What Cameron must do now

The arrival of a prominent new figure in national life is always greeted with a period of experiment among the nation’s political cartoonists. It is not yet clear quite how David Cameron will come to be depicted, though the image that is emerging is of a slightly cherubic fellow with full cheeks and round eyes. Perhaps that does not quite do him justice. Mr Cameron’s political countenance, meanwhile, is likewise a work in progress. Greatly though his success is to be welcomed, not least in the opinion polls, the fact is that he has taken up his new position with a less clear political identity than perhaps any leader of a main political party in modern times. We know that he would, quite rightly, like to see more women Tory MPs and want to talk more to the inner cities. He describes himself as a ‘liberal conservative’. But we cannot yet be sure whether he is a free-marketeer or an interventionist, nor whether his promise to pull Conservative Euro MPs out of the federalist grouping in which they sit in Strasbourg is the sign of genuine dislike for the centralisation of power within the EU.

At present Mr Cameron seems to be enjoying his political ambiguity. When the Observer visited him at home shortly before Christmas he easily batted away difficult questions by saying that ‘all policies are under review’. We greatly admire the new Conservative leader’s ease with interviewers, and are much taken with his charm, which has proved attractive to all kinds of Britons who normally dive for the remote control whenever a politician appears on the screen. But David Cameron will not be able to duck questions of policy for long. The strong possibility of further government defeats in the Commons over the next few months will see to that.