29th November 2004

Dear Michael Howard,

I think the opposition party would be wise to market the following idea:

 "You run the UK, and the government is here to help you do so."

 To mobilize people to vote and inspire government change, everyone needs to be made aware that they are important, responsible, involved: that it is people like them that make this country work.

It is not government but the electorate, workers, businesses, shops & services that make civilization happen.

All aspects of society would relate to this message, including students, minority groups, & people from different ethnic backgrounds.

Everyone needs to be reminded that they live here, that they are part of society, and an important functioning part of what makes everyday life happen.

There is too much government under Labour, and too much emphasis in the media on how far the government is prepared to go to shape, limit, control, organize & engineer the lives of individuals in society.

I have never seen myself as a supporter of the Conservative Party, and have not voted since the Labour Party first came to power, when i voted Labour.

It is cultural change and progress that i am most inspired by, and i am sure many people like me voted for Labour in 1997 because voting for the opposition was the only way to express such a belief.

Cultural change and progress is spreading like wildfire right now, both underground and mainstream, and i very much hope that you can focus this growing momentum towards it.

The Conservatives are the only credible opposition to Labour, but it is change not opposition or protest that people need to identify themselves with.

I think the enjoyment many people felt in the breaking down of the Conservative Party after the '97 election can easily be turned to avid support for its reformation, if they can simply see themselves personally reflected in this constructive process.

I have always thought Conservatism was about values, not just moral values & codes that remind people of their heritage, but individual values that help them define their individual relevance and belief in their own identity.

This is the very first letter i have EVER written to any MP or political organization, and i am personally quite shocked that it is the Conservative Party i have chosen to communicate with.

I am sure many people are pinching themselves in disbelief right now as they look towards the Conservatives for an identity check.

I wish you the best of luck.

Best wishes & regards,

Professor Julian Roberts