VAIZEY, Edward 1968-

PERSONAL: Born June 5, 1968. Education: Attended Merton College, Oxford and Oxford Inns of Court School of Law.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Politico's Bookstore, 8 Artillery Row, London SW1P 1RZ England.

CAREER: Civil servant, consultant, and lawyer. Conservative Research Department, desk officer, 1989-91; barrister, 1993-96; Public Policy Unit, political consultant, 1996—; Regent's Park and Kensington North Association, associate treasurer.

WRITINGS:

(Editor, with Michael Gove and Nicholas Boles) ABlue Tomorrow, Politico's Pub. (London, England), 2001.

(Editor) The Blue Book on Health, Politco's Pub. (London, England), 2001.

(Editor, with Michael McManus) The Blue Book onTransport, Politico's Pub. (London, England), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS: Edward Vaizey, along with Michael Gove and Nicholas Boles, edited A Blue Tomorrow, a collection of political essays published in 2001. A Blue Tomorrow was put together after a slate of conservatives in the United Kingdom were defeated in 2001, their second loss in a row. The book begins with an introduction to the party's key problems, and puts much blame on traditional family ideals. The authors call for recognition of same-sex unions and a loosening of drug laws. Generally, the book points toward social libertarianism.

A Blue Tomorrow welds together a range of perspectives, all of which look at the party's troubles and try to figure out how to remedy them. The twenty-one essays discuss the party's perceived racism and homophobia, its aging population and the overall lack of women in its ranks. The book emphasizes culture and gender; contributor Jo-Anne Nadler urges readers to consider the meaning of social liberalism and contributor Aidan Rankin addresses the conservative party's lack of dogma, identifying this as a conservative strength. Simon Walters, in his review in the Times Literary Supplement, complimented the editors, calling them "three very sharp young Tories," but felt the book lacks substance in terms of issues like economic policy, health policy, foreign policy and Northern Ireland. A Reformer magazine reviewer called it a good book to read if "you want pages and pages on what is wrong with the Tory Party, followed by some 'radical' proposals on what should be done." Walters noted, overall, that "most of the twenty-one contributors have sensible and worthwhile things to say."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Reformer, spring, 2002, review of A Blue Tomorrow.

Times Literary Supplement, April 12, 2002, Simon Walters, review of A Blue Tomorrow, p. 28.