Archer: Take a leaf from Labour's book

Lord Archer Wants Tories to Steal Best Of Labour

Lord Archer was giving the Robert Kennedy Memorial Address at the Oxford Union tonight. At the lecture, he spoke of the need for a tough shake-up of the party.

He said: "The Labour Party ran a brilliant campaign. But I'm not suggesting we should steal policy from them. They stole policy from us. Not only did Tony Blair steal Margaret Thatcher's clothes, but he even asked her how to wear them. I'm surprised he didn't nick her handbag as well."

Warning Conservative MPs against complacency, Lord Archer said "We have to steal from them the very best things from their campaign, because if we sit back and think it will be ok in four years time... it won't."

Lord Archer interviewed on Today (dur 1'40")

The novelist and senior party figure also revealed his reasons for supporting William Hague in the coming leadership contest. "Labour" he said "had gone to a new generation with John Smith and then Tony Blair, and I think it is time that we go to a new generation as well."

As part of his speech to the Oxford Union, Lord Archer called for radical reform of the party's organisation, saying it "needs not only to take a leaf from Labour's book but steal almost every chapter".

He urged Tories to appoint a chief executive to drive the party to victory in the next election - a man or woman who will "make Peter Mandelson get up in the morning more frightened of the Conservative Party than the vagaries of his own party".

Lord Archer said a voice should be given to party workers in the regions, to "resuscitate" membership, particularly among women and young people.

"TV Interviews Count For More Than Speeches"

But "top of the list and written in capitals should be the word 'division'", he said, pointing to the splits on Europe which still plague the Tories.

Lord Archer, who is convinced that politics has changed and moved closer to the American model, said it was vital for the Tories to understand that television interviews count for more than a speech in the House of Commons, that "we live in the age of soundbites".

It is this type of "quantum leap" in organisation, self-discipline, campaigning and communicating with the public that the party needs, according to Lord Archer.