Conservative Party needs “a young man with an old head”

By Humphrey Carter “A young man with and old head” is what new chairman of British Conservatives Abroad, Ronald Gross, believes the party needs to return to power in Britain. Gross, a leading Palma businessman in the yachting sector, was elected chairman in the Spring but he has already got a clear idea of his future for the Majorca branch of Conservatives Abroad. However, he openly admits that he is still not too sure whether he has the full support of the members. Nevertheless, now he has been elected, he intends to give the party 110 percent, “whatever I do I do properly and I hope the members, and new members we are already signing up, respond positively,” he said yesterday. This Sunday, Conservatives Abroad will be hosting its first social event since Gross became chairman and he hopes that this Sunday's lunch on board the Barco Samba proves a success and appeals to all ages, members or not. “It's going to be a great day out, the b-b-q on board will be good, I'll be behind the coals, there will be plenty of good food and I hope good company,” he said. Gross does not want the local branch to merely be a political association “but a chance for like-minded people if common interests to meet, get together and be part of a shared project,” he said. The committee already has an exciting and varied year of political and social events organised. Steven Norris MP will be the guest speaker at the chairman's dinner next month, in November a “question time” is being organised with a panel that will include Simon Milton, Leader of the Westminster Council, Melvin Marks, Justice of the Peace in Islington and Maria Darder who has founded the Breast Cancer Support Group in Majorca. There will be Christmas carols in December, wine and cheese tasting in the New Year and dinner with Tim Yeo MP in February. Gross and his committee hope that this is the kind or programme which will entertain the existing members and appeal to new, younger Conservatives on the island. “One of our goals will be to get members to mix a bit more. Gross admits he is rather “green”, he has never filled such a role before “but I am good at organising things and I have a clear idea of where I would like to take the local branch. “After every committee meeting, we've had two now, we send out a newsletter to all the members, briefing them of what's been discussed and asking for their comments so we can act in their best interests and get a feel for what people are thinking.” He also adds that his task is rather similar to that of the future party leader in Britain. “Be it national, international or local level, the party has to be united, it's like any organisation if it is serious about being successful,” he said. United is not a word he would, however, use about the Conservative Party at present and holds Michael Howard mainly responsible. “I didn't agree with him being elected leader to fight the last election in the first place and I certainly did not agree with the way he announced his stepping down so soon after he lost the election. “In the build up to the election he did manage to pull the party together, but then he let it all go again announcing his decision to stand down, that wasn't very clever,” says Gross. “Blair has approached everything in a very clear cut way and, when he decided, very early one, to go for the middle ground and middle management, that's what he did - that's why he is still there with an equally clever Chancellor behind him. “That's what we (Conservatives) need. We need to have a young leader with an elder statesman as his deputy. A younger person in his 40* or 50*s, say, with Clarke as deputy, for exmaple. A young man with an old head. You can't buy experience. “We need to have a leader who is in for the full stretch, 12 to 15 years. One that knows he's probably going to lose his first election, but win the second. “We need a long term plan and someone who will see it through, draw up the right policies, gain experience, really become leader of the party, - especially in the house. “And that is where the leader is going to need full support. “I agree with Howard's decision to return to the former election process. “There's no point having a leader in the house who may have the support of the constituency members but not their respresentatives in Parliament, the MP'S,” he said. “I think had David Davis stood with Howard as his deputy at the last election, we would have had a real chance,” he adds. However, Gross does see a rosy, or rather brown, future for the Conservatives. “Gordon Brown has probably been the biggest political surprise of the Blair governments, but if he does take over from Blair to fight the next election, I think he will take the Labour Party back to the hard left and lose the support of the middle ground - and this is where the Conservatives can clean up. “Brown's Labour will lose the middle ground and British politics will return to a clear left or right issue and that will only benefit the Conservative Party. “The party at all levels needs to be challenging and that is what I hope to do here in Majorca. “We have a new and very capable committee and I hope we can pull in the full support of existing members and the new ones. “Since I became chairman we have already signed up 30 new members so we are hopefully doing something right.” This Sunday's lunch on board the Barco Samba sets sail from in front of the Auditorium in Palma at 1.30.