Cameron ahead by 2 to 1 among Tory chairmen
DAVID Cameron is the runaway favourite among Tory members to take over as party leader, a Daily Mail survey revealed last night.
With ballots beginning to pour in as Conservatives cast their postal votes, it is becoming apparent that the contest to succeed Michael Howard is Mr Cameron’s to lose. He is ahead of his rival David Davis by a comfortable two- to- one margin among those who will decide who will lead the party.
The young pretender has the backing of 54 per cent of Tory chairmen, compared with 24 per cent who support the Shadow Home Secretary.
Even when those who are undecided are taken into account, Mr Davis still falls short of the number he needs for victory before voting closes and the result is announced on December 6.
The revelation will help stabilise nerves in the Cameron camp after his Question Time ‘ wobble’ ten days ago that saw him lose his first big television outing against Mr Davis.
It will reassure his allies who feared Mr Cameron’s apparent weakness on policy, and his inexperience as a Parliamentarian, were beginning to tell with the voters.
The Mail’s survey will further dent morale among Mr Davis’s supporters, many of whom are now resigned to defeat after a campaign marked by blunders.
In particular, they will be disappointed that his success in the Commons against Tony Blair on Wednesday, when he helped organise the Prime Minister’s defeat on the Terror Bill, has gone unrecognised by the party’s 254,000- strong electorate.
Of the 154 Tory party chairmen quizzed by the Mail, 83, or 54 per cent, said they would back Mr Cameron. By contrast, 37, or 24 per cent, pledged to vote for Mr Davis.
Another 31 – 20 per cent – said they were undecided, while three refused to state their allegiance – 2 per cent. On Monday the two men embark on a frenzied round of 11 hustings.
Mr Davis is hoping that the campaign will expose Mr Cameron to greater scrutiny, but his call for members to put off voting until they have seen the candidates up close may be falling on deaf ears.
By Thursday night 15 per cent had voted, and about a third are expected to cast their ballots over the weekend. With the contest between the two becoming increasingly acrimonious, the two camps are expecting further claims and counterclaims as they attack each other’s policies on tax and social issues. Mr Cameron last night exposed himself to potential criticism by suggesting Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, should be allowed to style herself Queen when Prince Charles inherits the throne. Interviewed on More4 News, he was asked if she should be allowed to be referred to as Queen and replied: ‘I think possibly yes, actually. I take the view that Prince Charles is married, they’re happy, it’s not something that worries me what her exact title is but it’s great that they’re happy and that we’re going to have a strong monarchy in the future.’
Among the chairmen polled there was acknowledgement that Mr Davis had improved his chances with his Question Time performance.
Muriel Jolles, chairman of Harlow’s Tory constituency, said she was backing Mr Davis: ‘ Initially I thought Cameron would probably be better but when I saw Question Time it swung back to Davis. The constituency seems evenly split at the moment with young people wanting Cameron and the maturer ones supporting Davis but what really swung it for me was Davis saying he wanted other candidates in the shadow cabinet.’
Windsor chairman Tim Lord said: ‘I think the majori t y w i l l b e v o t i n g f o r Cameron.’
Mary Fellowes, of Brecon and Radnorshire constituency, said: ‘ Our members have been very proCameron all the way and I don’t think anything is going to change it at this stage.’
Chorley chairman Peter Goldsworthy, said he thought two-thirds of members locally were backing Cameron. He said: ‘ As far as our constituency is concerned it is in the bag.’
Sheila Allan, Stratford- onAvon chairwoman, said: ‘Cameron is a new face, he is charismatic and there is a definite feeling that people who have never voted Conservative might join the party if he is leader.’
Despite the groundswell of support, some warned Mr Cameron was not up to the job. One chairman, who did not want to be named, said: ‘ I was going to vote for Cameron, but I have changed my mind. He is not coming over as the statesman we thought he was initially.
‘Cameron is just too much like Tony Blair.’
Mr Cameron yesterday won the support of five more Tory MPs, meaning he now has the backing of 107 – well over half the Conservative parliamentary party.