David Cameron has just addressed the last meeting of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers in this parliament. He was given the traditional desk banging reception. Indeed, the loyal, pre-election tone of the meeting was set when John Baron, for a long time viewed as Ukip defection risk by senior Tories, announced that he had put money on a Tory majority.
After paying tribute to the Tory MPs who are stepping down at this election, Cameron began his pre-election rallying call. He told the MPs, don’t let people forget the mess that he inherited. He then, to the surprise of some in the room, talked about the health service in great detail, urging his MPs not to let Labour’s attacks go unanswered. He urged them to point out that in Labour-run Wales, the health service has been cut. It was not just the government record on the health service he wanted defending. He also pointed to its efforts to reduce poverty.
Cameron declared that what voters want right now is security. In full campaigning mode, he said that the Tories had to show that they would give parents the security of a good school to send their children to, workers the security of being allowed to keep more of the money they earn and young people the security of help to get on the housing ladder.
He concluded by reiterating his line about this election being a choice between competence and chaos. Then, in rather cheesy fashion, he told Tory MPs, ‘We’ve got the song, we’ve got the tune, we ‘ve got the policy, we’ve got the lines so let’s get out there and sing about it. Let’s get out there and win.’ Corny it might have been, but it had Tory MPs—in super loyal, pre-election mode—banging the desks and the doors in support.
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