Ancram's Cameron attack 'bizarre'

David Cameron has faced growing calls to return to "core" Tory values

A Conservative grandee's criticism of David Cameron's attempts to change the party has been called "bizarre" by former minister Stephen Dorrell.

Michael Ancram warned against "trashing" the Thatcherite past.

But his comments came on the day Mr Dorrell's Tory policy group suggested giving council and housing association tenants state aid to help buy a home.

Mr Dorrell said that rather than trash it, Mr Cameron had built on Margaret Thatcher's right-to-buy legacy.

Change for change's sake is a vacuous process, swiftly seen through by the electorate Michael Ancram MP Tories target council 'ghettos' Analysis: Ancram's impact

In his 30-page blueprint for the party called Still A Conservative, Mr Ancram urges Mr Cameron to give the party back its "soul", rather than make "vacuous" reforms.

Instead he says the Tories should return to core values on issues like tax, Europe and marriage.

He denounces efforts to present the Conservatives as "heirs to Blair" and says there is a public perception of the party "lacking an overall sense of vision and direction".

He praises Mr Cameron's "laudable efforts" as leader, saying he has "revived interest in the Conservative Party brand".

'Vacuous process'

But he adds: "Now he must begin to unveil the party's soul based on those core values, principles and beliefs that form the timeless make-up of that Conservative soul."

While he supports Mr Cameron's proposal to offer tax incentives to marriage, he claims the policy of treating same-sex civil partnerships in the same way as marriages "insults the intelligence of the British people".

"Of course as Conservatives we must show we have changed, but we must beware doing so by trashing our past or appearing ashamed of our history," he says.

I was a great admirer of Margaret Thatcher, but to invoke Thatcherism now... just makes the Tory Party look old-fashioned Michael Portillo Ex-Conservative MP Tory education proposals

And he adds: "Change for change's sake is a vacuous process, swiftly seen through by the electorate."

But Mr Dorrell, whose Public Services Improvement Policy Group has proposed a raft of measures including giving council tenants state aid to help them buy a home and break up "ghettos", dismissed the comments.

"It is a particularly bizarre point to make, I think, on the day that we publish this proposal, which very obviously and explicitly builds on the right to buy legislation that Margaret Thatcher introduced," he told BBC Radio 4's World At One.

"If you look at the development of policy since David Cameron became leader, what David has done is to build on the Thatcherite legacy not to trash it."

Brown praises Thatcher

Former Conservative Cabinet minister Michael Portillo said Mr Ancram should have kept quiet, especially as the Tories might soon have to launch an election campaign.

"I was a great admirer of Margaret Thatcher, but to invoke Thatcherism now, which is a phenomenon which is 25 years old, just makes the Tory Party look old-fashioned and, of course, divided."

POLICY REVIEW KEY POINTS: State aid for council tenants to help them buy their homes National fund to provide affordable housing where needed Smaller schools More power to head teachers Tougher restrictions on excluded pupils Anonymity for teachers faced with allegations Abolish AS levels 'Health miles' incentives to adopt healthier lifestyle Remove licences from shops prosecuted for selling alcohol and tobacco to minors Consult on raising the legal age for smoking to 18 Less political interference in running of NHS

For Labour, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Mr Ancram's comments had confirmed his belief that the Conservatives were driven by "two factions", with Mr Cameron "a prisoner of the factions rather than the factions being led with conviction".

Mr Brown then went on to praise Mrs Thatcher for being a conviction politician.

Mr Cameron has in recent weeks concentrated more on so-called "core" Tory issues such as demanding a referendum on the EU treaty and claiming the level of immigration to the UK is too high.

Labour has accused the party of "lurching to the right" - something denied by Mr Cameron, who has pledged to fight on the centre ground.

And there was encouragement for Mr Cameron from a Populus opinion poll* for the Times which suggests the Conservatives have risen three points on a month earlier to 36%, just behind Labour, down two on 37%, with the Lib Dems also up three at 18%.

* Populus interviewed 1,506 adults by telephone between 31 August and 2 September.