We need a radical redistribution of power

The expenses scandal is still the number one topic of conversation across the country. In offices, on buses, at home, the strength of anger being voiced is like nothing we've heard for a long time. But I don't think that anger begins and ends with expenses. I believe it stems from a long, deep dissatisfaction with the way that politics and power work in our country.

The fact is that people feel they have very little control over the world around them - and they're right. While some areas of our lives offer us choice and control as never before - in media, travel, shopping, entertainment - when it comes to the things we ask from politics and the state, there's a sense that someone else is always pulling the strings, always pulling power away from people.

Today, in a speech to the Open University, David Cameron set out our plans for a radical redistribution of power back to the people: from the state to citizens; from Whitehall to communities; from bureaucracy to democracy. This is a massive, radical change. But we believe that through decentralisation, accountability and transparency we can take power away from the political elite and hand it to the man and woman in the street. You can watch the speech - and look at the live Q&A blog David did afterwards - by clicking below

Sign for Change

Sign for Change

Join our campaign to force Gordon Brown to hold an election.

David Cameron: "I think the scale of the problems facing Britain today - the recession, the debt crisis, and above all the political crisis - all point in one direction. I think there is now only one way of sorting out the mess, and that is for Parliament to be dissolved and for a General Election to be held right away."

We are turning the campaign we had planned for the local and European elections into the campaign Britain now needs: a campaign for a General Election, to be held as soon as possible after the 4th June.

We want everyone - whether they support Labour, the LibDems, or the Nationalists, or no party - to join in.

Though the power of our collective pressure, we can force Gordon Brown to act.

No - there is no constitutional requirement for a General Election. Yes - this Labour Government could cling on for another year, with or without a new leader.

But we don't think the country wants to wait another year to pass judgment on their politicians, and on this Parliament. We don't think the country wants to wait another year before we start dealing seriously with the debt crisis and this economic crisis.

The political system in Britain today, from the Prime Minister downwards, is quite simply paralysed. And it is now abundantly clear that the country does not want to wait another year to give everyone in Westminster a simple message:

We want change - now get on with it.

Sign our petition for a General Election

Launch of NO2ID in Derby

Last Night, I was very pleased to attend the inaugural meeting to launch the NO2ID campaign in Derby.

The NO2ID campaign deserves all our support for so many reasons:

This Labour Government’s plan to introduce ID cards will cost billions of pounds at this difficult time, but will not make us safer and could expose the public to an even greater risk of identity fraud. Not to mention the whole issue of Civil Liberties.

ID cards will not make us safer:

• They do not prevent terrorist attacks – ID cards are compulsory in Spain, but that did not stop the Madrid bombings in 2004
• They will not prevent illegal immigration, as foreign visitors will not have to have an ID card unless they plan to stay for more than three months
• They won’t prevent human trafficking – only a dedicated Border Police Force can enforce proper checks on people entering and leaving the country

ID cards are a waste of money:

• Everybody will have to pay £100 to get one – this is the official estimated price for a combined ID card and passport package
• Implementing the scheme will cost up to £10 billion of taxpayers’ money, according to estimates.
  

So if you want to know more or get involved please get in touch with Nick Wray who is leading the campaign in Derby.

Nick can be emailed at: derby@no2id.net

Britain needs a General Election

A Message from David Cameron:

I've been up in Lancashire today launching our campaign for the European elections. These elections matter and only by voting Conservative will we get the changes we all want to see in Europe.

Our candidates are the kind of people Brussels needs more of. And they've all signed our pledge to stand up for the kind of things Brussels needs more of: delivering more for less, cleaning up the political system and, of course, giving us the referendum that we were promised.

So I hope you will give them your full support. But the big election, the election we really need, is still to come - and it can't come soon enough.

I've wanted a General Election for some time but now the sheer scale of the problems facing Britain today - the recession, the debt crisis, and now the political crisis - has changed everything.

They've made having an election not just a "nice to have", but an absolute "must have". Some MPs are calling for a new Speaker, but that alone doesn't get to the heart of the matter.

This political crisis has been caused by the politicians, so I don't think the politicians alone can solve it. The public have got to be involved. They have to be given a chance to voice their anger and approve of a new way forward.

