Tory urges marginal focus

A senior Conservative MP has said that his party needs to target marginal seats and convince people it can be trusted with public services and the economy.

 

In an interview with ePolitix.com, shadow health minister Mike Penning said that this weekend's Tory spring conference would focus on the economy and public services.

 

"We all know there are problems with the economy and how it is being run, frankly we are staring over an economic precipice and we need to get the message out that we are the party of the economy and be the government of the economy, which is the way the Conservatives have always been seen.

 

"We also need to make sure that people understand that we will stand up for public services.

 

"Billions and billions of pounds have been put into public services and the public don't really see where that is going.

 

"Despite £100bn going into the health service we still have real shortages in maternity care, dentistry and other areas and the public need to know that we will stand up for better public services," he told this website.

 

Asked why the Conservatives were not doing better in the opinion polls after a difficult few months for the government, he said: "We are doing brilliantly well in the polls. I have just been looking at some of the polls around my constituency where I have a 0.1 per cent majority but the polls suggest I would have a 10 per cent majority at the next election which is pretty good for one of the most marginal seats in the country.

 

"And I think what we need to look at when we look at polling is the key marginal seats because they are the ones that you need to win and we are working on.

 

"If anything we are over-confident and that's why the prime minister ran away from the autumn election," Penning added.

 

And he said that it was more important to build on traditional Conservative areas before concentrating on Labour heartlands.

 

Asked whether the party should be looking to the Celtic fringe and the cities of the north he said: "I don't think so. I think we need to talk to people and explain to them what we stand for as a party again.

 

"Remember that we suffered the most serious electoral defeat in 1997 that this party has experienced in modern times and to come back from that has been a real struggle but what David Cameron has managed to do is secure our base and then move forward."