Cameron 'ready to be PM' - Hague

The Conservatives are now the "likely winners" of the next election because voters have "warmed very considerably" to David Cameron, William Hague says.

The shadow foreign secretary told BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine show: "I can see him as prime minister and I think he is now ready to be prime minister."

Voters had "fallen out of love" with Labour and were voting Conservative.

But he rejected claims that Mr Cameron had clashed with George Osborne over a tax breaks for married couples policy.

In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Hague said he believed "disenchanted" Labour voters were moving "over en bloc and voting Conservative".

'Not complacent'

"That political switch is entirely towards the Conservative Party," he said.

"We are now the likely winners of the next election - we now have to make sure of it"
William Hague
Shadow foreign secretary

"I think this is a difference and I think it does show that people have warmed very considerably to the Conservative Party and to David Cameron.

"We don't claim to be there yet, we are not remotely complacent about it, but we are now the likely winners of the next election - we now have to make sure of it."

He said Tory plans to raise the inheritance tax threshold, abolish stamp duty for first-time buyers and scrap the ID card scheme had helped towards that "switch".

And he praised Mr Cameron as "the best person I have worked with at the top level of politics".

"The more people know about David Cameron, the more they like him," he said.

'No row'

But he claimed there was "no difference of opinion" between Mr Cameron and his shadow chancellor, Mr Osborne, over whether to place tax breaks for married couples at the heart of Tory policy.

"I take part with them in most of their discussions and I've not seen any disagreement with them about these things," he said.

"David has always said that we will recognise marriage in the tax system and that remains our commitment.

"There is no such row and they, and all the rest of us, are absolutely together on everything we've announced so far."

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