Well, I have to say I'm guardedly optimistic about David Cameron winning the Conservative Party leadership election. When I saw David Davis' campaign page, I saw the complaint about foreigners taking up room in British jails and knew he was going to be "same old, same old" and I'm glad the membership have seen this.
There's also a piece on opposition to ID cards at the Conservative Home blog. The article covers most bases - the idea is authoritarian, costly and likely to be ineffective in reducing crime and terrorism. My attitude has always been that the scheme is a bad thing whether it works or doesn't - I hate the idea of a government database containing all our biometrics for the same reason I hate the idea of "spyware road charging". I don't want people spying on me, which is what this amounts to.
Also, the Tory Reform Group has an article from Shami Chakrabarti of Liberty in the latest edition of its magazine Reformer about the Tory appeal to civil libertarian concerns. The magazine is in PDF format but is a free download.
Good God! I don't even think that pink faced Cameron boy knows what a conservative is. I hope the David(from the wrong side of the tracks) wins the Tory leadership.
Toppenhat,
What is a conservative - according to you, please explain?
I think Mr Cameroon knows what a Conservative is. He's just going to pretend that he doesn't.
Well, I think Mr Cameron knows what a Conservative is. The big give away was the line in the acceptance speech:
"There is such a thing as society - it's just not the same as the state"
How phenomenally refreshing to have someone in politics at last pointing that out, and providing a counterargument to Labour's centrist, top-down, arms-length style of government.
We must encourage people to think that they can improve their lives independently of the government. It is absolutely essential to creating a healthy free society.
Yusuf - we very rarely agree, but on ID cards you're spot on. As you were about Routemasters.
There's hope for you yet. Or for me.