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| Cameron dismisses party criticism | Cameron dismisses party criticism |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Tory leader David Cameron has rejected criticisms from within his own party and told the BBC he is addressing the "big issues" which matter to voters. | Tory leader David Cameron has rejected criticisms from within his own party and told the BBC he is addressing the "big issues" which matter to voters. |
| He said Ali Miraj, who helped launch his leadership bid, asked for a peerage hours before accusing Mr Cameron of replacing "substance" with "PR". | He said Ali Miraj, who helped launch his leadership bid, asked for a peerage hours before accusing Mr Cameron of replacing "substance" with "PR". |
| Mr Cameron also dismissed criticism of his policies by former chairman Lord Saatchi and ex-treasurer Lord Kalms. | Mr Cameron also dismissed criticism of his policies by former chairman Lord Saatchi and ex-treasurer Lord Kalms. |
| He said Labour's recent "Brown bounce" in the polls would prove temporary. | He said Labour's recent "Brown bounce" in the polls would prove temporary. |
| Mr Cameron was defending his leadership, after the Tories came third in two by-elections and his decision to visit Rwanda, while parts of England were badly flooded. | Mr Cameron was defending his leadership, after the Tories came third in two by-elections and his decision to visit Rwanda, while parts of England were badly flooded. |
| 'Broken society' | 'Broken society' |
| He said Labour - under the new Prime Minister Gordon Brown - could not make the changes necessary to mend Britain's "broken society" and was too "wedded to state control" while the Tories believed in devolution and "social responsibility". | |
| In a speech on school discipline earlier he pledged to scrap local authority appeals panels which can overrule schools which exclude badly-behaved pupils, saying it undermined the authority of head teachers. | In a speech on school discipline earlier he pledged to scrap local authority appeals panels which can overrule schools which exclude badly-behaved pupils, saying it undermined the authority of head teachers. |
| He also said schools should have an enforceable good behaviour contract and excluded pupils should be dealt with by voluntary sector groups - not pupil referral units. | He also said schools should have an enforceable good behaviour contract and excluded pupils should be dealt with by voluntary sector groups - not pupil referral units. |
| People have had enough of Tony Blair for 10 years. They don't want another Tony Blair Ali Miraj Cameron attacks discipline units In full: School speech | People have had enough of Tony Blair for 10 years. They don't want another Tony Blair Ali Miraj Cameron attacks discipline units In full: School speech |
| But asked about discipline within his own party, Mr Cameron said that the direction he had taken - including a refusal to promise tax cuts and to adopt "opt outs" from the NHS - had "inevitably" lead to criticism. | But asked about discipline within his own party, Mr Cameron said that the direction he had taken - including a refusal to promise tax cuts and to adopt "opt outs" from the NHS - had "inevitably" lead to criticism. |
| But he said he was determined to keep "going on the course I have set". | But he said he was determined to keep "going on the course I have set". |
| Asked if he accepted any criticism, Mr Cameron replied: "If you lead a party you get a lot of advice, you get a lot of criticism and as you go along you work out what things need to change, what things need to improve. | Asked if he accepted any criticism, Mr Cameron replied: "If you lead a party you get a lot of advice, you get a lot of criticism and as you go along you work out what things need to change, what things need to improve. |
| "And I certainly would accept that as you go along over 19 months there are things that I have done better than other things and you learn as you go along, but I don't propose to hold a seminar on that today." | "And I certainly would accept that as you go along over 19 months there are things that I have done better than other things and you learn as you go along, but I don't propose to hold a seminar on that today." |
| 'Rethink' call | 'Rethink' call |
| The Tory leader has been criticised by various figures from within the party over the past weeks - most recently by Mr Miraj, who told the BBC: "What I'm asking for is some substance and some credibility and not box-ticking and gimmickry. | The Tory leader has been criticised by various figures from within the party over the past weeks - most recently by Mr Miraj, who told the BBC: "What I'm asking for is some substance and some credibility and not box-ticking and gimmickry. |
