Cameron for Middle England
David Blackburn 4:34pmDavid Cameron is a man for all seasons. The Bullingdon Club man told the men’s mag, Shortlist, how he takes a glug of Guinness, steps up to the oche, shoots 180 and then retires to watch the seemingly interminable Lark Rise to Candleford. He also likes pottering around his garden dispensing Miracle Grow with liberal conservative largesse. So it's only fitting that the Leader of the Opposition will appear on housewives’ favourite, gardener and erotic novelist Alan Titchmarsh’s daytime TV show.
This is a PR masterstroke. Brown has benefitted from his interviews with Piers Morgan and Tesco magazine, not in the polls but in terms of perceptions. Cameron will strike at undecided and reluctant voters through Titchmarsh, who embodies Middle England in a way that Piers Morgan doesn’t. Cameron, striving to be serious, insists that he will do a rigorous television interview at some stage, but his comfy chat about petunias and Bridget Jones will have more effect.
Not that Cameron will be complacent. Piers Morgan’s interview was a shameless put-up for his friend Brown, Fern Britton’s unintended inquisition of Tony Blair was not. Morgan fancies himself as a political animal, Britton and Titchmarsh do not share his pretension and the potential for Cameron to slip is greater with them.
These PR exercises are undignified, but they can make a difference. I wonder which programme will interview Nick Clegg? With his Casanovan reputation he must be a shoo-in for Loose Women.
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Chingford Man
February 20th, 2010 5:36pm Report this commentMaybe Titchmarsh could ask this multi-millionaire why he expected the taxpayer to pay to get his wisteria cleared?
Why has Cameron turned down 2 interview requests from arch-critic Peter Hitchens? Could it be that he's frit?
paulg
February 20th, 2010 5:45pm Report this commentThere is no advantage in giving interviews its already established that he is a nice guy. You never know he might have an off day and start effing and blinding, ala Gordon Brown.
This strategy of interviews in light of what the people who know him are saying, makes Mr Brown look desperate, simply because he is.
TomTom
February 20th, 2010 6:12pm Report this commentCameron should let Ann Coulter interview him or maybe Glenn Beck. If he wants to do the sofa routine a la Tony Blair he should do it on Celebrity Big Brother so we can see just how far he will sink for political image
Liz Brown
February 20th, 2010 6:35pm Report this commentWhy should Cameron agree to be interviewed by Peter Hitchins whose default setting is to sneer at people - he's an odious and arrogant arse who only values Peter Hitchins - akin to the Heffalump in the Torygraph in fact
welease woger
February 20th, 2010 6:59pm Report this commentSpot on Liz!
Chingford Man
February 20th, 2010 7:01pm Report this commentLiz Brown,
You don't appreciate anyone taking Cameron to task so you just throw mud at them.
Hitchens gave one of the best critiques of the Tory Party that I've read in Standpoint last year. Nothing remotely abusive here:
http://www.standpointmag.co.uk/node/2165/full
2trueblue
February 20th, 2010 7:07pm Report this commentThere are lots of little weeds around who will try and put manure on Cameron. Is it necessary to go as far back as his university days? what value soes it add?
Brown whilst a student wrote a guide on how to live off the state. Very enlightening.
Lets hope from now until the election it is not going to consist of totally negative comments by the press. We are in dire straits and the government have brought us there.
Holly ......
February 20th, 2010 7:29pm Report this commentAnn Coulter, Tom Tom?
Good god man have a heart.
Holly ......
February 20th, 2010 7:36pm Report this commentTom Tom,
What about Michelle Malkin?
"Gulp"
I love Glen Beck.
Tanuki
February 20th, 2010 7:58pm Report this commentIf he wants to get the 'middle england' vote Cameron should get an interview by the people behind Waitrose's house-mag. He could also get ahead of the pack and dump the entire 'green' nonsense: coming out and saying 'our sense of aspiration is that we want to help you afford that Audi TT and couple of weeks foreign holiday each year, and if you work hard we'll give you tax breaks to help you get your kids into a private school too' - that will go down well with middle england.
JONNY
February 20th, 2010 9:09pm Report this commentSorry but
Titchmarsh trumps Piers Morgan and always will. A homely middle-England sort of chap, with his fingers in the suburban soil.
Who doesn't mind a spot of Elgar, and can churn out an unpretentious bestseller while dicing his carrots.
Begonias, the Chelsea Flower show and planting your aquelegias before Christmas.
Whos' got the credibility?
It's a no-brainer.
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