Letters From A Tory Daily views on British politics and the Conservative Party from a centre-right thinker who writes letters on his blog to politicians, journalists and many others.

Dear Alan Johnson,
I’m sure you consider yesterday’s announcement regarding sex offenders to be a fantastic success, given that the press lapped it up and the Conservatives were forced to fall into line. The plan is to let families ask police if someone with access to their child has convictions or has been previously suspected of abuse, following the [...]

Dear Chris Grayling,
Sometimes when I get things right or make an accurate prediction on this blog, I admit to feeling a small sense of smugness – just like every other armchair politico.  Today, however, is not a day for smugness.  When I wrote to you only a matter of weeks ago about Munir Hussain, who was jailed for [...]

Dear readers,
The recent remarks by Chris Grayling about homeowners supposedly being given more powers to defend their home was poorly judged in my opinion, and it seems I’m not the only one who finds Grayling’s proposals largely unworkable.  Keir Starmer, the Director of Prosecutions, has now rejected Grayling’s promise to review legislation to ensure that prosecutions were [...]

 
Some police officers have always been sceptical of the effectiveness of PCSOs and argue that the public is ill-served by supposed police officers who do not have the same training as full officers and fewer powers.
The Police Federation has accused the Labour Government of undermining the role of constable and “policing on the cheap”.
Earlier this [...]

Dear Chris Grayling,
You certainly won yourself a few fans among Daily Mail readers yesterday with your pledge to ‘protect’ householders who defend themselves from burglars.  Your plan is to review legislation on householders’ rights in the event of a burglar breaking into a home, following a recent case that left many Daily Mail readers angry.  Unfortunately, pandering to one [...]

Dear Chris Grayling,
Having branded the storing of innocent people’s DNA “illegal and morally wrong” not that long ago, your reaction to new evidence from the US about the success of DNA databases would be much appreciated.  The increasing use of DNA technology has helped to drive reported rapes in America to a 20-year low - an [...]

Dear Chris Grayling,
After your bizarre remarks about parts of this country being like ‘The Wire’, a TV series about drug-dealing set in Baltimore, you’ve been understandably quiet on the policy front.  Yesterday saw you re-emerge with a set of proposals aimed at cracking down on alcohol-fuelled violence – some of which I applaud and some [...]

“The fact that once again Gordon Brown is dithering over a serious issue affecting his government is yet another sign of the vacuum of leadership in Downing Street. He seems to hope that the problem will just go away.”
- Chris Grayling on Gordon Brown’s astonishing decision not to sack Baroness Scotland after she was fined [...]

Dear Alex Hilton,
One wonders whether a lack of intelligence is a pre-requisite for wanting to join the Labour Party, given the dearth of talent in the Cabinet and among the parliamentary party.  It seems as though the same question may apply to prospective parliamentary candidates like yourself as well.  Yesterday you admitted that you had created [...]

Dear Chris Grayling,
After your first big announcement this week about confining ‘young troublemakers’ to their homes outside school hours, the press coverage was reasonably kind.  I’ve never heard of such a scheme before so I hope there were some grounds for thinking it might actually work.  Jack Straw has made a habit of announcing random [...]

Dear Chris Grayling,
With rumours flying about that you will become Conservative Party Chairman in the not-too-distant future, you can be forgiven for not firing on all cylinders with regard to the upcoming welfare reforms.  You and I are thinking along the same lines on these reforms: bringing in expertise from the private and voluntary sector is absolutely the [...]

“The leadership of the trade unions are now putting a gun to Gordon Brown’s head. They are rattling the cage at Number 10.”
- Chris Grayling, Shadow Secretary for DWP, reacting to the news that Unite (Britain’s biggest trade union) has demanded change at the ‘highest level’ of government after saving the Labour Party from bankruptcy

Dear Chris Grayling,
You seem to be rising through the ranks of the Conservative Party with some ease and it is becoming more and more apparent why you are highly regarded.
While David Cameron is doing a lot of the glamour work in front of the cameras, which is absolutely essential, you are also following up his [...]