In 2009 the Tories need to kick their dependency on Dave

One habit the Tory party should aim to cure itself of in 2009 is its over-reliance on David Cameron to gets its message across. Some Tories defend the heavy use of Cameron by arguing that he is both the party’s most attractive face and the only way they can guarantee getting their message reported in the media. But using Cameron for nearly all high-profile announcements prevents other members of the shadow Cabinet from developing national recognition. For instance, I fail to see why George Osborne shouldn’t have made today’s announcements on tax. Also, as Tim Montgomerie has noted, if there are too many speeches by a party leader they become devalued, less of an event. Another problem with this Cameron-centric strategy is that it makes it easier for Labour to play the card, if it chooses to, that Cameron has changed but his party hasn’t.

The Tories should aim to have a handful of nationally recognised figures to carry their message by the next election; a tag-team that tapped the varied talents of Gove, Osborne, Herbert, Pickles and Davis would be formidable.