies and cannot understand why government continues to spend their taxes without being able to make simple savings.
In addition, I have spoken to countless businesses who have had to cut their budgets by as much as 25% to survive and yet look agog at government spending increasing and almost no jobs being lost in a bloated public sector.
If Cameron does get to grips with this and creates the first 'post-bureaucratic' government, he could become one of the most reforming PMs this country has ever seen.
Your cynicism over whether he will achieved this is fair comment but I would rather give him the chance to make a real difference rather than have another five years of Labour.
Maybe if wales and london were on message it may help
Ithink the torys would do better if they had better quality people in important posts.
Osborne doesnt do u any favours, neither do remarks about the minister for health being like bubbles de vere
I did read your post and listened to David Cameron’s speech and I called it as it saw it, for the record I didn’t say that DC hadn’t talked about the economy but had use the majority of the speech to talk about Government waste instead of what you yourself blog about regularly the dire state of the Welsh Economy, unemployment, lack of investment in Business, poor education results.
And I’m not the only one who think that the speech was lop sided, Daran Hill of Posiif Politics a respected commentator said very similar things on the Conference coverage on BBC Wales after the speech yesterday, is he being negative as well?
Maybe there needs to be a re balancing of policy in your party, all I and many others have heard from the Tories is plans for deficit reduction where’s the talk about economic growth, using the business analogy any business owner will tell you that cutting back and making savings are only half the solution, you need growth from new markets as well otherwise the business will stagnate, so I doubt any party will make a difference in the UK and Wales that are so desperately needed.
If you want more proof that the majority of the country agree, then in the Channel 4 poll last week there was a question about who would make the best chancellor, 27% said Vince Cable, 17% said Alistair Darling, 15% said George Osborne, so that means the majority of people surveyed have little or no faith in any of the party’s who could form the Government to sort out the UK’s financial and economic problems.
You should also check out WalesHome to see what other people think about your party leader in Wales speech and efforts, I’m not alone in my opinions.
Has he any idea of the lack of jobs and lack of any prospect pf jobs in Wales
You accuse CoP pf being cynical,I really think most people are.They may be fed up with Labour in Wales, but they still do not trust the Tories.
I think Dylan if Cameron is serious about Wales, he needs to look at who would represent us -Gillian -no way ,David Jones ,shivers, Bourne, time to change
A complete revamp and image and a younger more dynamic feel would help
Sort the troops out cos thats what people see and hear .
That is what Cameron talked about yesterday and what Ken Clarke spent all week discussing with businesspeople across the UK.
As quoted in today's Telegraph:
"Tories pledge support for small firms - Ken Clarke, the shadow business secretary, has pledged to put help for Britain's millions of small and medium-sized enterprises at the heart of the Tories' business manifesto for the general election."
Doesn't get clearer than that!
However you construct government services the end result if you want 10-25% cost savings will be substantial job losses which in Wales will impact on many private sector enterprises. Even if you change the incentives for job creation and start up companies it will take years, in the most favourable circumstances, to take up the slack. On top of that the incentives mentioned, no tax/nic on job creation will be subject to tax/nic avoidance by a large number of individuals. Such changes will be subject to fiscal attack by unsavoury elements.
Is this agenda much different to Labour. They certainly have been trying to cut costs just look at all the HMRC and benefit offices that have closed and employees on fixed term contracts. Apart from some tinkering with business taxes I find it difficult to see much of a gulf between the two main parties.
Over the years, this has evolved into an increasingly sophisticated pseudo-science, with an attendant bureacracy of its own.
The body being funded has to demonstrate to its sponsor where the efficiencies are being achieved, and this is happening reasonably well, if the National Audit Office and the Welsh Audit office are to believed.
It's hard to see how much extra juice can be squeezed out of this process.
The vital differenne betwen a typical public venture and a typical private venture is that the public venture has a clearly defined purpose, priorities and agenda set by the sponsor that severely limits the scope for fresh thinking in how tasks are tackled or fresh markets can be tapped into.
If governent spending is to be reduced by any meaningful amount, there has to be a correspondingly meaningful reduction in what is expected to be done by the state.
Even then, if this means that the private individual has to pick up the tab themselves,(e.g. PAY TV instead of licence fee) there really hasn't been any gain.