Cameron the charlatan

David Cameron is a 'progressive', or so he claims to be. I'd like to believe him. If what he says is true that would bode well for a possible future for the UK under a Tory government. But I don't believe him. Why? - because when Black Wednesday happened who was standing next to Norman Lamont? - and who wrote the 2005 Tory Election manifesto ? - possibly the most right-wing in the party's history. You've guessed it - David Cameron.

Some people would say that a leopard doesn't change its spots and I'm justifiably skeptical that David Cameron, Eton Schoolboy, and Bullingham Club member has managed to travel a millimetre to the left. Why Should anyone else believe him?

Then look at who Cameron has surrounded himself with - William Hague!, Ian Duncan Smith (IDS) ! - even the Vulcan (Redwood) is still in favour! A real progressive bunch if I've ever seen one!

And while I'm on the subject IDS has been much praised for his efforts in looking at poverty. But what did his study conclude? That one parent families were a bad thing and responsible for social breakdown. In other words, the much vaunted 'research' just happened to churn out a result which confirmed every Tory prejudice against the poor!

Apart from being an insult to all those single parents who struggle to bring up children and who do a marvellous job - what IDS and his chums failed to understand is that its poverty that causes social breakdown NOT single parents - an error you would hardly expect even an Eton schoolboy to make.

No, Cameron is not a progressive - I'd like him to prove me wrong. But there is about as much chance of that happening as there is of New Labour winning the next election.