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Cameron's 'social change by diktat' hurting Conservatives, Tory warns Cameron's 'social change by diktat' hurting Conservatives, Tory warns
(about 2 hours later)
David Cameron is acting in a "hurtful" way towards traditional Tory voters by imposing social change through "diktat", a former Conservative frontbencher warned as the party embarked on an inquest into its poor showing in the Eastleigh byelection.David Cameron is acting in a "hurtful" way towards traditional Tory voters by imposing social change through "diktat", a former Conservative frontbencher warned as the party embarked on an inquest into its poor showing in the Eastleigh byelection.
As Tory MEP Daniel Hannan called on the party leadership to reach an agreement on "common ground" with Ukip, the party that forced the Tories into third place in the byelection, Eleanor Laing called on the prime minister to lead a "truly Conservative government".As Tory MEP Daniel Hannan called on the party leadership to reach an agreement on "common ground" with Ukip, the party that forced the Tories into third place in the byelection, Eleanor Laing called on the prime minister to lead a "truly Conservative government".
The soul searching among Tories came as Nick Clegg hailed the Liberal Democrats' success after Mike Thornton held on to the seat with a majority of 1,771, taking 13,342 votes to Ukip's 11,571. Tory candidate Maria Hutchings came third with 10,559. The soul searching among Tories came as Nick Clegg hailed the Liberal Democrats' success after Mike Thornton held the seat with a majority of 1,771, taking 13,342 votes to Ukip's 11,571. Tory candidate Maria Hutchings came third with 10,559.
David Cameron said in Downing Street: "It is a disappointing result for the Conservative party, but it is clear that in mid-term byelections people want to register a protest. But I am confident that at the general election we can win those people back by demonstrating that we are delivering for everyone who wants to work hard and wants to get on. That is what we will be focused on." Cameron said in Downing Street: "It is a disappointing result for the Conservative party, but it is clear that in mid-term byelections people want to register a protest. But I am confident that at the general election we can win those people back by demonstrating that we are delivering for everyone who wants to work hard and wants to get on. That is what we will be focused on."
The Tories were encouraged by a post byelection poll, carried out by the party's former deputy chairman Lord Ashcroft, which showed that nearly half (43%) of Ukip's supporters in the byelection would probably not vote for the party at the general election. The poll also found that 10% of Ukip voters would vote Tory in 2015. The Tories were encouraged by a post-Eastleigh poll, carried out by the party's former deputy chairman Lord Ashcroft, which showed that nearly half (43%) of Ukip's supporters in the byelection would probably not vote for the party at the general election. The poll found that 10% of Ukip voters would vote Tory in 2015.
But the leadership came under fire from the Tory right when Laing, a close ally of the former defence secretary Liam Fox, criticised Cameron for alienating traditional Tory voters by imposing social change. Laing and Fox are strong opponents of equal marriage.But the leadership came under fire from the Tory right when Laing, a close ally of the former defence secretary Liam Fox, criticised Cameron for alienating traditional Tory voters by imposing social change. Laing and Fox are strong opponents of equal marriage.
Laing told The World at One on Radio 4: "The prime minister is doing a brilliant job on Europe, on immigration, on education, on benefits reform – he and his ministers are doing a terrific job. But something is missing. The leadership of the party isn't tuning in to the hopes and fears of the vast majority of ordinary people out there in Britain today. Laing told The World at One on BBC Radio 4: "The prime minister is doing a brilliant job on Europe, on immigration, on education, on benefits reform – he and his ministers are doing a terrific job. But something is missing. The leadership of the party isn't tuning in to the hopes and fears of the vast majority of ordinary people out there in Britain today.
"Social change should come about by evolution, not by diktat from the top of government. Ordinary Conservative voters don't feel that this government is in tune with them, with their hopes and fears."Social change should come about by evolution, not by diktat from the top of government. Ordinary Conservative voters don't feel that this government is in tune with them, with their hopes and fears.
"Sometimes I would put it as strongly as saying that it is hurtful, it is hurtful to people who want to believe in a Conservative party that represents them. In my own constituency, on the doorsteps in Eastleigh and generally people I talk to – they actually feel hurt and they feel left out. They are told they are old-fashioned and they think they don't matter and what they stand for and what they believe in doesn't matter. Those people who for decades have put their faith in the Conservative party – the only way to take forward those issues people really care about is to have a truly Conservative government. To do that the leadership of my party has to tune in better to the people who want to support it, who want loyalty and who now feel rather left out." "Sometimes I would put it as strongly as saying that it is hurtful, it is hurtful to people who want to believe in a Conservative party that represents them.
"In my own constituency, on the doorsteps in Eastleigh and generally people I talk to – they actually feel hurt and they feel left out. They are told they are old-fashioned and they think they don't matter and what they stand for and what they believe in doesn't matter. Those people who for decades have put their faith in the Conservative party – the only way to take forward those issues people really care about is to have a truly Conservative government. To do that, the leadership of my party has to tune in better to the people who want to support it, who want loyalty and who now feel rather left out."
The intervention by Laing was a direct challenge to Michael Gove, the education secretary, who insisted earlier that the prime minister would not change tack. Gove tried to fend off the Tory right by saying that the prime minister would follow the example of Margaret Thatcher and resist the temptation to embark on U-turns.The intervention by Laing was a direct challenge to Michael Gove, the education secretary, who insisted earlier that the prime minister would not change tack. Gove tried to fend off the Tory right by saying that the prime minister would follow the example of Margaret Thatcher and resist the temptation to embark on U-turns.
Gove told the Today programme: "When the Heath government in the 1970s decided to change economic course that was a disaster. There were times when Margaret Thatcher was challenged by byelection results in the 1980s but she stuck to her course." Gove told the Today programme: "When the Heath government in the 1970s decided to change economic course, that was a disaster. There were times when Margaret Thatcher was challenged by byelection results in the 1980s but she stuck to her course."
But Hannan called for a pact to ensure that the Tories do not face the same fate as the centre-left in the 1980s, which saw its vote divided between Labour and the SDP/Liberal Alliance. He told The World at One: "The one clunking central fact is that the two right of centre parties between them got more than half the vote but the Lib Dems won the seat with less than a third of the vote. So what we have got in microcosm is something we have had at every general election in my lifetime, which is that an essentially Eurosceptic electorate keeps returning essentially Europhile majorities to parliament. Hannan called for a pact to ensure the Tories do not face the same fate as the centre-left in the 1980s, which saw its vote divided between Labour and the SDP/Liberal Alliance. He told The World at One: "The one clunking central fact is that the two right-of-centre parties between them got more than half the vote but the Lib Dems won the seat with less than a third of the vote. So what we have got in microcosm is something we have had at every general election in my lifetime, which is that an essentially Eurosceptic electorate keeps returning essentially Europhile majorities to parliament.
"The terrible irony is that we could end up in a terrible situation where the reason we don't get an in or out referendum is because of that division in the vote. That is something both parties have to sit down and talk about. Stop calling each other names and start exploring what common ground that might be … No one is threatened by a conversation which can only result in an agreement from both sides.""The terrible irony is that we could end up in a terrible situation where the reason we don't get an in or out referendum is because of that division in the vote. That is something both parties have to sit down and talk about. Stop calling each other names and start exploring what common ground that might be … No one is threatened by a conversation which can only result in an agreement from both sides."