One consequence of the local elections is that no Tory now denies that they need to win over UKIP voters to win the next election. How to do that, though, remains a subject of intense debate — last night’s 1922 Committee meeting with Grant Shapps discussed this point and ran massively over as a result.
A large part of Nigel Farage’s appeal is stylistic. He is a technicolour character compared to the monochrome politicians of Westminster. He paints in primary colours rather than shades of grey. Now, Cameron can’t, and shouldn’t, ape this. He is not that kind of politician and would look inauthentic if he tried to be. But he needs someone to try and reach the voters that this approach appeals to. There is one obvious candidate for the job.
Many Cameroons balk at the idea of giving Boris Johnson a prominent role in the general election campaign. To put it bluntly, they don’t trust him. But the presence of Lynton Crosby, who helped Boris to victory in London twice, should help ensure his good behaviour. It would also be in Boris’s interests to be as helpful as possible. If the Tories won, he could claim a large chunk of the credit. If they lost, he would have established himself as the heir apparent and addressed concerns that he is not a ‘team player’.
The other reason that Cameron should approach Boris sooner rather than later is that the Mayor of London’s role in the campaign is going to be a matter of intense media interest. Cameron needs to be on this — and every other issue — leading not following.
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