Cameron 'won't flinch' on change

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Conservative leader David Cameron has insisted he will not "flinch, or stop making the changes", in the wake of the party's row over grammar schools.

But he said he accepted he needed to explain better to his party sometimes why such "changes are so important".

The past fortnight, which saw a front bench resignation and criticism from other Tory MPs, had not been "smooth".

But, he told the BBC, "when the smoke clears from the battlefield" the Tories will have occupied the centre-ground.

Impatience

Speaking to BBC News political editor Nick Robinson, Mr Cameron said: "I've made serious changes to this party, brought it into the mainstream, huge success at the local elections - the party's now by far the largest party in local government.

"We are succeeding, doing well.

"Of course the last couple of weeks haven't been as smooth as I'd like, but when the smoke clears and you look at what's happening, it's the Conservative Party in the centre ground, there for everybody, while Labour is lurching off to the left in a deputy leadership contest that's all about tax rises and trade union powers and the rest of it."

He said the party was about improving the health service and education "for all children in all schools, not just for some children in some schools".

He said he "can be impatient" in wanting change.

"Sometimes that can mean you do have to explain more to your party and the country exactly why the changes are so important but I'm not going to flinch, I'm not going to stop in making the changes."

He defended his party's new education policy, saying there would be no reintroduction of grammar schools or the 11-plus, but a handful of new grammars might be built in areas where selection already takes place.