David Cameron accused of abandoning principles by Phillip Blond

Published on 04/10/2012 00:00

THE man behind the Big Society, whose philosophy shaped the Tory 2010 general election manifesto, has launched a scathing attack on David Cameron.

Phillip Blond said the Prime Minister is on the verge of losing a once in a generation opportunity to win back Scotland with a new popular form of Conservatism.

Ahead of the Conservative conference, which starts in Birmingham on Sunday, Blond, the Director of the thinktank ResPublicca, whose Red Tory book was the basis of the 2010 Tory manifesto, accused Mr Cameron of abandoning his visionary principles.

And following Ed Miliband’s speech this week, he has claimed that it is now Labour which has adopted the Red Tory vision of a One Nation party which should be a “wake up call” for Mr Cameron.

The criticism from the man who helped inspire his attempts to modernise the Conservative Party is the latest bad news for a Prime Minister, who has found himself under fire from both modernisers and rightwingers.

Mr Blond’s criticism comes as back bench MP Brian Binley called on Mr Cameron to “up his game” amid rumours of a leadership contest.

But it is understood that Mr Cameron’s attempts to placate his rightwing critics by dropping the Big Society and promoting rightwingers to key posts in his Cabinet has angered former allies like Mr Blond.

Last night he told The Scotsman: “David Cameron was a visionary who adopted many of my ideas, but as soon as he came into government he dropped them because of the economic policy his government pursued.

“Cuts made before the Localism Bill was even passed meant ideas such as mutualisation, community ownership and right to buy were undermined.”