- 15 Aug 06, 02:49 PM
When the leader of a political party holds a news conference in the dog days of August, with minimal television audiences, with Westminster shut, with MPs away on holiday, you always have to ask why?
Today David Cameron dragged three of his most senior frontbenchers from their sunloungers to an airless room at Westminster to deliver and answer questions from the media (watch it here). So what was he up to?
It's very simple.
First, he was announcing that he was back. The Conservative leader has been sunning himself in Scotland and Greece for the last three weeks - note the tan - and he just wanted to let the world know that he was back at his desk.
Second, he wanted to say his bit on the issues of the day, about which he has been by definition silent for the last few weeks. Hence, a full exposition of his views on the Middle East and terrorism. In the process, he took on the Government and his own internal critics.
The Government, he said, was not doing enough to combat Islamic extremism in Britain - the 91热爆 Office budget should not be frozen, intercept evidence should be allowed in courts, and the government should follow through more on promised anti-terror laws and efforts to engage with the Muslim community.
As for his internal critics, Mr Cameron defended his decision to criticise specific Israeli military actions in Lebanon as disproportionate. A lot of Tories think he was wrong to say this but he's sticking by his guns.
But Mr Cameron was, third, trying to do something else - namely get the Conservative Party back onto the front foot.
In recent weeks, the polls have not looked as steady as they might. His A-list candidate selection reforms have been criticised for not promoting enough women and ethnic minorities. He's been attacked for surrounding himself with so many Old Etonians. The policy announcement of the summer appears to have been limited to a new oak tree party logo.
So, Mr Cameron was teeing us up for a bit of an announcement blitz. There'll be more tomorrow on his "Built to Last" process of consulting the party about its basic values. There'll be more over the weekend on the A-list candidate selection process - I'm not satisfied with it, says Mr Cameron - so watch out for a toughening up of the rules.
The Conservative leader told the news conference that his party still had momentum. Well, maybe, but he is still looking to pick up a bit more of it if he can.
