Noises off

IT would be easy to dismiss David Davis as an embittered man fast becoming a political irrelevance.

Never at ease with a Tory Party led by his former leadership rival, David Cameron, the Haltemprice and Howden MP alienated Mr Cameron further with his surprise resignation from the Shadow Cabinet two years ago to fight a by-election over civil liberties.

And he has probably scuppered any chances of a return by allegedly being heard to describe the Conservative-Liberal Democrat alliance as the "Brokeback coalition", a reference to the award-winning film Brokeback Mountain about a homosexual relationship between two cowboys.

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The Prime Minister, however, would be unwise to view Mr Davis merely as a voice from the past. Regardless of whether he made the remark in question, the former Shadow Home Secretary still speaks for a large number of Tories who are deeply uncomfortable at sharing power with the Lib Dems.

The disquiet of backbenchers, however, stems not only from the inevitable compromises that come with coalition. They are also unhappy at what they believe to be Mr Cameron's autocratic attitude and his refusal to consult, or even consider, Tory backbenchers, dealing only with his close circle of political intimates. For many Tories, the sight of their leader having to bow to Lib Dem demands while appearing to sideline traditional Conservative issues is proving almost too much to stomach.

It is, of course, understandable if Mr Cameron has little patience with this view. He has much to get on with and even the most recalcitrant Tory backbencher must admit that there is no sensible alternative to the coalition Government and that it should be allowed to get on with the reforms necessary to turn Britain's economy around.

That said, Mr Cameron must realise that, with such important work to do, the Government cannot be blown off course by gusts of dissent within his party's own ranks. This is why he must find time to listen to the likes of Mr Davis and make efforts to reassure his backbenchers that neither they nor their concerns have been forgotten.