“What was that about?” – the David Cameron story

I am not quite myself this morning. In fact, I feel like a new man. I’ve changed. The reason is clear. I spent the weekend in the delightful part of southern England that is West Berkshire. This is Cameron country – at least, the part of the country he grew up in. And I can report that it was charming. There were welcoming pubs, supplied by local brewers. There were farm shops and community stores, full of local produce. There were pretty old churches. There were smiley, happy people with excellent manners and large, attractive homes. I didn’t spot anyone who appeared to be experiencing a living standards crisis.

True, there was a certain uniformity about the place. Everyone was white for a start. But you could see how growing up in a world like this could have shaped that aspect of David Cameron’s personality which, initially at least, held some appeal for voters. As he has himself said: “There’s nothing complicated about me.” Here in West Berkshire life seemed agreeably straightforward. Everything was nice. And wouldn’t it be nice if everywhere else were equally nice too?

But Cameron’s modernisers are worried. That detoxifying mission he launched over seven years ago seems to have been abandoned. Sunshine has been rejected. The Tory snarl is back, and with it the view that there is something harsh and, yes, nasty about the Conservative party. New focus group data to be discussed by the Britain Thinks consultancy tomorrow evening contain two key findings – uncertainty about the purpose or vision that Labour represents, but clarity over the unpleasantness manifested in the Tories.

This must be quite a blow to the prime minister. What was it all for, the huskies and the wind turbines and the hoody-hugging? Whatever happened to “liberal”, “progressive” Conservatism? Is it possible that it was all, well, just a PR exercise?

Before becoming an MP Cameron had been a PR man of course, at Carlton TV. He placed great faith in hiring Andy Coulson, the former News of the World editor, as someone who could help generate better PR for his party. And even now at prime minister’s questions and in media appearances, Cameron always seems to have a ready phrase or (attempted) soundbite designed to make the headlines. This militant spin tendency is seen at its worst on Wednesdays at noon, when very little effort is ever made to answer the critical questions that are put to him. Instead, a “catchy” phrase is revealed, and an attempt to score a political point is made. Most of these “answers”, in recent weeks, have involved the words “Unite” or “Revd Flowers”. But it’s not obvious that anyone outside the Palace of Westminster has noticed a single word of this stuff. As PR campaigns go it has been a bit underwhelming.

In the West Berkshire village of Hampstead Norreys this weekend – not to be confused with Hampstead, London NW3 of course, where views may be somewhat different – all seemed well. The beer at the nearby West Berkshire brewery in Yattendon was great. Within a radius of a few miles the villages of Peasemore (Dave’s) and Bucklebury (the Middleton’s – you know, Kate and Pippa) were easily within reach. And yet the prosperity that was on friendly display here is not within reach for most people. And the sunshine and hope that Dave originally offered on becoming Tory leader are now well out of reach as well.

This week we will be told that a “responsible recovery” is on its way, even as most of us see no sign of it at all in our own lives. We will be told that GDP is forecast to grow at around 2.5% next year, although there is no convincing forecast that most of us will feel much better off. It’s getting colder, energy bills are rising, and people feel poorer. We can’t all live in West Berkshire, and a PR operation recovery may turn out to be not much of a recovery at all.

A new biography of David Cameron is being planned, a co-production from Lord Ashcroft and the Sunday Times’ Isabelle Oakshott, which should be published quite soon after the next general election. There was some speculation on Twitter recently as to that the new book should be called. My suggestion is: “What was that about?” What, I think, may be the question many are asking if and when Cameron ceases to be prime minister in 17 months’ time.