This morning, I was directed to Cameron's articles in the Guardian by a tweet from Richard Reeves, director of Demos. In the articles, Cameron outlined his concept of Progressive Conservatism. He stated that the power to change communities must be given to citizens; suggesting that the complex bureaucracy of government must be simplified and broken down in order for people to bring about the changes that they desire.
At the heart of Cameron's conception of Progressive Conservatism, is the sense that people conceive themselves as citizens. There is a passionate optimism in this idea; one that should not be dismissed lightly. There can be no greater democratic aspiration than that of empowering communities to hold themselves accountable and responsible for the process of social change.
Cameron's ideas chime with those presented in many of the papers put together by Demos; which is, no doubt, why Reeves called the Guardian articles excellent in his blog. The articles also brought to mind the kind of political ideals presented by President Obama. In Dreams from my Father, Obama argues convincingly for the distribution of power. But unlike Cameron, Obama's convictions seem to have a clear narrative line. In his memoir, Obama managed to give his optimism a human face. The hope that he consistently described during the election seems to be directly founded on the actions of the groups and individuals that he worked with.
I do not want to suggest that Cameron is disingenuous. I am almost certain he believes what he says; and that he has clear intentions for when he is in power. But despite his intentions, the overwhelming feeling Cameron brings to my experience of contemporary politics is dischord. When I saw Cameron's articles in The Guardian, I didn't feel that he was inviting me to join him, but that he was coming to get me. Perhaps this feeling was authored by my own preconceptions; however, such preconceptions are defined by a prejudice that has developed of its own accord. When I listen to Cameron, I hear him complain. When he makes positive suggestions, he manages to shroud them in contempt for the current administration.
As I watched Obama campaign, I was swept up in a movement towards hope. I started out cautiously; patiently teasing out the policy differences between Clinton, Edwards and Obama. However, as time went on, I felt the emotional and rational draw of a unifying figure.
Ultimately, it is a sense of hope that is vital in progressive politics. Cameron does not engender hope; and that is why he can be right in both his analysis and his policy, without having a chance of generating unifying social change. Every time Cameron attacks Brown, he chips away at his ability to sweep Britain towards a place where people act as citizens, where individuals work together to achieve the kind of compassionate society outlined in his thoughtful articles for The Guardian.
It is not that Brown does not need to be opposed and criticised; however, the contempt with which Cameron attacks Brown is unhelpful. I believe that whilst Brown is not a good leader, he is interested in affecting positive change. (Change shaped by ideals not too dissimilar to those presented by Cameron.) When Cameron attacks Brown, he attacks a man who is not good enough to hold such prestigious office. He doesn't attack Brown's ideas, so much as his character. Social progress must be steeped in empathy and inclusion. To think of myself as a citizen, I have to feel that I am a part of something. Although I don't want to sound too much like Polyanna, I am genuinely (and rightly) uncomfortable at being included in attacks on a man who is trying his best and only achiving poor results. When Cameron calls the Prime-Minister a "loser" I don't want to be on his side.
In Dreams from my Father, we get the picture of a man drawn towards politics through the recognition of a gift for bringing individuals and groups into a forceful unity. In Cameron's writing I get a sense of a man with the right idea. He may be the man to bring the Conservative Party into a new phase, but the negativity that I feel when I hear him talk about change makes me think that he wants my vote more than my goodwill.
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