The Sunday Telegraph is reporting that Steve Hilton, chief strategic adviser to David Cameron, is relocating to California where his wife - Rachel Whetstone - is taking up a six month appointment at Google's world HQ.
It appears, however - despite The Sunday Telegraph's headlines - that Mr Hilton will remain a key adviser to David Cameron, on full pay but playing a strategic, rather than a hands-on role.
It is a mark of Mr Cameron's respect for Mr Hilton that such a distant relationship has been accepted. So many decisions in politics come out of team discussions and a fast reaction to events. Mr Hilton's role will now have to be even more strategic - focusing on the big picture direction of the party.
Alongside George Osborne and Andy Coulson, Mr Hilton is part of what Iain Martin has called The Quartet that runs the Conservative Party, with David Cameron. Although Mr Hilton is seen as a moderniser - and was behind the greener, gentler emphases of the period up until the course correction of last August, September - he also strongly supports the party leader's social conservatism and commitment to marriage, fatherhood and the family.
Speaking to ConservativeHome last week Steve Hilton was full of the joys of fatherhood himself and his commitment to his own family explains this move to California.
If the move is only six months - as billed - there are advantages to the Project Cameron. This is a time for Mr Hilton to observe the US presidential campaign at close quarters and be refreshed in his strategic insights.
> More on the role each key Quartet adviser plays: Andy Coulson, Steve Hilton, George Osborne.
Amazing! To be able to move abroad ,take a less hands on role and still take the (very generous) full salary. I hope the Sunday Telegraph has been misinformed or has the leadership taken leave of its senses?
Posted by: Malcolm Dunn | May 31, 2008 at 22:49
We are 24pc ahead Malcolm! Give Steve the credit (and a break).
Posted by: bluepatriot | May 31, 2008 at 22:56
Sorry not interested in spending my time raising money so we can pay for someone (not) to do their job. As I say, I hope the ST has been misinformed but if it's correct then words fail me. Only a political party would pay someone so much who was not available to do a full time job.
Posted by: Malcolm Dunn | May 31, 2008 at 23:05
This would presumably be the same Steve Hilton that voted for the Green party in 1997?
Posted by: Chris Palmer | May 31, 2008 at 23:17
Hilton was and is wrong. The party's fortunes picked up in one week on one policy and it wasn't very green, it was tax cuts.
Svengalis behind a leader are invariably a malign influence, even when their advice is good. In this case, we will have to hope that the Editor's beloved America rubs off on Steve and he comes home in a gas guzzler with a new view of the benefits of tax cuts on the economy.
Posted by: Opinicus | May 31, 2008 at 23:44
Well Steve Hilton has been worth every penny of that salary and more. I hope that some on here realise that he, among others, has helped provide that strategic political balance in the party which has jettisoned us to some amazing poll figures.
In fact, when you look at the team that Brown has in Downing street and what their combined cost is, Hilton's salary provides a damn sight better value for the Conservative party with the added bonus that it has produced results!
Posted by: ChrisD | May 31, 2008 at 23:47
I assume he's going to California by pedalo.
Posted by: Brett | June 01, 2008 at 01:08
bluepatriot (31 May at 22.56) surely realises that 'it was Gordon Brown wot done it' at Crewe and Nantwich much more than Steve Hilton or David Cameron.
Posted by: Northern Conservative | June 01, 2008 at 07:23
What is seldom mentioned is that SH and DC were both wet behind the ears staffers in CCO during the '92 election campaign. Acolytes of Chris Patten.
This expensive relationship and SH's position is due to that background.
Every leader needs people he can trust in key positions, but the cost incurred in securing SH is phenomenal and probably not justified in terms of results. He is an expensive security blanket for a leader who should now be confident enough to move on.
Spend SH's salary where it will count - on the ground in marginal seats.
Posted by: Old Hack | June 01, 2008 at 09:52
Ah yes the same Steve Hilton...father of the Conservative summer cock up....
2006 - "Hug a hoody". NOW - the streets ankle deep in stabbed teenagers.
2007 - "No more grammar schools". NOW - parents fighting over limited places in top quality, state-funded secondary schools and wanting more.
2008 - "No tax cuts until a second term". NOW all polls showing electorate think public spending/taxation far too high, truckers take direct action....
It makes you weep really
Posted by: Schlieffen Plan | June 01, 2008 at 10:53
“…he also strongly supports the party leader's social conservatism and commitment to marriage, fatherhood and the family”.
What a shame a number of Conservative MPs, a few prominent front benchers included, do not.
