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

07 May 2008

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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

This takes us to what is fast becoming the Conservative ‘Big Idea’, involving — as Mr Cameron says — ‘achieving progressive ends through conservative means’. It is an audacious bid to supplant Labour as the main poverty-fighting party and, in doing so, woo the Left as Blair once wooed ex-Thatcher voters. The proposition is simple: for 11 years Labour has fought poverty. Poverty won. Now it is time to try another way.

‘Labour has moved a lot of people from just below the poverty line to just above it and claimed success,’ says Mr Cameron. ‘The Left’s answer is to use lots of taxpayers’ money to change benefits and tax credits, so that you solve the symptom of poverty which is shortage of money. The cause of poverty is the drugs, alcohol, the crime, educational underachievement, family breakdown and worklessness.’ This distinction between causes and symptom lies at the heart of the new Tory analysis.

‘What you need is a conservative tool to reach the progressive goal. And that is to solve the cause of the poverty, which in many cases is worklessness, therefore vigorous welfare reform. Or drug abuse — so emphasis on residential rehab. Family breakdown — so the emphasis is on changes on tax and benefits so families come together and stay together.’

And this is another reason Mr Cameron is reluctant to focus unduly on tax cuts, as he regards this as only part of the overall Conservative mission. ‘The centre-right tradition in politics has always been about the elevation of the condition of the people, ending the “two nations” of rich and poor. For a while in the 1980s, the Conservatives did become the party of economics: free markets and enterprise. I was all in favour of it. But another part of Conservatism is about social reforms, improving the state of society or the nation. I hope I have restored some balance there.’

Another central part of Conservatism is defending Britain abroad and the nation’s sovereignty, and the coming fight may very well be — yet again — over Europe. The Lisbon Treaty will receive Royal Assent next month (barring a miracle or the right outcome in Stuart Wheeler’s heroic High Court challenge). Cameron’s position is that, if the Treaty were ratified, a Conservative government ‘would not let it rest there’. This is a deliberately enigmatic formula, designed (optimistically) to stop the party arguing over precisely what should follow.

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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