SATURDAY 28th JULY 2012 Speech to Bright Blue: Tory modernisation 2.0 It is evidence of true political dedication to be gathering on a weekend in July to discuss Conservative modernisation. You might be wondering whether the exercise is worthwhile when you could be watching the Olympic cycling road race or the swimming heats. But let me assure you that it matters: we only have a Conservative party today because of previous generations of modernisers. I tried to show this in a pamphlet, After the Landslide. It was written after our landslide defeat in 1997 to show how we could learn…

WEDNESDAY 12th DECEMBER 2012 Speech to Bright Blue: What will Modern Conservatism mean in 2015? Some of the most resonant phrases which encapsulate deep truths come from obvious sources: the Bible, Shakespeare or the great novelists. Others come from less elevated sources. I have always admired the anonymous advertising copywriter who devised the phrase “Traditional Values in a Modern Setting” for one phase of the Daily Telegraph’s Evolution. Conservatism is about preserving the best traditional values: love of country, family and place. The desire to enable each individual to make the best of his or her talents, while giving that…