Cameron loses his clothes

AS he surveyed the Sunday newspapers, Nick Clegg could be forgiven for feeling somewhat pleased with himself yesterday. Not only did the opinion polls show a surge in support for the Liberal Democrats, but his confident prediction that Labour and the Conservatives would start to "lash out" at Mr Clegg's party was already being fulfilled, with a clumsy attack by William Hague on Lib Dem European policy.

But perhaps the most pleasing aspect of all for the Lib Dem leader was the fact that the polls had taken many of their soundings before Thursday night's TV debate in which Mr Clegg so excelled. In other words, the Lib Dem advance is not dependent on a single TV appearance that could soon vanish from many voters' minds. On the contrary, there is the chance that it will be sustainable.

If this is so, it is particularly bad news for the Tories. The Conservatives' election strategy – indeed, the entire character of David Cameron's leadership – has been aimed at wooing wavering Lib Dem supporters in marginal seats. And a five-year campaign to make the Tories more attractive to such voters has been backed by money from chief donor Lord Ashcroft, which has been poured into these marginal constituencies in the hope that they will carry Mr Cameron into Downing Street.

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That hope is still very much alive. But it is in Mr Cameron's own hands now as to whether he can re-establish his position as Prime Minister-in-waiting and the way to do this is not by following Mr Hague's uncharacteristic blunder, falling into the elephant trap that Mr Clegg has set by turning Tory fire on the Lib Dems.

The reason for Mr Clegg's success in the TV debate was that he came across as markedly different from the Tory and Labour leaders, addressing voters directly on his own party's policies and not insulting their intelligence by indulging in negative campaigning. "The more they attack each other, the more they sound they same" was Mr Clegg's most devastating line.

If Mr Cameron is now to trump the Lib Dems' hand, he has to re-establish himself in the role that Mr Clegg has stolen from him, that of the new man who can sweep away the old, tired politics and offer a set of policies radically different from those that have failed the country so badly during Labour's 13-year reign.

The polls indicate that many voters are receptive to Tory proposals for transferring powers from the state to the people, but that they cannot endorse them because they do not fully understand how they will work. It is this that Mr Cameron has to concentrate on for the remainder of the

campaign, making clear his own vision rather than being dragged down by insulting the policies of his rivals. He can still be the next Prime Minister, but he has much to do first.