PM not blue enough, say Tories

Tory MPs and peers heavily criticised the Prime Minister, calling for the party to adopt more traditional Conservative policies if it wanted to succeed in the next general election.

And influential Tory website ConservativeHome plans to publish sections an "alternative Queen's speech" before Wednesday's Royal address to push for a more right-wing agenda which demonstrates the party's core values without Lib Dem interference.

It attempts to show what the Queen's speech could have looked like if a majority Conservative government had been elected in May 2010.

MPs David Davies and John Redwood contributed to some of the 15 alternative component Bills, which are being published one-by-one on the website.

The website stated that it would "no doubt be presented as a lurch to the right," meaning "extreme, or mean-spirited or narrow."

And went on to claim: "Majority Conservatism is popular. Big majorities of the British people want tougher control of immigration, a referendum on Europe, lower taxes on fuel and income, more conditionality in welfare and less community punishment of repeat and serious offenders."

The alternatives also include promoting more competition in education, water supply, banking and energy.

Former Cabinet minister Mr Redwood said: "When we get nearer to the general election there will need to be a very strong Conservative offering which will be very different from the Liberal Democrat one.

"In the meantime we need to do what we can to get this economy growing more quickly because the austerity so far has been visited on the private sector."

The latest outbursts follow Tory MP Nadine Dorries's criticism of Mr Cameron for prioritising gay marriage rights and warned he could be ousted by Christmas.

Other outspoken Conservatives include Lord Ryder who said the PM needed to "take a grip" and Brian Binley MP who urged Mr Cameron to "wake up and smell the coffee."

In a further indication of coalition tension Lib Dem deputy leader Simon Hughes accused Tory MPs on Monday of acting as if they were "born to rule."

He reminded Conservatives that they failed to secure an overall majority in the general election and demanded a commitment to push for lords' reform, which many Conservatives want dropped from Wednesday's Queen's Speech.

willstone@peoples-press.com