Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

With friends like these... Tory leader's ally puts his foot in it

Nigel Morris
Thursday 11 March 2010 01:00 GMT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

David Cameron is privately "much more conservative" than the moderate public image he projects to voters, one of the Tory leader's closest allies has claimed.

The remarks by Ed Vaizey, left, the shadow Arts minister, embarrassed the party leadership, which has been keen to distance itself from its Thatcherite past. Mr Vaizey told Vanity Fair: "He [Cameron] is much more conservative by nature than he acts, or than he is forced to be by political exigency."

His words were damaging as the men have been close friends for more than 20 years. They provide ammunition to Labour which insists the new, modernising face of the Tories masks an instinctively right-wing political outlook. Earlier this week Mr Vaizey suggested that Mr Cameron's wife, Samantha, might have voted Labour in the past and could even support Gordon Brown this year. Last night a senior Tory source told The Independent: "He [Vaizey] doesn't know his arts from his elbow."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in