(1) David Cameron is a true conservative

Much nonsense is written about David Cameron not being a true conservative. The Tory leader is subject to extraordinary attacks by some right-wing commentators, notably Simon Heffer and Peter Hitchens. On occasions Mr Cameron has given his doubters justifiable concerns. His support for still greater state funding of political parties (now abandoned), for example, and the dilution of meritocracy in candidate selection being prime examples.

The overwhelming evidence is, however, that David Cameron is comfortable with all of the great conservative traditions:

• Fiscal conservatism: Cameron promises to bring the budget back into balance after years of Labour squander. Cameron and George Osborne opposed the fiscal stimulus that Brown and Darling proposed at the end of 2008 as "unaffordable".  A decision now saluted by commentators.
• Social conservatism: David Cameron launched his leadership bid with a pledge to restore the importance of marriage within the tax system. He has had to slap down many of his more socially liberal advisers on this issue who wanted the commitment dropped.
• Law and order conservatism: This side of the Tory leader's conservatism has been most evident in his appointment of Chris Grayling to the Home affairs brief but his instinctive sense of natural justice was on show in his handling of the release of the Lockerbie bomber.
• Eurosceptic conservatism: David Cameron's politics were formed in the shadow of Britain's exit from the ERM.  He is a Eurosceptic and delivered on his pledge to take Britain out of the federalist European People's Party.
• Compassionate conservatism: The Conservative Party has a great and, until recently, neglected tradition of social reform.  Iain Duncan Smith is at the heart of the attempt to renew this tradition and David Cameron has given the Centre for Social Justice an enormous role within Tory policy-making.  On the main page of its website the CSJ estimates that 67 of its policy proposals have been adopted by the Conservatives so far.
• Unionism: David Cameron has made important speeches defending the United Kingdom and, under his leadership, the Conservative Party will be contesting the General Election in all four nations of the Kingdom because of the work that he and Owen Paterson have done in Northern Ireland.
• National security conservatism: David Cameron began his 2008 Party Conference speech with a strong defence of Britain's need to prevail in Afghanistan.  One of the most hawkish speeches given by a modern Tory leader was given by David Cameron during the leadership race, on Iraq.  I understand it was written by Michael Gove.  Gove is currently kept away from foreign policy but David Cameron's decision to appoint and retain Liam Fox as his Shadow Defence Secretary is a key signal that the next Tory government will remain on the front foot in the war on terror.

The main issue is not whether Cameron is comfortable with all of the traditions - he is.  The bigger question is whether he will be bold enough to ensure his sound instincts translate into tangible policy advances.  Will his support for marriage translate into a broadly-based agenda for rebuilding the family?  Will he take the very difficult decisions to achieve budget balance or will he merely do enough to pull Britain back from a financing crisis?  Will his hawkishness on defence prevail when the going gets a lot tougher?  The second theme in this series - the Tory leadership's deep politicisation - will be the key to answering these questions.

Comments

[Sally Roberts]

Good analysis which shows how those who dismiss David Cameron with the words "Heir to Blair" (which of course they take out of context) have it so, so wrong!
In fact it would seem that David Cameron is to the right of my own views when it comes to Social Conservatism as I believe that if we make marriage a "totem" we can store up problems for ourselves in the future (remember Back to Basics, anyone?)
On National Security (and it is right to highlight DC's commitment to Defence) and on sensible Eurosceptism, David Cameron is in tune with our Party.

[Marjorie Baylis]

Thank heaven's David Cameron is not appealing to Peter Hitchens and Simon Heffer. If he were, we could consign the Conservatives to the dustbin of history.

[David Galea]

The entire shadow cabinet should be bought a copy of every collection of articles by Auberon Waugh, if they haven't got them already. Embracing the spirit of Auberon Waugh will keep conservatives very happy.

[David Belchamber]

I think the editor is only half right about fiscal conservatism. Bringing the budget back into balance is, of course, quite correct but the worrying thing was, in my opinion, that the official shadow treasury team seemed unable to come up with very much to deal with the situation 'when heaven was falling/And earth's foundations fled'. Various other conservatives (e.g John Redwood, Michael Fallon and Howard Flight inter alia) did produce a much better analysis and proposals.

Where I think Tim is completely correct is:

" The bigger question is whether he will be bold enough to ensure his sound instincts translate into tangible policy advances".

I think IDS's policy review is the key, not only to giving us a long period of government, but also to start dealing with some of the basic unfairness that exists in the lower levels of society. But will DC be bold enough to implement the policies necessary?

[Nick Gulliford]

"Will his support for marriage translate into a broadly-based agenda for rebuilding the family?"

It doesn't look much like it when the policy announced a year ago by Maria Miller for registrars to signpost couples to marriage preparation and relationship education programmes - in conjuction with the Local Government Association - has apparently been dropped without any discussion, explanation or funeral arrangements.

What we have at present is not so much a Conservative Party building a platform from which to govern as a series of little exercises in strip-tease politics.

[Allan]

"Law and order conservatism: This side of the Tory leader's conservatism has been most evident in his appointment of Chris Grayling to the Home affairs brief but his instinctive sense of natural justice was on show in his handling of the release of the Lockerbie bomber."

If I were DC, I'd keep bloody well silent on that matter and let sleeping dogs lie. If DC actually got his public enquiry he would probably find that its remit would get wider than just the circumstances of the actual prisoner release.....

....and start to really cover what actually got the Lockerbie bomber into a Scottish jail in the first place....

...and that means going right back to the Thatcher and Major years and then asking questions that no-one in London, Washington, Edinburgh and Tripoli want answered (or to even see the light of day).

On this issue I feel that DC really had better be careful what he wishes for.

[Adrian Butterworth]

"Much nonsense is written about David Cameron not being a true conservative. The Tory leader is subject to extraordinary attacks by some right-wing commentators, notably Simon Heffer and Peter Hitchens"

So Peter Hitchens is spouting 'nonsense' yet the person who wrote this is so clueless, he thinks supporting Wilsonian crusades is somehow in keeping with the 'great tory traditions' If whoever wrote this really believed or even understood their own arguments, perhaps they could ask Mr Hitchens on to discuss each of the above seven assertions. I'm sure he'd be glad to. Last time he was debated on this website, I seem to remember Tim Montgomery having a rather difficult time refuting Mr Hitchens' 'nonsensical' arguments, being as they were, based on observable facts.

[Northern Conservative]

I fail to see how David Cameron can be considered a true conservative when he has failed to defend the right of the people of this island to decide who and how many people should be allowed to settle in Britain and thus change the make-up of the nation.

So far he has shown that he does not want to face this issue and ths we are likely to face more social strife in the future.

[Chris]

Sorry, but Cameron is not a "true Conservative". There is no such thing. The party is, and has ever been, far too ideologically diverse for there to be a definitive "Conservative".

Specious logic aside, I still feel that Cameron is on the wrong side of too many key policy decisions to be counted a thoroughgoing Conservative. His stance on the 50p tax rate, civil liberties, europe, PPC selection and party discipline have all been a compromise at best, and betrayal at worst. He hides behind the axiom that conservatism is fundamentally practical, and that this requires him to be pragmatic and accept the legacy of New Labour, to pursue demagogic ends and avoid thoroughgoing reform.

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[Nigel Harte]

Cameron needs to aggressively pursue an agenda for rebuilding the family. It is essential.

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[ClubPenguinCheats]

I think he has shown that he does not want to face this issue and ths we are likely to face more social strife in the future.

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Embracing the spirit of Auberon Waugh will keep conservatives very happy.

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