Heseltine: Cameron has mountain to climb
Updated on 26 March 2010
Exclusive: former Conservative deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine tells Channel 4 News David Cameron has a mountain to climb to avoid a hung parliament after the general election.
With just over a week until the prime minister is expected to announce the general election, Lord Heseltine has again predicted it will produce a hung parliament.
Reminded by Krishnan Guru-Murthy that he had said last month he would "put money" on a hung parliament, he told Channel 4 News: "Yes, that is because the Conservatives have to be so far ahead in order to win an overall majority of one. (...)
"It's not like Labour and Conservatives being equal and then the Conservatives just ahead and winning. It's not like that.
"The Conservatives have got to be a long way ahead in order to get an overall majority."
In February the Tory grandee shocked party activists when he told a meeting in west London he expected David Cameron would have to call a second election to secure a clear mandate to govern.
The Conservatives need a 7 per cent swing at the election to get an overall parliamentary majority of 326 seats. Anything less, and a hung parliament will probably follow.
The former Conservative deputy prime minister advised Mr Cameron to be bold in his dealings with Liberal Democrats in the event of a hung parliament.
He said David Cameron should tell Nick Clegg's Lib Dems: "If you, Liberal Democrats, want to bring the government down and have an early election, that is your constitutional right to do. The people will not forgive you – but it’s entirely a matter for you."
He continued: "If the Lib Dems think that, as a minority party, they can dictate to the prime minister of this country, they would have a shock coming."
Lord Heseltine said he had no doubt David Cameron would be prime minister - and he hoped he would secure an overall majority.
But he warned: "He has got this mountain to climb. I hope very much he gets that overall majority because that is what the management of the economy in its present circumstance needs.
Speaking to Channel 4 News on the day before the 2010 budget, he said: "It needs difficult decisions and it needs a period of stability in order that we can work our way out of this appalling economic crisis."
And Lord Heseltine appeared to blame the Boundary Commission for the Conservatives' problems.
"You can win if the Boundary Commission had made the adjustments that are necessary to reflect the true state of public opinion,” he said.
"If you have a situation where the Conservatives have got to be eight points ahead in order to be equal with the Labour party, then something's seriously wrong."
He went on to attack the Liberal Democrats for opposing measures to start cutting the country's deficit with immediate effect after an election.
"The Lib Dems (…) are avoiding any real decision and trying to pretend they can be all things to all people – which is what they always do."
Questioned about "the lack of fundamental difference" between the philosophies of the main parties, Lord Heseltine said he believed the Conservatives were much more competent in government.
But he acknowledged: "I’d much rather have new Labour than old Labour."
He said: "A Labour government that isn’t trying to nationalise things, or actually recognises the Nato alliance as part of our security (…) and up to now has been able to keep the unions at bay – that’s a much better Labour government than it used to be."
A spokesman for the Boundary Commission told Channel 4 News: "The commission conducts reviews of constituencies in accordance with the legislation. It has no comment to make on Lord Heseltine’s remarks."
