Last week saw Jeremy Hargreaves (Federal Policy Committee Vice-Chair) join us to discuss policy development from the perspective of the FCEC and the impact our recent research projects have made on this work.  We noted that whilst we needed a great deal of support from Liberally inclined Tory voters next time, it is imperative that we retain our core vote and are able to draw people from the Labour party as well.

We encouraged Jeremy and FPC to work closely with the campaigns team to use real-time ‘on the doorstep’ feedback. We discussed the need to join-up central policy with training of campaigners to speak to specifics with voters and the need for some star policies, alongside broader thematic messaging of our policies.  One area of particular discussion was a sense of disenfranchesment from political life felt by many voters, something that policies, such as our forthcoming policy on Federalism for England, will start to address.  The two committees will maintain ongoing communication through email on ways for FCEC and FPC to remain in close contact and we are all, across the party's committee structures, thinking of ways to improve communications and joint-working as we establish 'new normal' working patterns. Chesham and Amersham Now we have had more time to reflect on our stunning victory in Chesham and Amersham, the first of many bricks in the Blue Wall we intend to topple, we discussed a detailed update from Dave McCobb and his team.  Key lessons, which I would encourage everyone in the party to think about, included: Deploying our squeeze message early helped us build a strong platform for the mid and late campaign;  'Switch' voters made their minds up late. Pushing hard until the end really matters; and We win where we are most active, recruiting, encouraging and training activists is key to our chances. We also discussed the best use of HQ resources, new Campaigning techniques and approaches to financing early groundwork, and the use of voter surveys.