“WE´VE SEEN THE FUTURE: CAMERON”

By Humphrey Carter CONSERVATIVE Party heavy-weight, Steve Norris, last night told local Tories that their support is more important that ever with the party on the eve of a new political dawn. Full of inspiration and excitement about the future, the former Minister, deputy party chairman and MP arrived in Majorca yesterday to tell members of British Conservatives Abroad at a party fund raising dinner last night that delegates at the Tory Party conference in Blackpool “have seen the future and the future is David Cameron.” In an interview with the Bulletin Norris said that for the first time in many years, since the John Major era in fact, the party conference was positive and encouraging. Norris said that he respected Cameron's wish for privacy amid allegations that the Tory leadership hopeful took drugs while at university. “I think that you can safely say that we all did things when we were much younger that we now regret. I doubt that this affair will affect his leadership chances.” Responding to claims that the leadership battle had got nasty, Norris said “if anyone thought that this contest was going to be a tea party, they were mistaken.” But despite the controversy, Norris believes Cameron is still the right man for the top job. “The party's biggest problem since Labour came to power has not been our language so much, but our failure to get our message across. “I have to admit that I went to Blackpool backing Ken Clarke, but I came away supporting Cameron and I wasn't the only one. “We all saw last weekend's post-conference leadership polls and there was a huge surge in support for Cameron. “He went to Blackpool an outsider and came away the clear winner with a 37 percent share of support and that's because he got his message across and I think the majority believe he is the right person to get our message across at the next election. Our biggest problem at the last election was we did not connect with the electorate, despite Labour losing seats. We failed to capitalise on their drop in support even to a certain extent at the conference, there were still people talking about Gibraltar and Zimbabwe when Labour and the Liberal Democrats used their conferences to talk child-care, private education and school meals with Jamie Oliver; issues which the electorate care about and can relate to. “I'm not saying issues like Gibraltar and Zimbabwe are not important, but they are not election winning ones,” Norris said. “For the first time in a very long time, in David Cameron, we have an attractive package which I believe will bring the disgruntled Tories back to the party. We'll also make in-roads in the key vote groups we have either lost votes or have failed to appeal to in the past such as the 25-45 year-old A,B women, that's the groups where we lost most of our votes but I think Cameron can win them back. “He's getting the message across and he's talking the right language. “The fact he is young is not a problem. He's 39, Kennedy was U.S. President at the age of 40, Hague was leader aged 36 and Pitt the Younger was Prime Minister at just 24. “In fact, I think age will work in his favour. At the next election, he could be up against the Lib Dem's Kennedy who always looks older than he really is and Brown who will nearing 60. “Anyway, he's got time to learn the ropes and gain further experience. “It's unlikely we'll win the next election, but come the following one, he will have all the experience he needs, a well formed shadow cabinet and a well developed political plan - a solid platform to fight from,” Norris said. “We also have to bear in mind that Brown may be Labour's own worst enemy. While there are sections of Labour which are extremely irritated and frustrated with Blair, but are terrified of life without him, Brown is not going to appeal to the centre ground. “Neither has he got the swift, silky and appealing delivery that Blair has. “You have to hand it to the Prime Minister, when he's backed against the wall he always manages to capitalise on every situation, be it Lady Di, 7-7 or the European Parliament, with his appealing heart-felt speeches, Brown is not as articulate. “For once there was a very positive atmosphere at the party conference. “Cameron, especially, was full of aspiration, his speech was up beat, it was fighting talk, not the negative attacks on Labour we've had in the past - it was what most of the delegates wanted to hear. “I talked to many delegates in Blackpool and I've spoken to many MP's since and they all agree that we saw the future in Blackpool. “This year there was a sense of wanting to win again at the conference and we have not sensed that for a long time - even the media could not ignore the positive vibes in Blackpool. “I no longer see Clarke as a viable option. He will find it very difficult on issues such as Europe. “Each week in the House, all Labour has to do is table a question on Europe and joining the Euro and pro-Europe Clarke will end up siding with the Prime Minister while going against the wishes of his party. “We got ourselves caught in a position like that over the Iraq War, which not all the MP's and the party supported, and it compromised us.” Norris does not even believe in Clarke taking up the reins until the next election with Cameron as his deputy. “No, that will not work, it never does. Cameron, or whoever the next leader may be, needs to be given his own space and allowed to fight his own corner with his own people. “We can't afford to mess around with in-party squabbles any more. “What is more, they're two very different packages and Cameron is the much more appealing. “Clarke isn't one for compromises, you're either with him or you're not and we need some flexibility to respond and react to important issues in line with what the people want. “You have to remember that opposition parties do not win elections, government's lose them and I believe that the Labour government is definitely starting to lose it. “We have a much smarter opposition bench, we have a very good I.Q. in the house and Labour's, especially Blair's, sell-by date is nearing. “Blair knows that, he's not stupid but, as we all know, he wants his place in history and will probably hang in until the 10 years mark - 2007 - before handing over to Brown we presume. “But Blair has no longer got that great sense of crusade. Labour no longer has a strategy, it appears to have lost its way and is just limping on. “Blair is not going to stay past his sell-by date because, as we sadly saw with Margaret Thatcher, it's down hill as every day passes and without Blair, Labour will fall into political dissent. “She went two years past her sell-by date...and it all got rather undignified. “In every democracy political leaders have their sell-by date, Aznar, Clinton, Thatcher. Blair is astute enough to know when his time is up - he's already started to lose his shine and the people not longer trust him - and I think Cameron is going to be the perfect package to replace Blair on the shelves once Labour's class product is withdrawn,” said Norris. “Davis ruled himself out with his conference speech, it was not so much the delivery but the content and it lacked passion. He was also far too right wing. “On the other hand, Liam Fox did well and appealed to the rank and file of the party but I don't know if he will attract new voters like Cameron will. “I think the leadership race will go down to Cameron or Fox.” Norris praised Michael Howard for his decision to step down immediately after the election while allowing time for the party members to have a good look at the candidates to succeed him. “I think it was a very sensible move and he's done the right thing by allowing the so-called “beauty pageant” of candidates. He has not rushed the party into electing a leader but given us all time to get to know the candidates and, hopefully, elect the right one. “I think the party should be very grateful to the way Howard performed as leader, we clawed some key seats back at the election, and for how he has handled his resignation. “He has kept the best interests of the party at heart throughout. “I hope the positive vibes from the Blackpool conference have filtered through to our members in Majorca but my mission here has been to spread the good news, share the good feeling in the party, stress the fact that we want to win and the votes, as well as the financial support, are vitally important for the party. I've come with an upbeat message. “The Party has found its way again, we're back on track and, providing Cameron is the next leader of the party, believe we look forward to eventually steam rolling Labour and the Lib Dems.”