. ▁When ▁applying ▁for ▁a ▁job ▁at ▁the ▁Conserv ative ▁Research ▁Department ▁he ▁was ▁told ▁he ▁was ▁" ins u fficient ly ▁political " ▁and ▁" ins u fficient ly ▁Conserv ative ", ▁so ▁he ▁turned ▁to ▁journal ism . ▁ ▁G ove ▁had ▁been ▁chairman ▁of ▁Policy ▁Exchange , ▁a ▁conserv ative ▁think ▁tank ▁launched ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁He ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁found ing ▁the ▁right - lean ing ▁magazine ▁Stand point , ▁to ▁which ▁he ▁occasionally ▁cont ributes . ▁G ove ▁expressed ▁adm iration ▁in ▁late - F ebru ary ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁for ▁New ▁Labour ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Tony ▁Bla ir ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁way ▁he ▁was ▁handling ▁the ▁crisis ▁in ▁Ira q : ▁" As ▁a ▁right - wing ▁po lem ic ist , ▁all ▁I ▁can ▁say ▁looking ▁at ▁Mr ▁Bla ir ▁now ▁is , ▁what ' s ▁not ▁to ▁like ?" ▁Bla ir , ▁he ▁thought , ▁was ▁" be h aving ▁like ▁a ▁true ▁Th atch er ite ". ▁ ▁Member ▁of ▁Parliament ▁▁ ▁G ove ▁first ▁entered ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Commons ▁after ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁general ▁election ▁having ▁been ▁elected ▁as ▁the ▁Conserv ative ▁Member ▁of ▁Parliament ▁for ▁Sur rey ▁He ath , ▁after ▁the ▁sitting ▁Conserv ative ▁MP ▁Nick ▁Haw kins ▁was ▁des elect ed ▁by ▁the ▁local ▁Conserv ative ▁Association . ▁When ▁David ▁Camer on ▁was ▁first ▁elected ▁as ▁Le ader ▁of ▁the ▁Conserv ative ▁Party ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁he