Cameron tribute to party grassroots

Conservative leader David Cameron has played down claims of a rift with ordinary party members
22 May 2013

David Cameron has continued to reach out to his party's grassroots, insisting "I feel I am one of them" in the wake of the damaging claims an ally had sneered at activists.

The Prime Minister dismissed reports that a senior Tory with close links to the leadership had branded activists as "mad, swivel-eyed loons", insisting it was "simply not the case".

"It is not what I think, it is not what the people around me think," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"I think sometimes the media have a view that there is a complete disconnect between the politicians who stand for election and the volunteers who support us. I think that is completely wrong.

"I think of the volunteers in my own constituency, they are not just my friends and my supporters, I feel I am one of them. If I wasn't a Member of Parliament I would be with them, supporting their Member of Parliament."

Despite a turbulent few weeks in the party fuelled by key policy divisions, Mr Cameron insisted Tories were unified on Europe. The Prime Minister also insisted he would not be swayed from his plans to renegotiate powers from Brussels then go the country with an in/out vote by the end of 2017.

He said: "It's a very clear, very decisive policy. Let me say, this policy - it doesn't matter the pressure I come under from outside the Conservative Party or in Europe or inside the Conservative Party - this policy is not going to change. The question is not going to change, the number of referenda isn't going to change, the date by which we hold this referendum isn't going to change. The fact is it's the right policy for the country."

Mr Cameron said the party had managed to have a disagreement on Europe "about an issue we actually agree about" over the last few weeks. He conceded gay marriage had been divisive but insisted he respected those who held different views.

"I don't think in any way that to oppose gay marriage is to be wrong-headed," he said. "This is a different point of view but we should respect each other and there is plenty of room in a modern party like the Conservative Party to have people who are opponents of gay marriage and proponents of gay marriage. The Conservative Party at its best has always been a broad church and that is exactly what it is and always will be."

Pressed on suggestions he was too relaxed, the Prime Minister said: "You get accused of all sorts of things in a job like this. All I know is I'm incredibly fired up about what I care about, what the Conservative Party in government cares about and getting things done for this country. It's an enormous privilege to do this job. It's lots of things but relaxing is not one of them."

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