I'll tell all before I am outed

Today I reveal what has been known only to my close circle: I am a member of the Conservative Party and have been for the past four years.  This may shock some of my Facebook friends who may be moved to 'unfriend' me.  So be it.

I have been active in party politics as an agent, a candidate at local elections, a councillor and have held officer positions.  But my real interest has been in policies, not the machinations of political parties.  Not for me the 'my party right or wrong' approach.

Over the years issues change, policies change,  political parties change and our attitude changes.

The Liberal Party of Jo Grimond is not the same party as the English Democrats of Nick Clegg.  The Liberal Party sold its soul when it merged with the Social Democratic Party.  Today the echoes of the old parties exist in  protagonists for and against the Orange Book.

The Labour Party of Harold Wilson was quite different to the Labour Party of Michael Foot.  Then all change to Blair's New Labour and the 'Third Way'. Now the party is divided between Blue, Red and Blairite Labour.

The Conservative Party of Harold Macmillan was not the same as Thatcher's Toryism and in its turn the Conservative Party of Cameron is different again.

In fact, there is little to distinguish between the mainstream of the three parties, such differences as there are are at the edges, as each of the parties seeks to capture the 'middle ground'. What matters to me is not the philosophical or ideological base a party starts from but the practical effect of the policies they promote.

In my time I have been  a political party wanderer in and out of the three parties along with a very brief dalliance with Respect in the immediate aftermath of the decision to go to war in Iraq.

So, why the Conservatives?  Hardly the policy on Europe as I am opposed to EU membership. Hardly on account of the stance on devolution and the failure to answer the West Lothian Question in the fairest way by establishing an English parliament.

Four years ago I was introduced to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) and I have been involved with it in a very minor way. For me, CSJ has identified clearly the problems of poverty and deprivation and come forward with sensible radical proposals to tackle the issues.  As I have argued in previous posts the reason we have the problems today is because the party of government over many years, Labour or Conservative, has failed to tackle the issues head on, indeed has in some respects made matters much worse. 

Out of the lawlessness  of the riots some good may come if dealing with issues of poverty and deprivation shoot up the political agenda.  We have been promised today by Mr Cameron that this is indeed the case and I can but hope it is not another false dawn. Now there is the opportunity to embrace radical proposals and action has to commence now.  We don't need an inquiry to mull matters over, we have to get on with the task of mending 'Broken Britain'.