Tories prepare draft manifesto

Last Modified: 20 Aug 2007
By: Cathy Newman

He's had a few political accidents but the Conservative leader says it's not yet an emergency for the Tory party.

After rowing with his own side on grammar schools and his absence during the floods, David Cameron returned from holiday today to take the fight to Labour.

He says 29 district general hospitals are in danger of losing their accident and emergency or maternity units. But can he guarantee that a Tory government would keep them open?

David Cameron could be just weeks away from a general election. He believes voters no longer see labour as the party of the NHS. But he has yet to crystallise the Tories' own policies on public services.

While parliament gets a makeover, David Cameron is also attempting to rebuild his party. He's considering recommendations from six policy commissions.

The problem, though, is how many give him the building blocks for the future that he needs. Last week, the leadership reacted coolly to an official submission on tax cuts.

Tonight the conservative leader's aides also moved to head off controversy over leaks from the party's quality of life report.

Tory policy is still a work in progress, but aides to the Conservative leader insisted tonight that none of these recommendations would be adopted.

Channel 4 News has obtained the Tories' draft submission on general wellbeing.

It suggests the following: increasing paid maternity leave to three years; holding referendums by popular demand; giving voters the right to sack public officials; compulsory jury-style citizenship service to involve people in local decisions; three extra bank holidays with voters choosing when and what they celebrate; obliging councils to combat noise pollution by drawing up a tranquillity map; and government adverts on the benefits of family life.

Tory policy is still a work in progress, but aides to the Conservative leader insisted tonight that none of these recommendations would be adopted.

When all the commissions have reported, they say there will be plenty of vote-winning policies to choose from, even if there's an autumn election.

Getting in practice for baby-kissing on the campaign trail, the Tory leader might say he's ready, but senior Conservatives privately admit a snap election within months would catch them on the hop.

The majority of parliamentary candidates have been selected in target seats, but in other parts of the country, there are nearly 200 yet to be picked. Analysts, however, say Mr Cameron can relax about the prospect of an imminent poll.

David Cameron is 10 points behind in the polls - worse than Labour leader Neil Kinnock the year before he lost the 1992 election. But the Tory leader rejects the comparison.