BBC Politics 97

Hague: "new generation" leader?

Leadership contenders Spice Up Campaign

The battle over the leadership of the Conservative Party continues with William Hague and Peter Lilley gaining new supporters, and Stephen Dorrell announcing an attack on Labour's education policy.

Hague talks of "once in a lifetime chance"

Speaking in Manchester, William Hague said that his objective was to rebuild the party top be the driving force in British politics once more. He said " Together we can achieve this goal. I ask for your mandate to begin this great endeavour. We must take this once in a lifetime opportunity to make a fresh start. Don't support me unless you are ready for big changes, and don't hold back in making radical suggestions" He called for a reorganisation of the party, and a recruitment drive to double party membership within two years.

Earlier in the day, former Scottish Secretary Michael Forsyth announced he is supporting Mr Hague. Mr Forsyth said Mr Hague represented the "new generation" - coining a phrase used by the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and President Bill Clinton.

Mr Hague welcomed his support saying Mr Forsyth "carries weight" in the Tory Party despite the fact that he lost his seat at the General Election.

The two men posed in the sunshine for the cameras on the bridge in St James's Park in central London - a location usually associated with clandestine liaisons in spy movies.

Mr Hague is promising a radical overhaul of the party's organisation if he wins. His catch-phrase campaign has been the need to "build a bridge to the electorate", but he dismissed the suggestion that the choice of venue was anything to do with the need for the new leader to span the divisions within the Conservative Party.

Mr Hague and Mr Forsyth used to sit next to each other in Cabinet and stole the limelight when they posed together waving the Union Flag at the Conservative Party conference last October.

"We have got to have a root and branch rethink about our organisation," Mr Forsyth told reporters, "and I think it is time to choose a leader from the new generation who has the conviction and energy to make the changes that are required if we are to win the next election and become the party of government again."

Dorrell
Dorrell: berates "two-nation" policy

Dorrell To Attack Labour on Education

Meanwhile, Stephen Dorrell will spice up his campaign with an attack on the Government. He is to accuse Labour of pursuing a "divisive" education policy which "stamps" on families' hopes.

Mr Dorrell, the former Health Secretary, will tell Tory activists in north Wales and Manchester on May 31st that the new Government is "writing off" a generation of children for the sake of "political correctness".

On June 2nd, the Commons begins consideration of Labour's Education Bill, which would scrap the Assisted Places Scheme by which lower-income children are funded through fee-paying schools. Labour plans to use the money saved to cut primary school class sizes.

Mr Dorrell will say that the bill marks "the beginning of Labour's two-nation education policy".

The Assisted Places Scheme enlarges choice, breaks down barriers and creates one nation, claims Mr Dorrell. Labour's approach, by contrast, "divides the nation", removing opportunity from children to attend schools whose full fees their parents could not afford.

"Their doors are about to be slammed shut and a notice put up outside: `Rich Kids Only in This School - By Order, T. Blair'," Mr Dorrell will say.