Cameron's Speech

The big question is, "Why now?". While Cameron has given a few signs over the months of acquaintance with the concept of "localism", yesterday's speech was a fairly full adoption of many of the ideas put forward by Hannan and Carswell in their book "The Plan". He even reproduced some of their phraseology.

Those of us who are persuaded that localism is the only real answer to the present statist and bureaucratic morass will be glad, and hope that he means every word he says. He usually does.

But why now?

Was it to deflect criticism of the frequent failures of money-grubbing Tory MPs, - many will have "sat down" or been forced to sit down by his actions? He cleans out the party, but the risk is that people will count how many have digressed.

Was it to steal a march on Brown and Co., who are putting out their own rather pale and feeble suggestions, including PR which they rejected when their party didn't need it?

Or was it, as I would hope, for the good of England, - that we would have had a fuller exposition in due course, perhaps in stages but now under pressure of events having to be brought forward?

Whatever the reason, it is in the open and he has nailed his colours to the mast. He has given us a vision of how things could be, and rejecting the tinkering that others are advancing.