Political positions of David Cameron

David Cameron in 2013

This article concerns the policies, views and voting record of David Cameron, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (May 2010 to July 2016) and former Foreign Secretary in the Sunak ministry (November 2023 to July 2024). Cameron describes himself as a "modern compassionate conservative" and has said that he is "fed up with the Punch and Judy politics of Westminster".[1] He has stated that he is "certainly a big Thatcher fan, but I don't know whether that makes me a Thatcherite."[2] Our Society, Your Life, a 2007 policy statement for the Conservative Party launched shortly after David Cameron became leader of the party, has been seen by some (such as Richard Kelly, head of politics at Manchester Grammar School[3]) as a triangulation of Conservative ideology with that of Tony Blair's New Labour, linking into the idea of the Third Way and an attempted revival of one-nation conservatism.[4] There have been claims that he described himself to journalists at a dinner during the leadership contest as the "Heir to Blair",[5] and Cameron stated in 2005 that he did not intend to oppose the Labour government as a matter of course, and will offer his support in areas of agreement. He also wants to move the Conservatives focus away from purely fiscal matters, saying "It's time we admitted that there's more to life than money, and it's time we focused not just on GDP, but on GWB – general well-being".[6] However, commentators have questioned the degree to which Cameron and his coalition have embodied this, instead locating them in the intellectual tradition of Thatcherism.[7][8] However, Cameron has claimed to be a "liberal Conservative", and "not a deeply ideological person".[9]

He and others in the "Notting Hill set" have sought to focus on issues such as the environment, work-life balance and international development – issues not previously seen as priorities for the post-Thatcher Conservative party.[10] In a speech to the Conservative annual conference in October 2006, he identified the concept of "social responsibility" as the essence of his political philosophy.[11] The idea of the Big Society, championed by Cameron under the 2010 coalition government, proposes "integrating the free market with a theory of social solidarity based on hierarchy and voluntarism" drawing upon "a mix of conservative communitarianism and libertarian paternalism" in principle.[12]

In 2008, Cameron organised a seminar for senior Conservatives with the economist Richard Thaler and began discussing the influence of Thaler's ideas on Conservative policy.[13][14] Thaler is the co-author with Cass Sunstein of Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness, and the pair are informal policy advisors to Barack Obama.[15] Cameron included the book in a 2008 reading list for Conservative MPs.[16]

This article is part of
a series about
David Cameron
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
First ministry and term
(May 2010 – May 2015)
Second ministry and term
(May 2015 – July 2016)
Post-premiership
David Cameron's signature
  1. ^ Freedland, Jonathan (7 December 2005). "Enough of this love-in: Bush was a compassionate conservative too". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 6 November 2006.
  2. ^ "Cameron: Tories need new identity". BBC News. 17 November 2005. Retrieved 6 November 2006.
  3. ^ Kelly, Richard (15 December 2013). "Richard Kelly: From Burke to burkhas – why it's time for Tory multiculturalism". ConservativeHome. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  4. ^ Kelly, Richard (February 2008). "Conservatism under Cameron: The new 'Third Way'". Politics Review. 17 (3). Philip Allan Updates: 30.
  5. ^ Pierce, Andrew (5 October 2005). "Horror as Cameron brandishes the B word". The Times (London). Retrieved 25 November 2006. (subscription required)
  6. ^ "Make people happier, says Cameron". BBC News. 22 May 2006. Retrieved 6 November 2006.
  7. ^ McEnhill, Libby. "David Cameron and welfare: a change of rhetoric should not be mistaken for a change of ideology" (PDF). LSE Blogs.
  8. ^ Griffiths, Simon. "Cameron's "Progressive Conservatism" is largely cosmetic and without substance". LSE Blogs.
  9. ^ Rawnsley, Andrew (18 December 2005). "'I'm not a deeply ideological person. I'm a practical one'". The Observer (London). Retrieved 6 November 2006.
  10. ^ Jo-Anne Nadler, So who are the Notting Hill set anyway? Archived 15 November 2006 at the Wayback Machine, Sunday Herald, 15 May 2005. Retrieved 6 November 2006
  11. ^ Cameron: We stand for social responsibility Archived 19 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine, conservatives.com, 1 October 2006. Retrieved 6 November 2006
  12. ^ Alan Walker & Steve Corbett (8 March 2013). "The 'Big Society', neoliberalism and the rediscovery of the 'social' in Britain". Sheffield Political Economy research Institute.
  13. ^ Aditya Chakrabortty, From Obama to Cameron, why do so many politicians want a piece of Richard Thaler?, The Guardian (London), 12 July 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2008
  14. ^ Carol Lewis, Why Barack Obama and David Cameron are keen to 'nudge' you, Times Online, 14 July 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2008
  15. ^ Chris Satullo, The right kind of 'nudge' improves life for citizens, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 20 July 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2008
  16. ^ In full: The reading list issued to Tory MPs, The Daily Telegraph (London), 3 August 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2008