David Cameron has kept his promise. In an article in the Spectator in October, he pledged that under his leadership, “the Conservative party will look, feel, think and behave like a completely new party.” To the surprise of many critics and some supporters, he kept his word. Those who imagined that the modernising agenda was merely about style have been proved wrong. It was predictable, of course, that Cameron should use his first public speech as leader to distance himself from Margaret Thatcher. New Tory leaders generally do—and then ask for her help in fundraising. But Cameron has gone further than that. He has systematically repositioned the party to the left.
He attacks “big business” as a malign interest that needs to be curbed. Where Tony Blair is trying to avoid the economic straitjacket represented by a new Kyoto-style agreement on carbon emissions, Cameron publicly favours a “son of Kyoto,” with all that involves for business costs. The party is also, it seems, now opposed to expansion of nuclear power. Only windmills will do.
The new leader is hostile to real competition and choice in the public services. He has pledged that there will be no expansion of grammar schools and seems to regard private provision in health as morally discreditable and a drain upon, not a supplement to, state provision. He has also ruled out any shift away from a wholly tax-funded health service and rejected tax cuts as a threat to “economic stability.” The Conservatives may well finish up at the next election pledged to higher taxes than Labour. This does not, though, disturb them. The party’s policy chief, Oliver Letwin, has explained that the priority is to “redistribute money” and so “narrow the gap between rich and poor.” This would presumably mean an extension of targeted tax credits and certainly higher taxation on the wealthy. Cameron promised in his Spectator article that he will “stay the course.” But should the party?
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