Berlin: 20 years after the wall

The scenes in Berlin tonight are impressive and evocative, as world leaders gathered to mark 20 years since the dramatic night that the wall began to come down. It was particularly poignant to see former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev taking part in the commemorations, 22 years after President Reagan's famous speech calling on him 'Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall'. In the event, it was the people of Berlin themselves who tore it down.

As a nine-year-old then, I have only the haziest of recollections of the event, but remember seeing the pictures on breakfast television and knowing something very important was happening. How important, I only realised in later years. Now, having visited Berlin twice to see our twin borough of Reinickendorf, it all seems more real to me. One of the most interesting parts of our first trip was a visit to a museum near Tegel airport commemorating the airlift of the late 1940s and the period of partition during the Cold War. A part of the wall has been erected in the grounds, shown below.

One of our hosts told me the moving story of how he had been out of the country in 1961 and returned to find the wall had been erected, and the City divided. Another council official told how he had been responsible for helping an East German borough make the transition from communist rule, and had to deal with the often disturbing effects of the Stasi files held by the government on local people there.

It seems now almost literally unbelievable that in our recent history an armed frontier divided a major European City marking a global contest between democracy and communism. Many people have offered their reflections today, far more eloquently than I can manage. David Cameron and Margaret Thatcher have both given their thoughts, but I give the last word to German Chanceller Merkel, herself from East Germany:

'Today marks a truly happy moment of German and European history. Twenty years ago the door to freedom opened up and a seemingly invincible wall that divided a people and an entire continent suddenly became permeable. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. '

We will remember them

I'm currently away staying with friends in Deal in Kent, so observed the Remembrance Sunday service at the local war memorial here. This year I think there's an added poignancy with the last of this country's First World War veterans having passed away, and troops still being killed and injured in Afghanistan. Never has it been more important for us to pause and reflect on their sacrifice.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Europe debate comes to Eltham

Eltham residents had something of an exclusive preview of the current debate on Europe when Shadow Europe Minister Mark Francois came to address a public meeting at St Luke's Church Hall (just a few doors down from my flat, conveniently!).

Mark began by apologising for the fact he couldn't at that time reveal what the Party's plans were should the Lisbon Treaty be ratified - something which David Cameron has now set out in detail with his speech yesterday. However, the debate was actually much wider than the issue of Lisbon, and a wide range of people - not just Conservative supporters - were able to have their say on the question of the UK's relationship with the EU. Mark gave very frank answers, and the event became a proper town hall-style debate.

The prevailing view was that we have given up too much power to the EU, without being asked about it. That is a point which David Cameron's pledge for a legal "Referendum lock" yesterday directly addressed. Despite Labour's attempts to turn the tables, the fact remains that it was Tony Blair and Gordon Brown who promised a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, then broke their word.

If we had a Conservative Government, Lisbon would not have become law without the British People's consent. Now that it has become law, we have to ensure the British people can never be treated with such contempt again, as well as negotiating to return key powers from Brussels to Westminster. That is the sensible and bold approach which David Cameron has now laid out, and I hope that is a message which resonates with those Eltham residents who spoke up last week.

Lunch, Tudor-style

One of the hidden gems in Eltham is the Tudor Barn in Well Hall Pleasaunce, near to Eltham Station. It is the only remaining building of the original Well Hall manor, home to Thomas More when he was Henry VIII's Lord Chancellor. In recent years it had become rather run-down and was a fairly scruffy pub, until the Council (to their credit) took away the lease and put it out to tender for a more suitable use.

I'm delighted that it is now open again as a cafe and restaurant, run by a community interest company with plans for it to also be used for weddings and functions. The other week I went for lunch there (after a morning's canvassing) with our Conservative Parliamentary Candidate David Gold and other friends. It was a great meal, and the place is looking delightful. I highly recommend it, and long may it continue.

Fighting the BNP

There was a lot of debate about the BBC's decision the other week to invite Nick Griffin onto Question Time, with some arguing that his loathesome BNP should be denied the oxygen of publicity, whilst others pointed out that they must be confronted and defeated in debate.

I am instinctively in the latter category, believing that 'no-platform' policies such as those operated by the National Union of Students are well-meaning but counter-productive. Certainly, the scenes of a near-riot outside BBC TV centre on the evening of Griffin's appearance were very unhelpful, giving the impression that it is those who oppose the BNP who are the extremists, seeking to deny a political party a fair hearing. That is exactly what the BNP want people to believe, with themselves cast as sensible, plain-speaking underdogs, rather than the racists and bigots that they are.

