Agreed Michael. I don't see why I should trust Cameron on any issue, let alone Europe. His disdain for grassroots opinions and political priorities was clear enough over the grammar schools fiasco. We have no reason to believe he won't be offensive to us, if WE get him elected, on the issue of Europe should he be in Downing Street. 3 Parties, 1 policy on Europe I'm afraid to say. How did it ever come to this?

As a thurrock tory (also the name of my blog) it's not looking good on the ground. Chances are we'll lose the three seats that keep us the largest party to the BNP (1 seat - West Thurrock) and two to Labour (Ockendon and Corringham Town, though Corringham Town could also go to the BNP). This, however, could have been averted if there was proper organisation in Thurrock and if the association had started leafleting and getting in touch with the voters earlier. They ignored all advice and started leafleting in March - which has been taken, cynically, as an election ploy "ah, we're getting a leaflet, there must be an election soon". That being said, it might not go to Labour and could remain a hung council. Or the Independents and/or BNP could hold the balance of power, which is more tricky. In all, if the council is lost, Labour wont be able to say they won thurrock, it's the tories who lost it.

All nice and cuddly in the abstract. Cameron can afford to pay increased taxes. I can't.

I recommend all members email Kirkhope at tkirkhope@europarl.eu.int and ask him why he set a whip in opposition to Tory party policy on the euro.

Tapestry 9.33 is absolutely right. We need something like a real Bluelist or Torywatch back to find out which MP's are committed to the EU and 'ever closer union' and get members in associations to either hold them to account and, if necessary, deselect them in favour of a candidate who wants a sovereign, independent Britain free from the EU. UKIP are a waste of time, and the real battles are fought over candidate selection. They'd have more influence in the tory party than outside it agitating from the fringe.

The EU bureaucracy will always drive towards ever closer union and an EU federal state, by its very nature it is federalist. The only reason Kirkhopeless and co. want to stay in is to feed off the gravy train. The true patriots, like Hannan and Helmer - people who have signed the better off out petition - know what the solution is, it is to get out of the EU, an organisation which is designed to end in a federal europe as written in the founding treaty of rome.

Labour man Chishti on the A-list. Letwin calling for growth in public services, and not their reform. Have i stumbled on Labourhome by mistake???

Tory support down to 10% in Scotland!!! How do you go down 7% if Cameron is meant to have created a 7 to 10% lead over Labour in national polls?

Technically Valerie, Cameron doesn't agree on decentralisaion on the NHS or education, seeing as he's gone out of his way to court the public sector and provide a tax philosophy that will probably keep spending [and waste] levels as they are. So, in some ways Kingbongo is right in saying Cameron would be better off with the New Labourites.

It would also shift the balance to the Left in the Lib Dems, with the Northern Lib Dems and their more social-democratic politics taking over and holding a majority in parliament.

Good on Cornerstone...about time there was a strong traditionally conservative element in the party now. What can be wrong with promoting low taxtaion, nationhood and traditional family values? We used to be for those...once. What's changed?

There's lots of very talented MP's in Cornerstone, comstock. For instance, Rosindell and Spink achieved massive swings at the last election, unlike some of the A-List luvvies. Watkinson won her seat in 2001, when everything was seen as hopeless. Philip Hollobone is one of the most value for money MP's. There is a wealth of talent in Cornerstone, both newly elected and seasoned MP's.

Anyone for Roger Helmer as the next MP in Rushcliffe?

110 gains

Philip Davies, for the 'Better off Out' campaign, starting the ball rolling on a campaign to get Britain out the EU.

The Sun is giving the BNP free publicity, yet again, and will give them the sympathy vote. And when anyone reads this, they'll ask who the bigger crook is, Blair for handing out peerages for a cash loan, Clarke for letting foreign murderers and rapists out of prison, or the BNP, people they've never heard of, who it so happens, have done all this bad stuff just days before an election the establishment are desperate for them not to do well in. This will backfire, just when we don't need it to...

Frank Field and Kate Hoey. The former for realising the problems in the pensions system and how to re-engage the working class in politics [ironically, with conservative proposals]. Kate Hoey for her conservatism, on northern ireland, on hunting, on europe. They're both conservatives, sadly in labour, who show more principle than Maude or, dare i say, Cameron.

I couldn't agree more with the above posts. Cameron's reaction to the Better Off Out campaign shows his general antipathy to the eurosceptic cause. The important thing is that it exposes Cameron's spin on the issue and how his EPP policy is just a stunt to get the eurosceptics on his side.

Congratulations to Philip Davies, and to the people of Shipley for electing him. But Cameron's reaction is just typical and shows how the Left have gotten to him. Mr. Davies is right to hammer away at this issue because being in the EU is harming us. Just look at the 'deal' Blair got away with that has us paying even more into the EU budget. The French claim victory, Blair gets away with it and Cameron stays silent. At last Mr. Davies is standing up for the British people, and good luck to him.

Seems people are voting Green, going Green while our voters are scurrying to the BNP as the Lib Dems swepe up the rest. I think come the morning of may 5th, people will reflect on this as the election people protested against the Blair/Cameron duopoly at the centre. And rightly so!

Nomination: Roger Helmer Citation: For exposing the Europhilia rife in our MEP group, for sticking to his principles and for a patriotism we could all do well to follow.

Don't forget Alice Thompson and the painful Rachel Sylvester, i swear if i read their tripe anymore my retinas are going to wither. They support Cameron, but not conservatism, which i think needs to be stressed. Not all of Cameron's cheer leaders are traditional conservatives by any stretch of the imagination.

Nomination: Simon Heffer Citation: For providing a consistently robust Conservative platform of nationhood, patriotism and small government, irrespective of short-term political fads.

Oh dear, someone hasn't learned from Hodge's mistakes. Here we have an Etonian, establishment figure attacking a small protest party for being 'hateful' etc. It doesn't look well, also, when the tory party leader is urging people to vote for anyone else, including the government, to stop them. As long as people give the BNP free publicity, their polls will continue to rise. Finally, i don't know why Davis is visiting Barking. The tory structure there is non-existent anyways and the tories haven't polled higher than the BNP at local level in years.

"I agree with you that its about balance but I'd prefer balance on the positive side. " How can it be balanced if you're favouring a side? Moreover, im not saying we need to be anti immigration, im saying we need a policy on it that addresses peoples concerns and lets them know one party has an immigration policy that doesn't turn our borders into swiss cheese.