Britannist

Following a speech delivered this lunchtime at Tooting by pro-EU and anti-UKIP Conservative leader David Cameron (in which he spoke again of "winning on the centre ground"; of the Conservatives becoming "the progressive force in British politics" and of the right of people to have a say on changes to the way they are governed such as on the EU Constitution) George Jones, political editor of the Daily Telegraph, said on Sky Television News at 1.44 pm today "David Cameron has to keep looking over his shoulder at UKIP - with 'europe' about to become an issue again."

Mr. Jones added "David Cameron blundered into a row (over grammar schools) and he blundered into another last weekend. He is on the defensive. The Tories thought that it (a General Election victory) would just fall into their lap but they have got to go back to a bit of hard-pounding against Gordon Brown. The voters respect him (Gordon Brown) but don't like him."

Kevin MacGuire, political correspondent on the pro-Labour Daily Miror said on Sky Television News "We've had 18 months of words from David Cameron. Today he had to give a warm, blancmangy speech because he has nothing concrete to say. Brown outscores him on everything except charisma. People like and respect Gordon Brown."

Britannist adds: David Cameron referred in his speech to the "centre ground of politics which we have never won an election without". In fact, the Conservatives have not won a General Election without getting a large part of the anti-EU and strongly eurosceptic vote. The Conservatives have not won a General Election since the formation of UKIP.