Tories' European campaign gathers momentum
Michael Howard
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Friday, 07, May 2004 12:00
The Conservative Party is holding a brainstorming session of MPs at a former prisoner of war camp in preparation for next month's European, local and London elections
Most of the 163 Tory MPs are expected to attend the event at Latimer House in Chesham, Buckinghamshire. The former PoW camp is now a stately home surrounded by lush gardens.
The Conservative Party is hoping to make the tradition of awayday bonding sessions an annual event, after William Hague and Iain Duncan Smith held similar events during their respective periods of leadership.
MPs met at the house at 11:30 BST, after Mr Howard completed a visit to a nearby science and technology park.
A party spokesman refused to reveal what events are planned for the brainstorming day.
"No policy announcements are expected when the group breaks up tomorrow, a party the spokesman said. "It is an opportunity for MPs to meet for 24 hours of discussion and briefings in the run-up to the June elections."
The Tories are believed to be treating the local, Mayoral and European polls on June 10th as a dry run ahead of next year's general election. It is the first test of Michael Howard after he assumed the party leadership from Iain Duncan Smith at the end of last year.
Meanwhile, the Conservative Party will screen the first of four party election broadcasts on Friday night.
The advert uses humour to poke fun at the Labour government's record on public services and shows a policeman filling in forms as his office is burgled and a surgeon asking a nurse to pass him paperclips and a hole-punch.
The Tories are attempting to highlight increased bureaucracy in the public sector under Labour and suggesting that taxpayers are not getting value for money, despite significant increases in public spending under Labour.
Michael Howard called on Thursday for a live television debate on the subject, saying: "Let's argue our case. I just make one plea: Let's just this once have the kind of grown-up, mature debate on this subject that politicians always ask for and rarely deliver."