As David Cameron took yet another battering in the Commons this week over his Government’s health reforms, his mind may have gone back to a moment a few months after he arrived in No 10.
Signs of unease over plans for the reorganisation of the health service were emerging and the PM called Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary. Mr Lansley was away, so two special advisers were invited to Downing Street to give Mr Cameron a five-minute briefing on the reforms. The pair struggled vainly – for much longer than five minutes – to encapsulate the Lansley scheme. As the door closed behind them the PM turned to Steve Hilton, his strategy guru, and said grimly: “We’re f–––ed.”
As a former public relations man, he recognised that if those closest to it could not give him a succinct account of the flagship health policy then it would be nigh on impossible to sell it to the voters. So it is proving. Yet insiders say that the battles over health reform are part of a greater problem. They fear that there is a hole at the very heart of government, that No 10 itself lacks overall direction, that it is losing clout in Whitehall (though it’s not as bad as things became under Gordon Brown).
There are unfavourable comparisons between Tony Blair’s Downing Street and that of David Cameron, particularly when it comes to the calibre of people around the PM. As one senior official put it: “Cameron has brought a welcome return to Cabinet government and nobody wants to go back to the days under Labour when we had sofa government and all decisions were on the basis of 'Tony says…’ But the centre has lost too much clout.” » | Sue Cameron | Wednesday, February 22, 2012
The problem for Cameron is that he came to power through his sheer determination to be prime minister, regardless. I dare say he felt that being prime minister was his birthright. Unfortunately, however, he appears to have given far more consideration to getting the job than he has to what he was going to do once he got it. In a few words, he is not a politician of conviction as Mrs. Thatcher was. Love Maggie or hate her, no-one can deny that she knew exactly where she wanted to get, she knew exactly where she wanted to take the country. And Cameron? Where exactly does he want to take the country? Fact is, he himself probably doesn't even know.
It must also be said that, to his detriment, Cameron is not a strong man. His weakness is written all over his face. In addition, I think many people would agree with me when I say that he is not a natural politician either.
Kudos was always more important to Cameron than policy. Moreover, what does he actually know about the country he is trying to lead? Has he got any idea what life is like for Mr. & Mrs. Average in the street?
Mrs. Thatcher, by contrast, as the daughter of a grocer, had to pull herself up by the bootstraps, and pull herself up by the bootstraps she did, by sheer dint of her determination, perseverance, grit and personality. Alas, Cameron is no male version of Mrs. Thatcher. – © Mark
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