2013-05-18T17:48:12-04:00 Chris Dreyfus http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=chris-dreyfus Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Chris Dreyfus Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3112799 2013-04-18T18:38:11-04:00 2013-04-19T07:06:07-04:00

Chris Dreyfus http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-dreyfus/ I was a mere one year old when Mrs Thatcher became Britain's first woman Prime Minister and twelve when she left office. My recollection of the effect she had during my childhood is hazy at best. But it isn't the memories that I cherish in my appreciation for Margaret Thatcher; it's the principles behind a great lady.

Looking back at her life, she embodied the ambition and drive which she encouraged our Country to embrace. A belief that whatever your goals and desires these are achieved by hard work, focus and personal determination. By pushing yourself, not being pulled through life by others.

Leadership often requires difficult decisions to be made; Decisions which are sometimes less acceptable to one group of stakeholders than to another, but which are required to achieve our common goal. After all, if leadership were easy people wouldn't shy away from the challenge.

In the various commentary about Baroness Thatcher's life, I have heard repeatedly that she was direct, determined, focussed and drew strength from her faith. Margaret Thatcher had a vision for a better Britain.

A country of and with ambition is, I believe, what Margaret Thatcher aimed to achieve for Great Britain. Many of the events which have caused some people to be conflicted about her legacy are likely to have happened with time. It is simply part of the post-industrial cycle. Margaret Thatcher's purposeful leadership brought these changes forward; dragging Great Britain into World leadership faster than would have otherwise been the case.

Each time I discuss Leadership Perspectives on my courses, I take the time to reflect and review my own perspective and life purpose. My ambition is to inspire and teach others so that they can achieve their full potential and live their lives on purpose. I believe that having clarity of our life goals and the passion and drive to achieve them benefits the country as a whole.

As I reflect on what I will learn from a lady I greatly admire, I must also reflect on what I perceive to be her failing. Many have spoken of her personal kindness whilst working for her. However, I do believe that in executing her policies she sometimes showed a lack of compassion. I would suggest however that this is, in part, a reflection of the male dominated environment she fought hard to be successful in; a need to become more masculine in order to gain respect.

We are in a different world now. One she has been highly influential in shaping.

We should be striving for a new sort of Conservatism. One which encourages ambition and personal growth; one which understands that family, however you wish to define it, should be the first line of support; one which understands that people should have the freedom to spend their hard earned money and where hard work is rewarded; one where Government provides a foundation for society without being wasteful or majestic; one where there is compassion and support for those truly in need and where equality encourages ambition.

Death is a time to celebrate and give thanks for a life lived. No one can deny that Margaret Thatcher lived her life with passion and purpose. She has provided a strong role model for, not just Conservative values, but values which are universal if we are to build a society which encourages people to achieve their full potential.

Margaret Thatcher, thank you.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1381250 2012-03-26T19:43:29-04:00 2012-05-26T05:12:01-04:00

Chris Dreyfus http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-dreyfus/
Donations give you access. It's the same with all the parties and at all levels. From MPs holding coffee mornings to raise election funds to unions buying an opportunity to elect the party leader. The question isn't so much access but influence.

It is naïve to believe that policy is made or changed based on a couple of dinner party conversations, if indeed there were such conversations. There are many influences on policy; public opinion polls, academic research, policy forums, professional lobbying and general discussions. Some great ideas may well come from corridor conversations but that doesn't make them corrupt.

We must however make the distinction between government policy and party policy. It would be very wrong if party donors influenced government policy. But that they may have some influence over party policy isn't such a torrid idea. There is perhaps a difficulty when the party is in government. However, the influences on policy do become even more complicated when in a coalition.

Others have written about why donors part with substantial funds to support particular parties. I believe that there is always an element of ideological compatibility in selecting which party to donate to; be that generally or on a single issue. But the desire to brag about who you've been hanging out with must surely feature somewhere prominent.

Parties clearly need money. So what do we do now?

There is clearly a need to draw a firm line about where the party ends and government begins. Perhaps this means not using government buildings (even if it is the Prime Minister's home). Perhaps this means capping donation amounts. But taxpayer funded parties isn't the way forward for three important reasons.

With the budget already stretched, taxpayer funding for political parties will infuriate many people when the money should properly be invested in important areas such as education, health, etc.

People shouldn't be forced to have their money spent on a party they don't believe in. With voluntary donations, funding can be seen as a measure of whether a party has sufficient support to survive.

The last three elections have produced the lowest voter turnout since 1945, although the trend is in a fragile upturn. Moving to a taxpayer funded party model will do little to assist in engaging people in politics. As people become more distant from engaging with parties they are likely to disengage further from politics in general and that is not healthy for the country.

