Tories to fight on ìfairnessî agenda

-17/03/2003

Addressing the Conservative Party’s spring forum in Harrogate this weekend, Iain Duncan Smith demanded fair

Tories to fight on ìfairnessî agenda

-17/03/2003

Addressing the Conservative Party’s spring forum in Harrogate this weekend, Iain Duncan Smith demanded fairness for the “backbone of Britain” yesterday – both for the vulnerable and the middle-classes.

At last years Spring Forum, Mr Duncan Smith pledged his leadership to ìhelping the vulnerableî. Yesterday he said his commitment had not changed, but said it was impossible to help those at the bottom of society without helping those whose taxes paid for services.

He said a “fair deal for everyone” would be the theme of a six-month campaign.

In a clear hint that the Tories would be offering tax cuts at the next general election, he said: “Conservatives appreciate you have to be fair to the people who pay for the public services and for society’s other responsibilities.”

In an attempt to bring together the apparently competing agendas of ìcompassionate Conservatismî and ìlow tax ì, he insisted that there was no conflict between traditional Tory priorities of tax cuts and the “modernising” agenda of greater social inclusiveness and better public services.

“Our party, the party of Burke, Disraeli and Shaftesbury, fulfils its greatest purpose when it upholds fairness for every person in Britain. Not only for the disadvantaged, but for the hard-working, law-abiding, patriotic majority who deserve a fair deal too,” he said.

People who ran businesses, supported families, kept out of trouble with the police and gave time to their communities were “the quiet strength of our nation. They are forgotten by this Government, except of course when Gordon Brown wants their money” he said.

He vowed to put 40,000 extra policemen on the beat, build more roads, and give head teachers greater powers. In a direct appeal to the middle classes he confirmed that the Tories would introduce cash vouchers for patients to buy health care in any hospital, public or private.

Addressing the Conservative Party’s spring forum in Harrogate this weekend, Iain Duncan Smith demanded fairness for the “backbone of Britain” yesterday – both for the vulnerable and the middle-classes.

At last years Spring Forum, Mr Duncan Smith pledged his leadership to “helping the vulnerable”. Yesterday he said his commitment had not changed, but said it was impossible to help those at the bottom of society without helping those whose taxes paid for services.

He said a “fair deal for everyone” would be the theme of a six-month campaign.

In a clear hint that the Tories would be offering tax cuts at the next general election, he said: “Conservatives appreciate you have to be fair to the people who pay for the public services and for society’s other responsibilities.”

In an attempt to bring together the apparently competing agendas of “compassionate Conservatism” and “low tax “, he insisted that there was no conflict between traditional Tory priorities of tax cuts and the “modernising” agenda of greater social inclusiveness and better public services.

“Our party, the party of Burke, Disraeli and Shaftesbury, fulfils its greatest purpose when it upholds fairness for every person in Britain. Not only for the disadvantaged, but for the hard-working, law-abiding, patriotic majority who deserve a fair deal too,” he said.

People who ran businesses, supported families, kept out of trouble with the police and gave time to their communities were “the quiet strength of our nation. They are forgotten by this Government, except of course when Gordon Brown wants their money” he said.

He vowed to put 40,000 extra policemen on the beat, build more roads, and give head teachers greater powers. In a direct appeal to the middle classes he confirmed that the Tories would introduce cash vouchers for patients to buy health care in any hospital, public or private.

Tories to fight on ìfairnessî agenda

-17/03/2003

Addressing the Conservative Party’s spring forum in Harrogate this weekend, Iain Duncan Smith demanded fairness for the “backbone of Britain” yesterday – both for the vulnerable and the middle-classes.

At last years Spring Forum, Mr Duncan Smith pledged his leadership to ìhelping the vulnerableî. Yesterday he said his commitment had not changed, but said it was impossible to help those at the bottom of society without helping those whose taxes paid for services.

He said a “fair deal for everyone” would be the theme of a six-month campaign.

In a clear hint that the Tories would be offering tax cuts at the next general election, he said: “Conservatives appreciate you have to be fair to the people who pay for the public services and for society’s other responsibilities.”

In an attempt to bring together the apparently competing agendas of ìcompassionate Conservatismî and ìlow tax ì, he insisted that there was no conflict between traditional Tory priorities of tax cuts and the “modernising” agenda of greater social inclusiveness and better public services.

“Our party, the party of Burke, Disraeli and Shaftesbury, fulfils its greatest purpose when it upholds fairness for every person in Britain. Not only for the disadvantaged, but for the hard-working, law-abiding, patriotic majority who deserve a fair deal too,” he said.

People who ran businesses, supported families, kept out of trouble with the police and gave time to their communities were “the quiet strength of our nation. They are forgotten by this Government, except of course when Gordon Brown wants their money” he said.

He vowed to put 40,000 extra policemen on the beat, build more roads, and give head teachers greater powers. In a direct appeal to the middle classes he confirmed that the Tories would introduce cash vouchers for patients to buy health care in any hospital, public or private.