Pollard on the Conservative party

If you haven't read Stephen Pollard's CPS paper - do so right now. It's good stuff - liberty, education vouchers, flat taxes and a poke in the eye to blue labour.

Without stating it in bald terms Pollard, one of the architects of New Labour, is saying that Blair's project has run its course. It has failed, ground to a halt by the neanderthal beliefs of the Labour party membership.

It is worth questioning Pollard's wisdom in believing that even an outstanding Prime Minister would be able to overcome the ingrained beliefs of the party membership. This would appear to require either a complete ignorance of the workings of our Parliamentary system of government or an irrational confidence in the persuasive abilities of Mr Blair.

And we can also wonder at how this change of heart has been brought about just three months after the election at which Pollard once more supported Labour.

But despite this, the paper is important. It explains why New Labour has failed. It explains why the Liberal Democrats are not an option - they are restrained by their membership in the same way as Labour. And it explains the barriers which the Conservatives need to overcome before they can win power.

It feels like a turning point to me.