Evidence from other countries is inconclusive as to whether this model of funding works to reduce the perception of sleaze and corruption. In some countries, it has only aided in providing further funding for corrupt officials.

And what of this inquiry?

Is Cameron perhaps missing a trick here. Assuming he wanted to make this issue go away a bit faster I would suggest that he appoints an eminent Labour peer to oversee the internal party enquiry. "Have you lost your mind?", I here you cry.

Well, one of the best ways to deal with hostile people is to bring them into the fold by giving them a responsible job. The appointee will be all the more careful to make sure they are not seen to be attacking the Conservative Party on party political grounds. A brave move, but if well managed one which could bring about a fantastic result.
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Chris Dreyfus http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-dreyfus/
The definition I prefer is that "A leader is someone who has to deliver results through others".

This is true whether you run a small team providing a service or producing widgets within a company, you are a corporate CEO or the Prime Minister. Achieving success is determined by how you motivate and activate your team and the results they produce.

This week Ed Miliband was berated live on air for "not inspiring anyone" and a leaked memo from Vince Cable's Department for Business, Innovation and Skills provided Number 10 with suggestions on how to invigorate growth within the economy.

It is clear that inspiration and vision is key to success for the Prime Minister and for the Country.

The economic issues we are facing are certainly difficult and there is no magic wand to make them disappear overnight. But with an ambitious reform plan, David Cameron's ability to relate a credible vision for Britain's future is key to the success or failure of this Government.

Newspaper articles and commentary often quote people who are confused or simply do not understand key parts of the Government's strategy, such as the NHS Reforms and the changes to welfare and social care. The plans themselves are sound in terms of what they aim to achieve, but unless people are able to understand them it is very difficult to gain support. Clear communication is vital.

I have discussed before the key role of consumer confidence in achieving economic recovery. Providing the public with a picture of what Britain will look like in the future will have an important effect on delivering confidence, and so achieving the Government's economic goals.

Vision is about being long sighted. It requires courage, especially in politics, to stay away from the short term gimmicks which may seem to please the voters, but which do not always contribute to building the stable and prosperous future the country deserves.

Visions need to be punchy, memorable and, most importantly, believable; It will be a story which will stir emotions and unite people. Only once Cameron has sold the vision will he be able to get people to come on the journey; to understand the reforms and plan for achieving Britain's future.

David Cameron is in an ideal place though. He is 16 points more popular than his party and a long way ahead of Ed Miliband in the polls. Now is the time to really sell his vision for Britain's future. At the moment, Cameron is the only person who can give the Britain 20/20 vision.
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Chris Dreyfus http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-dreyfus/ Sunday Telegraph, to allow same-sex unions would be a "grotesque subversion of a universally accepted human right."

For those who don't know, Cardinal O'Brien is the head of the Catholic Church in Scotland. He argues that same-sex marriage would be damaging to children and compares allowing same-sex partners to marry to allowing slavery.

It would be easy to dismiss such ridiculous arguments by alluding to the Catholic Church's oversight of decades of child abuse, to point to the many tenets of the Bible which have over the centuries been redefined (including the right to keep a slave!) or the large number of divorces and broken homes resulting of opposite-sex marriage.

You could surmise that Cardinal O'Brien thinks it is perhaps preferable to see children left abandoned in care homes rather than going to a loving same-sex home. In his mind this I guess is better for the child than having two mums or two dads.

But society is changing. And marriage, in general, belongs to society. There will always be those who are unhappy with change; who oppose same-sex unions. Just as there are those who still find that slavery is acceptable, or that women should be stoned for adultery, or even that ethnic apartheid is justified. We call these people extremists. Yet, despite these people, we argue that society has evolved for the better. We announce that we are a tolerant nation, welcoming those from all backgrounds to create a prosperous community.

I am a gay, Christian conservative. Quite a combination some might say. My faith, as well as my personal interest, compels me to support same-sex marriage. The Christian faith, at its core, preaches love, tolerance and freedom. Organised religion however is as much about power as it is about faith. The Church will feel that redefining marriage will remove some of its power. However, Society is evolving and if the church wants to remain relevant then it must evolve also.

As a Conservative I value the power of a loving home in guiding and educating children; whether that home is defined as having a single parent, same or opposite-sex parents. We should be doing all we can to help young people to develop, progress and better themselves. Does it really matter that this encouragement is from same-sex parents?

Opening the traditional view of marriage to include same-sex unions is not a done deal however. We see time and again the voice of those who believe in a tolerant society being drowned out by extremists and bigots. As the government prepare to launch an official consultation on the issue, it is time for those who are pro-marriage and in favour of a progressive society to start being vocal. Start commenting on news articles, start tweeting and facebooking, but more importantly respond to the government's consultations.

Apathy and complacency are not our friends!
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