Carping from the sidelines, hypocrite Dave

DAVID Cameron blasted the ‘stupidity’ of breaking the tory manifesto pledge not to raise National Insurance, despite his history of going back on election promises.

the former prime minister was caught on camera ranting to Defence secretary sir Michael Fallon about the plan in this week’s Budget to raise NI contributions for the self-employed.

the ITV footage included no sound, but an expert lip-reader reported that Mr Cameron had said: ‘Breaking a manifesto promise is stupidity.’

the comments open the ex-tory leader up to the charge of hypocrisy, given that he broke a string of manifesto pledges after becoming prime minister in 2010.

Mr Cameron never met the promise to cut immigration to the tens of thousands, and just weeks after the last election he scrapped a high-profile pledge to bring in a cap on sky-high social care costs by 2016.

Despite this his former director of communications sir Craig oliver criticised Chancellor philip hammond for going back on his word, insisting Mr Cameron had always strived not to break a pledge.

the Conservatives stated four times in their 2015 election manifesto that they would not increase NI contributions.

Mr Cameron unveiled the policy as part of a ‘tax lock’ that aides have since admitted was ‘cooked up on the hoof’ in the final weeks of the campaign. In Wednesday’s Budget, Mr hammond said self-employed people would see their rates go up.

Last night Liberal Democrat leader tim Farron said: ‘David Cameron’s 2015 election manifesto had more traps in it than an Indiana Jones movie … the tories are just ignoring all the pledges they put to the public and taking the voters for a ride.’

the former prime minister made his comments about the ‘stupid’ NI move on thursday at the unveiling of a war memorial.

armed Forces minister Mike penning was also party to the conversation at the VIP stand on horse Guards parade.

Mr Cameron’s office said it would not comment on a ‘private conversation’.

Responding to the NI rise, sir Craig said: ‘the reality is most people believe this to be a breaking of a pledge … people will start asking…can we trust you, are you being legalistic, are you dancing on the head of a pin?’ he added: ‘David Cameron was always very clear on this – once you’ve made a pledge you shouldn’t go back on it.’

theresa May’s spokesman declined to comment on the matter, saying: ‘Lip-reading isn’t in my job description.’

‘Taking voters for a ride’