In the event, I think it was right to allow mainstream politicians to debate with Mr Griffin, and he clearly showed his true colours, and came out of it a diminished figure. We cannot ignore the fact that a minority of people - including in my own area in Eltham - are turning to fringe parties because they feel let-down by the mainstream parties. Addressing their concerns whilst exposing the racist agenda of the BNP is the key to confronting this menace to our society.

If people want to take an active role in fighting the BNP, they should do it by voting - and campaigning - for other parties. Nick Griffin is standing for Parliament in Thurrock, Essex, where my good friend Jackie Doyle-Price is the Conservative candidate. The weekend after the Question Time debate I was with Jackie helping with her campaign and taking her message to the doorsteps. She will make an excellent MP, and very much hope she will be after the election. I recommend anyone- Conservative or otherwise - should work just as hard to campaign against the BNP by kicking them where it hurts - in the ballots.

Duke of Edinburgh on the buses?

I've just been over at Westminster Abbey where the Duke of Edinburgh opened the British Legion field of Remembrance. A very moving and simple service, made more poignant by the dreadful loss of life in Afghanistan, particularly yesterday's killings by an Afghan police trainee. On leaving, heavy traffic stopped the Duke's car being able the get to the exit to meet him. A bus blocked the way, and HRH joked 'are we getting on that?'. Thankfully the hold-up only lasted a minute or so, and he was able to depart in the Royal limo.

Miss Smith goes to Westminster
A wonderful sight this afternoon as my friend Chloe Smith finally took her seat in Parliament. Having won the by-election in Norwich North in July, she had to wait all summer until the House returned after the summer recess, but lost no time in making her debut today.

She has already proved herself an effective representative for her constituency, having been selected for the seat over a year and a half ago, and I know she will go on working hard until the election next year and beyond. I've known Chloe for nearly ten years, so I am totally biased when I say that she will make an excellent MP, and a breath of fresh air sorely needed on a day when the expenses scandal has made a come-back.

Onwards up the slope

My phone battery expired before I could blog my reaction to David Cameron's speech last week, but my post beforehand pretty much covered it. It struck the right tone, with a sober assessment of the scale of the problem facing the country, but a positive vision of how a Conservative government could make a positive difference. The most powerful moment was his declaration that the poorest in society have been let down by Labour and that it now falls to a Conservative government to help them. This brought the whole hall to its feet in an enthusiastic ovation, which was quite something to see. The polls have shown a rise in the Party's lead over Labour, but no-one I have spoken to underestimates the scale of the challenge facing us. As David Cameron said, it will be a tough mountain to climb, but the view from the top will be worth it.

Winning my seat

The queues to get into the hall for David Cameron's speech this year have been huge, stretching well outside the building. As a party staffer in previous years I had a good view of the hall from the sidelines, but this year I joined the hundreds of others in the queue, so am particularly pleased to have found a good seat for what will be an historic speech.

Let sunshine win the day

Those of you familiar with Conservative literature, and anyone who has been to a Tory event in recent years will be familiar with the images of blue skies and trees which are now used as backdrops for speeches and on printed material. It reinforces the theme of 'change, hope and optimism' with which David Cameron campaigned for the leadership four years ago. Since then, the dark economic clouds have forced a change in tone, with talk of hard times and an age of austerity. This week's conference has been a mix of the two messages, perfectly reflected by the weather, which has veered from pouring rain to bright sunshine. As David Cameron prepares for his speech this afternoon, the word in the press is that he'll be confronting the hard times but looking beyond them to better times to come. That would be exactly the right message- as my picture of the sky above Manchester today illustrates, there are still dark clouds above, but as they clear people want to see sunshine after the rain.

Tax cuts are in the bag

Merchandising triumph of the week so far- the Taxpayers Alliance are dishing out bags emblazoned with 'I love low taxes', which a large number of conference-goers are now using to carry their accumulated clutter. Not quite the leadership's message of choice for the age of austerity, but full marks for effort. My former colleague Alex Deane models them above.

Gordon's porkies

Ok, so it's not big or clever, but I can tell you the pork pies being sold at conference as 'Gordon Brown's Porky Pies' are absolutely delicious.

Tory Pride, Labour shame

It says something about how far the Tory party has come in recent years that the only hostility faced by gay Party members attending tonight's Tory Pride party in Manchester came from Labour Party activists who took it upon themselves to picket the event with banners and loud hailers to scream abuse at attendees. All credit to Tory blogger Iain Dale, one of tonight's hosts, who went outside to debate politely with them. He is pictured above with Amy Lame, who was with the LGB Labour lot. He invited her in, but she sadly declined, thereby missing the chance to mingle with Party Chairman Eric Pickles, Thesesa May, and the host of other shadow Cabinet members and MPs who are packing the event. As I type this I'm on the dancefloor dancing to Abba with Anne Milton MP. This is a proud party tonight in many ways.