| "People have had enough of Tony Blair for 10 years. They don't want another Tony Blair." | "People have had enough of Tony Blair for 10 years. They don't want another Tony Blair." |
| Former Tory treasurer Lord Kalms has also called for "some rethinking" of Mr Cameron's policies and former Tory frontbencher Graham Brady, who stepped down over the recent row about grammar schools, said Mr Cameron was failing to reach out to voters in the north and Midlands. | Former Tory treasurer Lord Kalms has also called for "some rethinking" of Mr Cameron's policies and former Tory frontbencher Graham Brady, who stepped down over the recent row about grammar schools, said Mr Cameron was failing to reach out to voters in the north and Midlands. |
| New prime ministers always get a honeymoon and a bounce in the polls, but I don't believe the fundamentals have changed David Cameron | New prime ministers always get a honeymoon and a bounce in the polls, but I don't believe the fundamentals have changed David Cameron |
| Mr Cameron said Mr Miraj - who had wanted to be selected as a Tory Parliamentary candidate - had, only hours before making his comments, been to see him to ask him to make him a peer. | Mr Cameron said Mr Miraj - who had wanted to be selected as a Tory Parliamentary candidate - had, only hours before making his comments, been to see him to ask him to make him a peer. |
| "I think we should probably look at his comments in the light of that," said Mr Cameron. | "I think we should probably look at his comments in the light of that," said Mr Cameron. |
| He also told the BBC earlier that Lord Kalms - who backed David Davis for the Tory leadership in 2005 - had never agreed with his policies, while Mr Brady was wrong as the Tories had made gains in the local elections. | He also told the BBC earlier that Lord Kalms - who backed David Davis for the Tory leadership in 2005 - had never agreed with his policies, while Mr Brady was wrong as the Tories had made gains in the local elections. |
| 'Nicey-nicey politics' | 'Nicey-nicey politics' |
| And he responded to Lord Saatchi's comments that he should focus more on the economy, saying he was addressing the "big issue" facing Britain - "the breakdown of our society". | And he responded to Lord Saatchi's comments that he should focus more on the economy, saying he was addressing the "big issue" facing Britain - "the breakdown of our society". |
| The former Tory chairman had warned Mr Cameron that "nicey-nicey" politics would not win him the next general election. | The former Tory chairman had warned Mr Cameron that "nicey-nicey" politics would not win him the next general election. |
| The latest opinion polls seem to suggest the "Brown bounce", following Gordon Brown's succession as prime minister in June, is continuing. | The latest opinion polls seem to suggest the "Brown bounce", following Gordon Brown's succession as prime minister in June, is continuing. |
| A survey for the Times put the Labour party six points clear of the Conservatives with 39% of the vote compared to 33%. Populus questioned 1,511 adults by telephone between July 27 and 29. | A survey for the Times put the Labour party six points clear of the Conservatives with 39% of the vote compared to 33%. Populus questioned 1,511 adults by telephone between July 27 and 29. |
| 'Fundamentals unchanged' | 'Fundamentals unchanged' |
| A further poll for the Independent put Labour on 37% - up five points on a similar poll last month - and the Conservatives on 34%, down three. CommunicateResearch questioned 1,006 adults by phone between July 27 and 29. | A further poll for the Independent put Labour on 37% - up five points on a similar poll last month - and the Conservatives on 34%, down three. CommunicateResearch questioned 1,006 adults by phone between July 27 and 29. |
| Asked whether he thought Labour's recent poll showings were temporary, Mr Cameron said: "Yes, I believe they are." | Asked whether he thought Labour's recent poll showings were temporary, Mr Cameron said: "Yes, I believe they are." |
| But Mr Cameron said: "New prime ministers always get a honeymoon and a bounce in the polls, I fully predicted and expected that, but I don't believe the fundamentals have changed." | But Mr Cameron said: "New prime ministers always get a honeymoon and a bounce in the polls, I fully predicted and expected that, but I don't believe the fundamentals have changed." |
| He said the Conservatives were coming up with "serious, comprehensive answers" to society's problems - including anti-social behaviour and discipline in schools. | He said the Conservatives were coming up with "serious, comprehensive answers" to society's problems - including anti-social behaviour and discipline in schools. |