International observers of the Tory revival under David Cameron are naturally drawn to its most novel features. David Cameron's campaigning on climate change, for example, encapsulated in the Tory leader's husky-driven ride to a melting glacier. His cycling to work. His embrace of gay rights - notably his decision to extend tax relief to same sex partnerships - has also captured the attention of international observers, particularly on the Left. It would be wrong, however, for these international observers to conclude that the greener, more gay-friendly measures were decisive features of Tory success. They certainly made many people more open to the Party - as did commitments on social and international justice - but more old-fashioned and less sexy tunes still moved most votes for the Conservatives.
In the autumn of 2007 when Gordon Brown was enjoying a brief honeymoon as the new Prime Minister, the party disowned what George Osborne dubbed uber-modernisation and promoted more traditional tunes on Europe, crime and, in particular, tax. A pledge to abolish inheritance tax for all but millionaires produced a surge in the Conservatives' opinion poll rating and persuaded Gordon Brown not to call a General Election that William Hague later admitted would have probably been lost by the Conservatives. A promise to stop the bulk of Labour's 'jobs tax' - a £6bn increase in National Insurance Contributions - was also important in March of this year. A Tory slippage in the polls was reversed. David Cameron's best performance in the three election debates came when he talked tough on immigration, the Euro and welfare. He was able to sell traditional Tory messages more successfully than previous leaders. Cameron was right to broaden the Tory appeal but the imbalanced modernisation that he pursued up until August 2007 took the party perilously close to electoral defeat.
