Leadership Matters

Leadership has been the undercurrent at each party conference this autumn.For Labour the Leader is going, the question is more when will he go, less who will replace him. The LibDems do not have a declared vacancy, but the issue of leadership hung heavily in the air.

In Blackpool this week the Conservatives will have the chance to see all candidates for Leader set out their stall. This is a good way to have a Leadership election. It allows the public at large and party members, who now will have the final vote, to guage whose vision of the future best matches the mood of the nation.

It is important to get this right. It is not just about personalities, although this is important in winning elections. It is more about finding the right approach to the issues which people care about in their daily lives.

We are still in the first flush of the new century. Today's Britain faces new challenges which require new solutions. The country needs leadership grounded in principle to restore confidence and trust in our political system. Too often people feel disenfranchised since they distrust the ability of politicians to make any difference to them or the issues they care about.

But political leadership can make a difference, a huge difference to the direction the country takes and the impact of policy decisions on our daily lives. This is why it is so important, not just for the Conservatives, but for all of us, that a Leader is chosen who shows he (or she) understands what matters and what needs to be done.