The closet radical

21 February 2009

The Spectator on David Cameron's policy platform

David Cameron’s path towards power has been long and winding, and may twist and turn yet more before the general election. Tony Blair’s march to Number 10 between 1994 and 1997 was relatively linear. Mr Cameron, in contrast, was underdog in his party’s leadership race in 2005, wobbled badly in the summer of 2007, recovered after the election-that-never-was and then faced a resurgent Gordon Brown as the scale of the global downturn became clear last September.

In the course of this political rollercoaster ride, it has been easy to lose sight of what ought to be the most important fact in British politics: namely that Mr Cameron is still likely to be the next Prime Minister. In recent weeks, that likelihood has hardened into high probability, as a string of opinion polls has shown the Tory leader enjoying a steady and substantial lead over Mr Brown — culminating in Tuesday’s Ipsos-Mori survey, which had the Tories on 48 points, with Labour 20 points behind.

It is time, then, to start treating the Conservatives as the supplicant government-in-waiting rather than a revived opposition, and to scrutinise their proposals accordingly. The stakes could scarcely be higher. Whoever enters Number 10 as Prime Minister on the morning after the general election will face a daunting task of economic reconstruction and lead a country whose confidence has been sapped not only by the terrible conse-quences of the crash, but by years of political and social failure, in which the state has grown as national morale has withered. Pragmatism and good intentions will not be enough. This is an hour for the courageous leadership that will make the necessary shock therapy possible and bearable.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 Next page

wonderfulforhisage

February 19th, 2009 12:53pm Report this comment

You paint him as an 'heir to Blair' as has the Tory party in the past. I've written before that he has Blair's 'don't frighten the horses' outlook, but far from being an accomplished horseman, he's actually frightened of the beasts. He's about as much a 'closet radical' as Dennis Skinner is a 'closet Bullingdonian'.

That's why it will be UKIP for me next time.

Mark Solomon

February 20th, 2009 12:01am Report this comment

Whatever one's doubts about Cameron - caused by his background and him having to imitate Blair following the electoral earthquake of '97 - every one keen to see the back of this morally and financially bankrupt and discredited government should give him the benefit of the doubt.

UKIP is simply a wasted vote - a one issue party trapped in the politics of the past and riven with internal dissent.