What Will Cameron’s MPs Be Like?

David Cameron’s speech has set out his Tory vision more clearly than ever, and it is a clear updating of the ‘One Nation’ Toryism that once dominated in the party.  But if we are beginning to get a grip on what David Cameron is like, we also ought to be paying attention to the MPs who will be occupying his green benches after the next election.

To some extent, Cameron’s party is some way behind him on the one nation Toryism front, but it is his future MPs who are the key to what might influence a Cameron led government.  This is where the website Conservative Home really comes into its own as a fantastic resource for politics students and teachers alike.  Far better than the official party site, it offers a fascinating glimpse into the workings of the contemporary Conservative Party.  Since it is privately owned – by Lord Ashcroft now, although with original owner Stephan Shakespeare still having the deciding editorial voice on the board – it is not influenced by the party leadership, and thus conveys a more authentic Tory voice.  Many of the comments on different stories reflect an opinion that is generally more right-wing than that of the party leadership.  Although necessarily self-selecting, this is nonetheless a probably accurate view of the party as a whole.  It is worth scrolling through these comments to get this incomplete but, I suspect, representative voice of party opinion.

In addition, Conservative home’s indefatigable and influential editors – Tim Montgomerie and Jonathan Isaby – have conducted a very thorough survey of the new Conservative candidates, in order to determine the outlook of the post-election Conservative parliamentary party.  Isaby was on the ‘Today’ programme this morning speaking on this, in fact.  Their conclusions are that the next generation of Tory MPs maintain some Thatcherite principles – they want lower taxes and are deeply Euro-sceptic – but that they are comfortable in the more socially liberal, post-Thatcherite world.  They would, it seems, firmly endorse David Cameron’s comments about welcoming Labour achievements such as civil partnerships, but might be less happy about welcoming – as he did – the minimum wage.  Perhaps of most note for Cameron, Isaby and Montgomerie believe the next generation are also more inclined to be independent spirits in parliament.  This would certainly be grist to the mill of such academic parliament watchers as Philip Cowley, who has long been monitoring the level and significance of Commons rebellions.

As the Tories approach the next few months in a confident frame of mind, and as we politics teachers look to the excitement of a general election, the Conservative Home site provides an admirable resource for getting under the skin of the more superficial leadership reporting of the mainstream media.

Now, I’m just off to have a look at Labour List…..

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