At last, the deal is done. The details are yet to emerge (and some of them appear to be a cause of considerable alarm) , but we can at last give thanks that David Cameron has achieved his political objective and is safely installed at 10 Downing Street as the first Conservative prime minister since 1997. It is has been a long and painful 13 years in the wilderness, and we are not out of the desert yet. But another five years of being Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition would have stretched loyalty to breaking point, and now at least the Conservative Party have a foot over the threshold of power (...the other over-sized shoe belongs to Nick Clegg).
It is interesting how some have an easy path to power and for others it is tortuous. Some spend years if not decades honing their skills in vain, while others attain high office as if by magic, quite unprepared politically and philosophically.
In a sense, David Cameron was destined to be Prime Minister: born into a wealthy family, Anglican, Eton, Oxford, PPE, well-connected, CCO, political adviser, after one election rehearsal became a shoe-in for a safe Tory seat, entered Parliament in 2001, swiftly promoted, leadership candidate just four years later…
This path contrasts greatly with that of Margaret Thatcher: born to a family of modest means, Methodist, grammar school, Oxford, chemistry, no influential connections, had to apply to many associations before finally entering Parliament in 1959, frustrated at many turns, had to wait almost two decades before becoming a leadership candidate…
Let us hope that the years 2001-2010 have taught David Cameron what Margaret Thatcher learned between 1970-1974: how not to govern.
The more state spending, borrowing, taxation and regulation we have, the less is the incentive for enterprise.
David Cameron must espouse limited government, individual freedom, private property ownership and the rule of law. Margaret Thatcher faced the Winter of Discontent – a bankrupt nation, public sector strikes, unbridled trade union power and national demoralisation.
David Cameron faces a summer of near-bankruptcy, public sector strikes, resurgent trade union sabre-rattling and a nation under EU occupation.
Margaret Thatcher faced a Cabinet largely hostile to her reforms; David Cameron has surrounded himself by congenial sorts, even if a disproportionate number appear to be Liberal Democrats.
Margaret Thatcher’s vision to reverse state control, liberate individual initiative and stand up to the communism of the mighty Soviet Empire was shared by President Ronald Reagan.
But whatever David Cameron may wish to achieve economically or against the Islamism which today threatens the peace and security of the world, he will find no soul-mate in President Obama.
There are problems and uncertainties, yet this is an exciting time to be alive.
All that we need now is a vision.
And that vision must be one of compassion.
And we must wait and see if David Cameron has the answer to today’s political, social and economic problems, and whether or not he possesses the courage to resolve them.
