Policy Task Forces
I have just been reading Iain Dale’s excellent Blog – no better source of contemporary news on the Party than here. I wholeheartedly endorse what Iain says about taskforce reports. These are policy suggestions for discussion and are not Conservative Party policy. Clearly there is much to commend some of the ideas in the Social Justice Taskforce report headed by Iain Duncan Smith, but that doesn’t mean that these are Conservative policy. They will be discussed at length within the Party before any decision is made on their content. This would certainly apply to any proposals concerning taxation, for example.
There are existing taskforce reports which we in Wales will be looking at, as there is a Welsh taskforce chaired by Cheryl Gillan which will look at how these policy ideas will impact on Wales. One such is the taskforce report headed by Michael Heseltine which, for example, recommends elected Mayors for cities and communities in Britain. The Welsh taskforce will be looking at that and I know that Nick Ramsay, our Local Government Spokesman, is also considering its impact, as are Council Leaders, Councillors and Party activists up and down the country.
It is important in opposition that parties renew themselves and this process of studying detailed suggestions on policy is, I think, a very necessary part of that process and much to be welcomed.