That's why I'm announcing today that we are turning the campaign we had planned for these elections into the campaign Britain now needs: a campaign for a General Election to be held as soon as possible.

Conservative candidates and activists right across the country will be collecting signatures for a petition demanding that Gordon Brown calls a General Election.

You can help kick-start this campaign right now - just click here to sign the petition online, and then send the link to your friends and colleagues.

If we all Sign for Change we can send a message that the government can't ignore.

Party Election Broadcast

In our latest Party Election Broadcast, David Cameron apologises for the action of some Conservative MPs and explains the measures he is taking to sort out the issue of MPs' expenses.

Shadow Cabinet expense claims published

On Tuesday, David Cameron announced a series of immediate measures to start to rebuild trust in politics and take action on the issue of expenses.

He banned Conservative MPs from claiming for furniture, other household goods and food shopping; put an end to the practice of 'flipping'; and set up a Scrutiny Panel to review all excessive claims and arrange repayments where appropriate.

In addition, the Shadow Cabinet are publishing online all the expense claims they make to the House of Commons - and you can view all the claims made since Tuesday here.

David Cameron: Action on expenses

David Cameron has announced a series of immediate measures on expenses to ensure that Conservative MPs live by the values of “responsibility and thrift”.

He said that the issue of expenses had done “much to undermine our whole political process” and apologised for the action of some Conservative MPs and the fact that the issue had "come to this”.

David explained that members of the Shadow Cabinet will pay back expense claims that have caused concern – and he announced that a new Scrutiny Panel will examine every excessive claim by any Conservative MPs and decide if the money should be paid back:

“Conservative MPs who have made excessive expense claims will have to go in front of that Scrutiny Panel and pay back the money agreed or they will no longer be Conservative MPs. It is as simple as that.”

David also announced a number of actions that will apply to Conservative MPs and will be implemented before the launch of Sir Christopher Kelly’s report on expenses:

• An immediate ban on all MPs claiming furniture, other household goods and daily subsistence allowance. Only rent, mortgage interest, overnight hotel bills, utility bills, service charges and council taxes can be claimed by Conservative MPs.
• Every claim made to the Fees Office will be published immediately online, starting straight away for the Shadow Cabinet and as soon as possible for all MPs.
• No Conservative MP will be allowed to re-designate their first and second homes for the purposes of the Additional Cost Allowance (ACA) without approval by the Chief Whip.
• From now on, anyone selling a home for which mortgage interest is currently paid for by the ACA must confirm they will pay Capital Gains Tax on it.

David warned that "these actions alone will not fix out broken politics" and that “it will take time and effort to repair a system that has been allowed to deteriorate over many years”.

But he stressed, “If we win the next election, we will be asking the whole country to come together to show social responsibility, personal responsibility and thrift – so the least we can do is ask Parliament to live by those values as well.”

Read the full transcript of David's press conference

A Message from David Cameron

Labour's Government is falling apart in front of our eyes. The scandals behind the scenes. Humiliating defeats in Parliament. U-turn after U-turn. Cabinet Ministers mocking the Prime Minister. And behind this political pantomime there is no policy, no direction, no vision.

We urgently need change. That's why this year's local elections are so important. We launched our campaign this week with a strong, clear message: a vote for the Conservatives won't just get you more for less - a cleaner, greener, safer place to live for fewer taxpayer pounds. It will also give you the chance to show Gordon Brown just how sick, tired and disappointed you are with his Government.

We've been spreading this message all over the country: Newcastle, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Exeter, Plymouth. I love getting on the road and meeting people. It also gives us a chance to do more Cameron Directs - townhall-style events where people can come along, stick up their hand and ask me anything they like. They don't pull their punches and that's just how I like it. You can see what I mean by watching our latest Party Election Broadcast.

The end of the week has been dominated by expenses stories - and I expect there will be many more over the coming months, from all parties. I understand why people are angry about this. That's why as soon as the problems arose I was first out of the blocks, making sure that our MPs and MEPs set out clearly how they spend public money. This is just the first step to a cleaner, more open system. Slowly and surely we're going to re-build the trust between politicians and the people they serve.