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Friday 31st July 2009Britain's leading conservative blog

ConservativeHome's monthly survey is now LIVE Do you support a right-to-die? Do you support 50% men, 50% women quotas in candidate selection? Is it time to bring our troops home from Afghanistan? Does the budget deficit mean it's time to delay the inheritance tax pledge? Click here to have your say in ConservativeHome's monthly survey. Today's ConservativeHome features ToryDiary: The fifth chapter of The Shoestring Manifesto offers 'Practical environmentalism' Andrew Tyrie MP on Platform proposes independent appointments to the Lords, term limits and a proper regime for sanctioning and expelling members: Interim reforms for the Upper House Local government: Cllr Teresa O'Neill on what the Conservatives have achieved in Bexley since ousting Labour Also on local government yesterday's by-election results including a Tory gain of a ward where a councillor had been expelled from the BNP Douglas Carswell MP on CentreRight wants your help in writing a Great Repeal Bill Melancthon on CentreRight: The legalising of assisted suicide Tim Montgomerie on CentreRight: LabourList v ConservativeHome WATCH: ITV1's Loose Women disagree with each other about David Cameron's radio swearing Today's other newslinks Gordon Brown is 'John Major in 1996' according to YouGov - Telegraph | Yesterday's ToryDiary Telegraph calls for Alan Duncan to go in shadow cabinet shake up "Alan Duncan's record as shadow leader of the Commons has been dismal, particularly during the expenses scandal, when the way he had handled his own claims was called into question. His performance as the Tories' representative on the Members' Estimate Committee, which sets MPs' allowances, has been little short of abject. Theresa May, too, has made little impact at work and pensions. Obvious candidates for promotion include the talented Ben Wallace, the first MP to publish all his expenses online; Grant Shapps, who has impressed with the housing portfolio; and Mark Lancaster, who has done likewise with international development. Mr Cameron should also act on his hint that some of the old guard will return." - Telegraph leader > Alan Duncan is the least effective member of the shadow cabinet according to the ConservativeHome survey of Tory members Conservatives are biggest spenders as Brown's party uses cash to pay off debts - Independent Donations to Scottish Labour fell by 90% in just one year - The Herald > Yesterday's ToryDiary Edward Mcmillan-Scott MEP says Polish leader of Tory MEPs is face of "disguised extremism in Europe" McMillan-Scott was writing in yesterday's Yorkshire Post. Dan Hannan MEP writes a long defence of Michał Kamiński on his blog. We must be ready to tend to the casualties of this war - Patrick Mercer MP in The Independent MPs in the Treasury Select Committee attack Darling's "cosmetic" reforms of banks - BBC Bob Ainsworth admits Labour failed troops "The Government did not do enough to support British troops in Afghanistan and Iraq at the start of the conflicts, the Defence Secretary has admitted." - Times The Liberal Democrat leader often leads the way, but not the polls - The Economist Nick Clegg advocates televised debates between the party leaders "If Gordon Brown believed in the Labour party and his own record, he would be champing at the bit to hold this debate. I'm eager because I want people to know about Liberal Democrat policies, and I want the opportunity to explain why Labour and the Conservatives would take us in the wrong direction. Labour's time is up, and the Conservatives think it's automatically their turn, but I think in these difficult times we need to do something altogether different." - Nick Clegg in The Independent Steve Richards uses his Independent column to say that pundits, fashion, technicalities and soundbites would mean a debate would not inform voters. Frank Skinner drafts a text for Brown to use in a TV debate - Times Council house cheats can earn £20,000 a year by sub-letting - Times Mixing music and politics - The Guardian looks at U2's mix of activist politics and music