It makes senses that David Cameron should be considering bringing Lord Heseltine back. Cameron has long been an admirer of his. Francis Elliot and James Hanning report in their biography of Cameron that his idea that Heseltine should represent the Tories on Question Time caused eyebrows to be raised at Thatcher’s Central Office.
But if Heseltine returns to the Cabinet, there will be a problem of balance. As Tim Montgomerie notes, the presence of Clarke and Heseltine in the Cabinet will make a robust approach to Europe almost impossible. Plus, the right would be irritated if the left is over-represented in Cameron’s cabinet which it would be if Clarke, Heseltine, Andrew Lansley and Sir George Young were all in it. A Heseltine return would make it more likely that Peter Lilley, as a greybeard from the right of the party, would be offered a significant job by Cameron.
If Heseltine does answer the call to the colours, then we can be sure of one thing: his conference speech will be a barn-burner.
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