Posted by: Hardcore Conservative | June 01, 2008 at 11:37
18 months of Hilton inspired attacks on our own party, (for which he did not even vote in 1997), gave us 35-38 poll ratings and a Labour lead of 11%
An end to the attacks on our own Party and new plans to scrap Inheritance Tax saved our bacon and prevented an election we would have lost. We go 42%+
In the Crewe and Nantwich By-election, the Lib Dem vote dips by just 5%, despite 18 months of cuddling up to the Yellow scum and it is - surprise, surprise - the C2 working class vote, that Major and his merry men pissed off so badly, who give us a thumping win.
Off to America Steve, enjoy your skinny Latte's and tofu burgers
Just don't come back.
When I want a Socialist to take £300,000 of the Party's money to talk total toss I will send for you
Posted by: Treacle | June 01, 2008 at 12:10
Hilton's worth every penny. His and Cameron's strategy has helped to get the party back to a position where it is listened to, rather than ignored by habit. People appear to forget that the party was in a position where people hated policies simply by association, regardless of whether they actually agreed with them or not.
We wouldn't be where we are now without his sterling efforts.
Posted by: David | June 01, 2008 at 16:59
Spot on David @ 16:59
Glad to see some sense here - without Hilton's trashing of our fuddy duddy law & order, education and taxation policies we would be well and truly in the s**t...anyone who believed in safer streets, quality free education combined with lower taxation and other bits of useless old Tory policy...what a bunch of p******s. Fancy thinking that would win us anything!!!!
Posted by: Dave's Moobies | June 01, 2008 at 18:32
This is the same Steve Hilton who came up with New Labour, New Danger? Great...
Why might he be coming back from America?
Why the brown tounge here?
Posted by: party man | June 01, 2008 at 18:33
Isn't it just like Boris Johnson taking 250k while being "Mayor," when not busy doing something else, of course...
Posted by: Andrea Maitland | June 01, 2008 at 18:35
I completely disagree with "David," I had many fags at Eton, and I must say, that none of them performed as outstandingly as he has... and he's an oik, you know.
Posted by: the real david | June 01, 2008 at 18:40
“…he also strongly supports the party leader's social conservatism and commitment to marriage, fatherhood and the family”. What a shame a number of Conservative MPs, a few prominent front benchers included, do not. (Hardcore Conservative, 1137)
I share this disappointment. Also that George Osborne, mentioned by the Ed as one of the Quartet which “who run the Conservative Party”, voted to keep the abortion limit at 24 weeks, siding with abortionists in the medical profession rather than the overwhelming evidence that a foetus at that stage is a unique human being (even ‘walking in the womb’ at 12 weeks). My estimation of Osborne has plummeted.
Posted by: Philip | June 01, 2008 at 22:22
A couple of days ago we had a torrent of abuse aimed at George Osborne and now a similar tirade against Steve Hilton.
I don't know who these Jeramiahs are on this site, but they don't sound like the local Tories in my neck of the woods.(North Hampshire).
YouGov tells us that we are 24% ahead of Labour and (with Osborne in mind) 17% ahead on economic competence.
Isn't it time you stopped moaning and congratulated yourselves on your good fortune?
Posted by: john | June 02, 2008 at 18:13
One of the worst things about the Conservative Party and I have been a member for 32 years, is serial loyalists like John. County men stalwarts of their charity, fiercely loyal to the leader of the moment, disgusted and amazed, especially that anyone could express a disloyal caution.
And unable to think their way out of a paper bag.
The reason Osborne enjoys a reputation for ecobomic copetence is because in October in a desperate funk at the certain prospect of being beaten into fatuity in a November election he threw aside 18 months of Hiltonian gospel and announced a tax cut. All we delusional right wingers who had been screaming from the sidelines and the reserve bench of the candidates list that the Hilton masterplan had run into the sands were too gobsmacked by the chutzpah involved.to do more than barf at the hypocrisy of it.
Hilton's strategy decontaminated the party. Brilliant job done. Full marks from me. But its a programme for desperate opposition not successful government. Many of its lessons are transferable. Tories should worry about the environment but not in a Labour way with taxes and charges.
I do congratulate myself on my current good fortune but for future good I need to rely on. Osborne coming up with a tax policy that industry needs and the voters want. Not him pulling another ace from someone else's deck again
Posted by: jonathan | June 02, 2008 at 18:55
Pay much more attention to the current social events and have your own idea to change these unhealthy ways and customs.
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