Support 110 years of independent journalism.

  1. Politics
22 February 2010

Leaked Tory document exposes façade of change

Document encourages officials to "trick" activists into selecting more gay and ethnic-minority candi

By George Eaton

I’m amazed that the leaked Conservative document advising local officials on how to “trick” grass-roots activists into selecting more female, gay and ethnic-minority candidates hasn’t received more attention. So far the Daily Mail is the only national newspaper to pick up the story.

The document, Action Plan for Candidate Selection in Safe Seats, encourages party officials to use “stealth” and to keep “quiet” over plans to diversify candidate selection. “Like a conjuror, we’ll get more applause if the audience cannot see exactly how the trick is performed,” it says.

It adds:

Most Tories loathe political correctness and positive discrimination. If one tries to be “in your face” about the fact that positive discrimination is taking place activists are much more likely to rebel; a version of “don’t ask, don’t tell” is called for.

Select and enter your email address Your new guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture each weekend - from the New Statesman. A quick and essential guide to domestic politics from the New Statesman's Westminster team. A weekly newsletter helping you understand the global economic slowdown. The New Statesman’s weekly environment email. Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates.
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

A point which rather undermines the recent claim by Michael Gove, the author of the document, that opposition to David Cameron’s modernising agenda is limited to “one or two backwoodsmen”.

Content from our partners
Towards a new, green economy
We all want climate budgets – who is ready?
How software will make or break sustainability

Unlike Tony Blair, who relished open confrontation with his own party, Cameron prefers to avoid direct challenges to the Tory grass roots. But as the Joanne Cash affair most recently demonstrated, he is only storing up problems for the future.

Follow the New Statesman team on Twitter.