Cameron gets ready for No. 10 — and Boris must wait his turn

10 May 2008

David Cameron talks to Fraser Nelson about his local election triumphs, admits that he is not going to ‘agree on everything’ with the new Mayor of London, and says Boris should join the queue to become PM after him

Whatever one’s ideological preference, one has to take Mr Cameron’s view of political strategy seriously, given than he has just driven Labour to its worst election result since universal suffrage was introduced. As one former Cabinet member moaned to me, he has also supplanted the Liberal Democrats as the party of the protest vote. ‘I have to keep scratching myself to believe that’s true, but I am on my fourth Liberal leader,’ Mr Cameron says. ‘I count them up. Instead of counting sheep to go to sleep at night, I run through Lib Dem leaders.’

Might he soon be on his third Prime Minister? ‘I have no idea. But I do think the British public would find it slightly difficult to accept another unelected prime minister. A party starts to look — how can I put this? — hopeless if it keeps changing its leader. There was a moment when the Conservatives were doing it a little bit too often. I’ve tried to slow down the rate of change.’

One may argue that the needle of political probability is oscillating between a fragile Tory majority and a Blair-style landslide. The difference may be determined by whether Mr Cameron is voted in by default, or because of a clear, positive Tory agenda for change that the nation actively embraces. The Spectator has been supportive of Mr Cameron’s Wisconsin-style welfare reform and Swedish school reform ideas. But such abstruse policy formulations mean little to most voters. Can he spell out what difference these policies would make to the lives of voters after the first term of Conservative government?

Mr Cameron pauses, as if trying to imagine his re-election campaign in May 2014. ‘The education policy would lead to a whole generation of independent schools in the state sector offering choice and excellence. And we will have revolutionised our welfare rolls, in the way Australia and some American states have done, by turning the whole system on its head. So you would have many more British people in work and coming out of poverty because you will have solved one of the great causes of poverty, which is worklessness.’

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Dontcountyourchickens

May 8th, 2008 2:25pm Report this comment

I am getting very concerned at the post-local-elections euphoria. We have seen how volatile the polls have been recently and we mustn't forget that it was only 6 months ago when Gordon Brown was 14 points ahead. Look back to 1992 and what happened to Neil Kinnock.

Dave - I would be over the moon to see you in Downing Street, but please don't become over-confident- You might live to regret it!! I think the electorate would prefer you to rise above the mud slinging that is taking place at PMQs and to demonstrate a mature balanced attitude fit for a Prime Minister in waiting.

Peter W Watson

May 9th, 2008 12:23pm Report this comment

Commie Ron talks like a Third Way Fabian. Is it beyond his learning at Eton to understand worklessness is indicative of a sad mind? Is it beyond hope that Responsible Spending is a whole lot more powerful than tax cuts which we know he can't quantify or deliver right now as he has not seen the books (and they are BAD). but he appears to be smart enough to not crow over a vote which will hopefully kill Labour off until the next generation of idiots who think socialism is the answer vote in another abortion of a government. I see he resists replying to many issues but not all are tax and spend related. The military issues are no longer funny on the day our Armed Forces are wasted and deracinated and the German Armed Forces Minister has just called for a European (EU) Army. Sorry but he doesn't impress me an iota and I am unprepared to vote for his party until he defines the EU issues.

Lindsay Jenkins

May 9th, 2008 12:45pm Report this comment

Boris' great win in London feels like the Berlin Wall coming down.

Would a Cameron win feel the same?

Phrases like 'achieving progressive ends through conservative means' and repeated use of the ugly worklessness (what would Dot Wordsworth say about that?) do not bode well.

We need nuts and bolts government: low taxes to encourage entrepreneurs. That's how you solve 'worklessness'.

If Cameron thinks in contortions about the basics of bread and butter, how is he going to master the European Union?

Michael Cornell

May 9th, 2008 5:31pm Report this comment

I think the Tory's have not done themselves any favours by getting Boris as London Mayor with Dave trying to capture the country, what i would call a hostage to fortune