Pickles backs campaign to save election night

Conservative Party Chairman Eric Pickles has given his support to an online campaign to save the traditional election night ballot count.

As news spread that a number of councils are considering postponing the counting of ballots until the day after the General Election, an online campaign was set up yesterday to lobby for the traditional election night.

Led by Jonathan Isaby of ConservativeHome.com, and backed by activists from other parties, the campaign group on Facebook has been gathering momentum today.

Pickles has given the campaign his full support. In a letter to the Secretary of State for Justice, Jack Straw, he has called for guidance to be issued to local authorities encouraging them to maintain the traditional practice of counting on election night:

"At a time when interest and trust in politics is at such a low ebb, it would be a retrograde step to suck all the interest out of the most important and vibrant part of our democratic process. One only has to look to June’s European Parliamentary Count to see how the whole process had all the impact of a soggy sparkler on Bonfire Night."

In an attempt to build a cross-party consensuse he has also written to his counterparts in the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats, urging them to back the campaign.

Click here to join the "Save General Election Night" Facebook group

Former Gurkha wins by-election for the ConservativesFriday

Eric Pickles has said he is "delighted" at news of an ex-Gurkha's victory in a Medway by-election.

Tashi Tamang Bhutia, the Conservative candidate in the previously Labour-held ward of Luton and Mayfield, finished first with 1042 votes.

Eric said Tashi's victory was "further proof of the invaluable contribution the Gurkha community makes to British society" and he added:

"It is a shame that the government had to be dragged kicking and screaming before they woke up and realised the Gurkhas should be treated as honoured veterans of our armed forces."

Pickles hails Totnes primary as "great success for democracy"

Eric Pickles said the turnout in the Totnes open primary had exceeded his “wildest expectations” after 23.9% of the electorate took part.

In a British political first, ballot papers were sent to every voter in the constituency inviting them to choose the Conservative parliamentary candidate.

Dr Sarah Wollaston won the ballot, with 7,914 votes, and will represent the Party at the next General Election.

Eric, the Party Chairman, said the open primary had been "a great success for democracy", and proved that “if you trust the people they embrace democracy".

He stressed, "I hope Totnes represents a new type of politics, which rejects negative campaigning, and sees openness as a way to restore confidence in public life. I hope over time that the primary process becomes a permanent fixture in British Politics."

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War Room Briefing 3

Eric Pickles speaks to you from the campaign trail in the latest edition of the War Room Briefing. He explains the issues that are coming up on the doorsteps, and stresses the importance of convincing people not to vote for fringe parties at the upcoming elections.

Conservative number 2's created himself a bit of a stink

I know that its a bit late because the original brodcast was on Thursday, but I saw it again today and I just can't sit in silence any more on the subject of Eric Pickles, Chairman of the Conservatives and my local MP. He was on Question Time this week and when it came to the subject of MP's expenses, he crashed and burned in the most spectacular way I think I have ever seen it happen to anyone in politics. He had a look of abject self-pity on his face as he obviously realised that he had just made one of the biggest political gaffs of recent time. It was almost painful to watch and I had to stop myself feeling sorry for him at the end of it, remembering that he's supposed to be a professional politician and should've been prepared with a better argument than the one he put forward. The conversation went something like this:

Pickles: "I do indeed have a two house system and an allowance. But if I could just make a brief contribution -

Dimbleby; "How far away from Westminster are you?"

Pickles: "Thirty seven miles."

[Boos from the audience]

Pickles: "And if I could just make this brief contribution to hang an MP week -"

Dimbleby: "Take your time! Take your time!"
Pickles: "OK, then let me explain why. And I have actually had experience of commuting that distance, when my wife was ill (she's fully recovered now) - but for a month I did it. And it was an extremely difficult experience and I'll explain why. Because the House of Commons works on clockwork: you have to be there, if you're on a committee, you have to be there precisely. Particularly for someone like me, I was a number two -"

[Boos from the audience]

Pickles: "Let me explain, let me explain, please just let me explain for a moment. I had to be there -"

Dimbleby: "Like a job, in other words?"

[applause and laughter from audience]

Pickles: "Yes exactly like a job. If you're number two in the opposition, you're essentially running the committee. So I needed to be there at 9.30 to move those amendments. It doesn't matter if a Liberal Democrat isn't there, but it matters if I'm there -"

Ed Davey: "That's just cheap"

Pickles: "When I was doing this, I was leaving home at five thirty in the morning to guarantee that I was there and I wasn't getting back until twelve or one in the morning. Now you can do that once or twice, you can do that for a while. But you've got to understand, the House of Commons runs like clockwork."

Caroline Lucas: "So does the rest of the world, Eric."

Pickles: "And I have never, ever claimed my full allowance. I have always claimed the amount -"

[jeers from audience]

Pickles: "Well I mean, I publish them. I've always published them on my website. They've always been there for people to see. I have always been accountable. And I can tell you, I think the things are going to come out in a week's time. I think I've only claimed about sixty percent of the allowance, it might even be fifty five percent. But I'm a serious guy who will put in the hours. And I will work for those hours. But I can tell you this: it is no fun doing five thirty in the morning right the way through. You cannot be sat on a train thinking 'am I going to make it? Am I not going to make it?' That's why I do it."

Audience Member: "Do you think Fred Goodwin should give some of his pension back Eric?"

Pickles: "Yeah, I do."

Audience Member: "Right - that's because he's behaved immorally, unreasonably perhaps. But he's played within the rules! Don't you think that's a bit hypocritical?"

Pickles: "I had my flat - I bought my flat when we regularly sitting until two in the morning. I bought my flat when we did that. I bought that flat because it turned out -"

[Audience member: "sell it!"]

Pickles: "OK well I'll sell it. Of course I could sell it. I am never going to be able to satisfy you folks, at all, because I am an MP and therefore guilty."

The thing that upsets me is that this man is supposed to be the Conservative's "number two". If this is the second best that they've got then I really have to ask myself whether the Tories really are the party I want to stand up with at the next election given the views and attitudes that Pickles expressed so desperately. The fact is though that Labour needs to go and I feel that this realistaion, these feelings I am having about what Pickles said and his attitude to his station in life has put me squarly between a bloody great rock and a bloody great hard place and that makes me mad!!!