David Cameron has made the first gaffe of the 2015 campaign — and handed Labour an opportunity

Did the Prime Minister mean to say it or not? That question will be on the lips of pundits and politicos over the next few days as everyone attempts to figure out what was on David Cameron’s mind when he spoke to the BBC’s James Landale. This morning’s papers suggest he has committed the first major gaffe of the 2015 campaign — before the campaign has even officially begun. Today’s Guardian, Times, Telegraph, Daily Mail and Financial Times have splashed on Cameron’s remarks and the start of the next Tory leadership contest:

While the papers have worked themselves into a frenzy at the gaffe, the mood on the backbenches is calmer. The Tory party has been remarkably united behind Cameron and although this remains the case, there is definitely some anger amongst MPs at his comments. One Tory MP told me he thought the remarks were ‘odd’, noting that ‘I doubt it is massively damaging but sends a message of both weakness and arrogance.’

Another backbencher says there is a ‘sense of anger at his indulgence’ and that the three named successors — Theresa May, Boris Johnson and George Osborne — will be ‘badly harmed’ as a result. Other Tories don’t think it’s much of an issue, with one MP pointing out that ‘gossiping about leadership is perennial — especially before an uncertain election.’

The task for the Tory leadership is now to play down the comments as much as possible. Michael Gove attempted to do this on Newsnight while the Defence Secretary Michael Fallon argued on the Today programme that:

‘It was a fairly straight answer and a fairly obvious answer. I think the implicitly is that there is a shelf life to any politician – nobody is indispensable…he answered the question in absolutely the straight away’

Whether this issue has salience or not outside of SW1, Cameron will have to deal with a new line of attack from Labour. While the Tories have managed to keep the opposition on its toes throughout the campaign so far, these remarks risk putting the Tories on the back foot. The stature of the Prime Minister within the party has made attacking Cameron as a weak leader difficult for Ed Miliband. But as one Labour insider says, ‘Cameron’s best card was his strength. Now he’s the guy who dodges debates and wants to quit the job — seriously frit.’ We’ll find out at the last PMQs of this Parliament tomorrow whether Miliband is able to make capital out of this new opportunity.