Why does David Cameron keep insulting his party? It’s a question plenty of Tories are asking and the answer is buried on p33 of The Times today. Its new chief political correspondent, Francis Elliot (he of the indispensable Cameron biography) has disclosed that the party’s research shows its voters are suspicious of “the same old Conservative Party”. This squares with my information. Cameron’s behaviour is explained by his belief that there’s a gulf between Tory activists and Tory voters – and he will keep pitching his message to the latter, even if it infuriates the former. “We’re still in Phase One, persuading the country that we have changed” a senior Cameroon said to me recently. So for grassroot Tories who are fed up with being flogged by Cameron, it’s bad news. There’s plenty more to come.
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