TRUTH ABOUT THOSE STAGED HUSKY PICTURES
TRUSSED up against the Arctic chill in a pair of black salopettes, Cameron surveyed the pristine frozen wilderness through his reflective shades. ‘Take off the glasses. You look a bit Eurotrash!’ his spin doctor instructed.
The newly elected leader of the Opposition laughed, removed the offending eyewear and smoothed his hair. Squinting into the dazzling white light, he adopted a different pose.
‘Got your money shot yet?’ he quipped, grinning at the photographer. It was April 2006 and Cameron was on a glacier on a remote Norwegian archipelago, a three-hour sled-ride from the nearest civilisation. The main purpose was to observe the impact of climate change on the Svalbard icecaps — but of equal importance was the image he’d project to voters.
‘Let’s try something with the dogs,’ suggested the photographer, Andrew Parsons, gesturing towards a pack of huskies waiting to tow them across the ice. Cameron began rounding up the animals. But half an hour and much flying fur later, the photographer was getting nowhere.
The dogs refused to sit still. ‘Get down on your haunches and just bloody hold on to them!’ Parsons yelled, trying to make himself heard over the barking. Cameron crouched down, gripped one of the animals by its collar and beamed into the lens. Finally, Parsons had his ‘money shot’. Everone assumed it was a masterstroke by spin doctors — but it was never planned.
However, it sent a compelling message about the new Tory leader’s priorities . . .
Once in Downing Street, and faced with an increasingly desperate quest for economic growth, some policy priorities manufactured in the good times began to fade from the agenda.
Environmental campaigners accused Cameron of abandoning his green crusade, particularly when he installed Owen Paterson, a Right-winger who believes the effects of climate change have been ‘consistently and widely exaggerated’, as
Environment Secretary. Cameron instructed him to make the department ‘pro-growth’. Chancellor George Osborne was loath to adopt any green measures that could frustrate business, and Cameron did not appear to have the stomach for a fight.
‘Why should we be the only saint in the brothel?’ he protested, during a debate over whether farmers should be forced to do more conservation work in return for EU subsidies.
There was no place for husky-hugging now.