Summary
DAVID Cameron will try to ease Tory fears today by vowing to keep a firm grip on policy-making after weeks of self-inflicted turmoil. With only days to go before Gordon Brown takes over as Prime Minister, Mr Cameron desperately needs to restore morale that has been shaken by signs of uncertainty at the top. His allies admit that the handling of grammar schools policy was a disaster, which made the party look incompetent. In an attempt to regain lost ground, he will tell MPs and activists that he wants to enlist the support of voters to come up with the ideas that will form the partys next manifesto. And he has ordered a shake-up of Conservative high command, which will see ideas supremo Oliver Letwin lose day- to-day responsibility of overseeing policy development. Mr Cameron has been under pressure to reassert his authority after his leadership was battered by the recent row over grammar schools. Tory MPs looked grim during Prime Ministers questions last week as Tony Blair taunted him about his authority. And activists were alarmed yesterday by a poll showing the partys lead over Labour has dropped to two points, the lowest in nine months. Plans are now being drawn up to put one of the Tory leaders closest aides in charge of bomb- proofing policy proposals before they are released.
Former Shadow Chancellor Mr Letwin will hand over responsibility for policy development to 37-year-old George Bridges, currently Mr Camerons political director and a key figure in the leaders inner circle. What Labour is already calling a Save Dave operation began at the weekend, with party heavyweights William Hague and David Davis reassuring traditionalists that there is no question of trying to ape Mr Blair. Mr Cameron has been hit by suggestions he is presenting himself as the heir to Blair at a time when the outgoing Prime Minister and his legacy are looking increasingly tarnished. He will address MPs at a bonding session today before making a speech to activists on the policy process. He will say the ideas to be unveiled in the coming weeks will fuel a public debate about what policy should be, but will not necessarily be adopted.See the full content of this document
Extract
Cameron Moves to Steady Nerves
And he will try to seize ...
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