Monday
(0)On this day when the prize for private space flight was finally won I tuned in to the Conservative Party Conference - the Conservative Party is (at least since the Liberal party was taken over by radicals like Harcourt in the 1890's) the closest thing we have to a party of private property and free enterprise in Britain.
Dr Fox (the Chairman of the Conservative Party) made the first speech. "We must reclaim the colours of the national flag from the extremists [I believe that Dr Fox meant the BNP], we must reclaim the Red, White and Blue" said Dr Fox whilst pointing to the great board behind him.
Unlike some people, I rather like this patriotic stuff (indeed I type this in sight of my own little Union flag). However the great board to which Dr Fox pointed was not Red, White and Blue - it was a blue board with black writing on it.
Now I have nothing against blue and black, they are the colours of the Estonian flag (a nation I much admire) and, in heraldry, blue and black are the colours of loyality and constancy (steadfastness) - things that the Conservative party lost in 1989 and is now (I hope) trying to get back to.
However, to the television viewers, Dr Fox and the people who cheered him in the conference hall seemed to be either colour blind or insane. I can only assume that what was seen by the people in the conference hall was different from what was seen by the people at home.
Perhaps the great board was a screen and at a key moment the Union flag appeared on it, and the television cameras did not capture the key moment... a plot by the BBC?. But it was all very odd.
I found that odd too. I just figured that Tories see everything differently to everyone else.
I mean they see Howard as electable.
Posted by Mike Peach at October 4, 2004 10:58 PM
Reminds me of two John Major (the last Conservative Party Prime Minister) quotes:
"We SPENT MORE than Labour promised to!"
and the infamous:
"When your back's to the wall, it's time to turn around and start fighting!!!"
Posted by Antoine Clarke at October 4, 2004 11:07 PM
If you look at the wide shots, I believe their new logo is behind the speakers, to their left, which is probably where he was gesturing. The new logo is red, white and blue.
Regards
Posted by Andrew at October 5, 2004 08:39 AM
I understand, he was pointing at a logo that I did not spot.
I must say that this is still not very good from the point of view of the people sitting at home.
Oh well at least Sir Anthony Meyer, Michael Heseltine and the rest are not still active (hopefully Mr "Ken" Clarke will be seen off as well).
It may be that the Tory versions of Sir William Harcourt ("we are all socialists now") have been seen off - but I still not one hundred per cent sure of this.
Posted by Paul Marks at October 5, 2004 03:18 PM
