In a 700-word open letter, Brian Binley MP accuses David Cameron of "chasing headlines"

By Peter Hoskin
_{Follow Peter on Twitter}

Brian Binley's opinion of David Cameron is no secret. Only a couple of weeks ago, he wrote that “the Prime Minister has proven to be a rather disappointing custodian of our party”. Before that, there was that attack involving that Lib Dems and chambermaids.

But Mr Binley may well have exceeded his earlier efforts with the “open letter to the Prime Minister” that he has today posted on his website. You can read the whole thing here, but here are some of the more acidic paragraphs: 

“Having been an office holder in the Conservative party for fifty-three years, I find it difficult to remember a time when the party’s leader in government failed consistently to chime with the natural instincts of our supporters.

There is a wide – and growing—gap on a number of issues. The media frenzy of the last week-end over gay marriage arising from your premature observations has resulted in the creation of organisational factions within the party squabbling in public over the issue. Countless activists are feeling driven to give up their much-needed support for the party, and, as any legislation progresses, this injury can only get worse.”

…

Our position on Europe is not shared by the overwhelming number of our supporters; our approach to energy policy risks littering our countryside with ineffective and expensive wind farms whilst the lights go out and industry is driven to foreign climes; the City of London is facing an assault of overt marginalisation from the high priests of the eurozone; and our priorities on spending are creating a dangerous void in defence whilst scarce fiscal resources are lavished on countries with space programmes in the name of poverty alleviation. We are, it seems, powerless as a sovereign democracy, to prevent dangerous miscreants achieving incremental enhancements in the name of human rights, whilst our Exchequer can be plundered by foreign bureaucrats on grandiose visions of a continental political project in which we do not share. Fine universities could be sacrificed for the sake of targets and quotas, rather than raising the standards and aspirations of an entire generation of young people. Our coalition partners have proven effective in mis-representing the achievements of the Conservative party in government, and we appear unwilling – or unable – to take a stand to correct the record.

…

I implore you to recognise that our current course is one which imperils our prospects for victory in 2015, and to take the steps that, as a leader, will put it right and create a platform for the majority Conservative government that this country so desperately needs.”