David Marquand has an interesting piece, also in the New Statesman, arguing that Cameron’s “modernisation” of the Conservative Party is entirely in keeping with the traditions of Edmund Burke and Tory paternalism. On this basis, the left “dismiss Cameron at their peril”. I’m not convinced – Cameron, as discussed below, hasn’t “modernised” very much. It’s also not clear that Burke’s “little platoons” of stable Tory support still function in quite the way he intended; still, it’s a well-written article, and worth a read.
