Ring Leader of the Tory Mentors

Dough faced Tory Godhead David 'call me Dave' Cameron is messing with the minds of decent people everywhere by talking about The Smiths again.

You may remember a few years back he appeared on Desert Island Discs where he revealed that, quite annoyingly, he had a reasonable taste in the presentable side of vaguely alternative left-leading indie. We’re not talking anything earth shaking here, but when you find out a Conservative MP likes The Smiths and Radiohead it still jolts something quite fundamental inside you. It’s like finding out your Mum listens to Cannibal Corpse. It doesn’t fit with the way you see the world and how music relates to it. It’s a snobby view, but it’s human nature. Music snobbery is, after all, one of God’s greatest gifts.

Just to hammer the point home, having already proved his Radiohead credentials by persuading Thom and Jonny to play Fake Plastic Tree’s especially for him, he’s making the obligatory Smiths Fan pilgrimage to Salford Lads Club, where no doubt, like thousands before him, he’ll pose on the steps with a hearing aid and some gladioli.

The endearingly spiky Salford MP Hazel Blears is having none of it.

“People in Salford remember when the Tories were in power... I'm surprised he wants to visit a shrine so reminiscent of the 1980s - the dog days of Thatcherism” (BBC)

It’s true. It’s astonishing Cameron hasn’t thought of it. I know tact isn’t the Tory’s biggest priority these days (why else would they keep letting Boris Johnson out into the world?), but does he really think the people of Salford, of all places, will be pleased to see him? Let’s face it, the Manchester area has never been what you’d call Conservative heartland, and as Blears pointed out the bite of Thatcher was felt harder there than most places. People don’t forget that in a hurry. Cameron can hardly be unaware of his parties immediate legacy from their last run at the top. As new Lid Dem chief Nick Clegg says in today’s G2, Cameron was

“a foot-soldier for Thatcher.”

I wonder what Nick Clegg listens to?...Oh.
Nevermind.

Should we so surprised at Cameron’s allegiance to the other other Fab Four? Baring in mind Morrissey’s recently published views on immigration –which despite a lot of protest and clucking about being misrepresented by the NME, he never actually took back.

Are the leader of the Conservative Party and the indie elder-statesman gradually becoming the same person? It makes one shudder. As I live and breath, sir, you have killed me.