What Cameron Didn't Want You To See

3:46pm UK, Saturday April 29, 2006

Conservative leader David Cameron asked for Sky News footage to be withdrawn from screen after a disagreement with one of the channel's senior reporters.

The problem arose at the end of two days of filming the politician pounding the streets of Britain ahead of next week's local elections.

The Tory leader becomes flustered

Sky correspondent Joey Jones was trailing Mr Cameron, with the agreement of his team, and took footage of him pressing the flesh in Kingston Upon Thames and Newcastle, before concluding his feature with a face-to-face interview.

But it was then, the Tory leader became uncomfortable with questions about why he wanted to change the party - and he broke away from the interview, becoming increasingly flustered, gesticulating and dismissive.

Jones had told viewers that next week's elections would be the first "real test" for Mr Cameron but that more conventional party members and some quarters of the Tory press were worried he was moving too far from core Tory values.

Mr Cameron admitted the day before that he woke up "every morning thinking what more can we do to change the Conservative party".

But when Jones asked him if that meant he disliked the current party, the interview disintegrated.

"I do, of course, I do (like the party)," said Mr Cameron, "but my job is to win new support for the Conservative party". He then talked about the Government "imploding," so Jones tried again to find out what he did not like about today's Tory ethos and why he believed it needed changing.

"You must understand why people who have voted Conservative....are going to be unnerved if you are obsessed with changing it," he asked.

"It's not a question of obsession. I wake up every morning thinking how I can improve the fortunes of the party," Mr Cameron replied.

Attempt three: "But what's wrong with the current Conservative party?"

"The problem is...." He sighs. "I mean where is this interview going? We are going round and round and round. What are we doing here?" replied Mr Cameron. "Sorry, I thought we were doing a short interview. It's now turning into a half hour thing.....I thought it was a few pictures in different locations and...."

In less than 10 minutes the interview is brought to an end. Mr Cameron and his media team then ask that the footage where he stumbles, is not shown.

Jones said it was a "sour end" to their time together. "The likelihood is that despite his (David Cameron's) best efforts, the Tory showing next Thursday will be less than spectacular.

"If that's the case, the question as to whether he was wise to try and transform the Conservative party will reoccur with greater insistence and he will be well advised to get used to it."