Camarooned

A new opinion poll shows that David Cameron is the least popular of the major party leaders:

Until now, Mr Cameron has been seen as an asset for the Tories, and is often rated as more popular than his party, particularly among the all-important swing voters in the political centre ground.

But the new survey found that just 37 per cent of all voters now say they are satisfied with the way he is doing his job, against 45 per cent who are dissatisfied - a net satisfaction rating of minus-eight.

Despite the questions which have been raised over his future as Lib Dem leader, Sir Menzies had a narrow advantage over Mr Cameron. He has a net rating of minus-five.

(emphasis added) I think the willingness of some Tories to enter Brown's "big tent", and of Margaret Thatcher to pose for photographs with him, is evidence of a plot by traditional Tories to undermine Cameron, preparatory to bringing him down. The inertia of a large party like the Conservatives is unlikely to allow this to come to fruition before another election defeat, though. This means there hasn't been a better time for a new, mainstream, small government, low tax, EU sceptic, free market party to emerge without the baggage that UKIP, unfortunately, carries.

If it were credible in terms of finance and leadership, it could hoover up a lot of defectors from UKIP and the Tories, and gain immediate Parliamentary representation. But I can't see it happening. The conservative nature of Conservatives makes any change on this scale difficult to imagine.

Their Unionist instincts have prevented them seeking the further devolution that would enable them to gain power in their stronghold of England, and allowed Labour to use selective devolution, immigration, selective development and uneven constituency sizes to consolidate an undemocratic grip on power. Similarly, their conservatism is preventing them from capitalising on this moment.

And so their own natures may, in the end, condemn them to extinction.