Following up on the unhappy tales of life inside the Brown bunker, Sue Cameron now gives an insight into life inside Fortress Cameron. And, she reports, there’s not necessarily that much to choose between them…
Depressing news for democracy. It seems there is little to choose between the leadership style of Gordon Brown and David Cameron. “Fortress Brown”, says one Tory insider glumly, “is matched by Fortress Cameron.” Both men rely on small cliques and few outsiders – even cabinet or shadow cabinet members.
Mr Cameron’s inner circle meets at 9am every morning. Present are the powerful Steve Hilton, the Tory brand manager, Ed Llewellyn, Mr Cameron’s old-Etonian chief of staff, and Andy Coulson, ex-News of the World editor. Mr Coulson agreed to be Mr Cameron’s spin doctor only if he could attend any meetings he chose. How wise. (I bet Stephen Carter, Mr Brown’s new communications guru, was not quite as savvy.)
Frontbenchers who go to the morning meetings are William Hague, foreign affairs, George Osborne, shadow chancellor, Michael Gove, schools, and David Davies, home affairs and one of the few who dares to dissent.
Usually, I am told, the Tory leader dominates discussions – not least with the shadow cabinet where he employs the simple wheeze of doing most of the talking himself. Margaret Thatcher, say insiders, allowed far more debate. Mr Cameron hates one-to-one meetings.
