A Very English Front Line

I have just returned from a meeting of the Conservative Association where the PPC Jason Sugarman was doing his bit to get a few sparks flying on what looked a friendly if slightly Methuselan gathering. As ever amongst Conservatives there were some highly intelligent and detailed questions much of it concerned with the local scene which I am only catching up on. He was introduced as a man which was going to make Mr. Bean into a ‘has-been’ by the twinkling and congenial MC and when I could take my eyes off the terrifyingly attractive young lady sat next to me I tried to get a sense of the man and the state of play. Picture the scene , a slightly shabby but architecturally satisfying Hotel , about 50 people in a room whose smoke still lingers and perhaps a slightly claustrophic conspiratorial atmosphere. Military ties were not absent neither were whiskers , farmers , but as many un-categorisable types .

The first thing to say about Jason is that he is clearly a worker. He immediately recognised me and even found me a drink .He was equally thoughtful to everyone he spoke to .It was also clear that he was an effortlesly real Conservative who has spent years on Councils in the real Political world as well as doing a proper job as a barrister He was an encyclopaedia of local events and history , knew everybody and clearly has a command of detail not to say a street fighting local instinct. I did not yet get “the vision thing “ but this was a rather informal meeting in which to thunderously orate might have struck the wrong note . Not quite the finished product but a man with palpable sincerity . This natural human quality of straightforwardness will be his greatest weapon against he slippery and self adoring Norman Baker the sitting MP .

With this audience the job was to get people motivated and to get them involved in how we were going to win. This was achieved by hammering home the raw facts of the matter.

1 The Seat can be won. It was safe Conservative seat and it is above all one where the solidity of the Liberal vote will be crucial . On current polls it is on a knife edge and a good campaign will be crucial

2 In this seat you have a the country written in small . For the Conservatives to form a government they have to win seats like Lewes and they have to make the paper swing into real votes . Help me or get Brown was the message and that is a message I would like to hear more of

3 He gently implied that the Conservative Party has had to modernise without ruffling feathers. He was keen that we show we have changed and in such a seat as this the Party truly has to be a new Party with a new message. The audience agreed , as I often say many Pary members are nothing like as doctrinaire as right wing commentators are often valuing small c Conservatism over Libertarian or Friedmanite economic theory.


4 He saw that the best line was that Baker will let in Brown and in that he must have the somewhat inglorious but effective narrative for a Liberal held seat.

5 He attacked Baker with brio, venom and satirical humour . It was here that I felt the tempo rise.( more on Baker to follow )

I would have liked to hear more of his positive thoughts for the country , the sort of thing that David Cameron does so well and there was little for the political geek , like to me to gnaw on in terms of national analysis . This is a fiercely local place though and the MP is far more attuned to the region that was the case in London where they were absent Landlords .

Lewes has a top quality PPC albeit with some momentum to find .If he can get some energy behind him he has a good chance of winning . I see him growing into the role and I do not for one second doubt that he would be a marvellous MP when it comes to actually getting things done.

This seat and others like it is where the future of the country will be decided and with that thought you realise that the slightly comical minutiae of the area is far from comical .

It is the front line in the battle for the soul of England.