I'm progressive not a Right-winger declares Cameron

DAVID CAMERON rejected claims that he was a "Right-wing nationalist" today as he tried to defuse a fresh row over Kenneth Clarke's comeback.

In a speech to think-tank Demos, the Tory leader made a direct pitch to Labour and Liberal Democrat voters and declared himself a "progressive Conservative".

Mr Cameron stressed that he wanted to use Conservative policies to achieve traditionally Left-leaning ends such as the abolition of child poverty and increased social mobility.

His remarks came after it emerged that the former Chancellor had recently unleashed a savage attack on the Tories' hardline Euroscepticism.

The new shadow business secretary told a conference last month that new President Barack Obama would not want to see Britain led by "a Right-wing nationalist".

Mr Clarke, who was at the time in secret negotiations about a surprise return to the Tory frontbench, told University of Nottingham that his party was "a bit silly sometimes" on the issue of Europe. "Obama doesn't want his strongest European ally led by a Right-wing nationalist, he wants them to be a key player inside Europe, and he'll start looking at whoever is in Germany or France if we start being isolationist," he said.

Mr Clarke also warned that there was a "real risk" that the Tories would not get an overall majority at the next election and there would be a hung Parliament. "I regard that with a sense of deep horror because in the middle of a crisis that's exactly what you don't want," he said.

Labour seized on his comments, with Europe minister Caroline Flint declaring: "It's a straightforward test for David Cameron: give up your policy on Europe, as Ken Clarke says, or give up the special relationship."

But in his speech to Demos, which was once seen as close to New Labour, Mr Cameron underlined his attempt to shift the Tories' image away from narrow issues such as Europe. Speaking alongside Labour MP Frank Field and Gordon Brown ally Will Hutton, he signalled that his party was fully committed to abolishing child poverty and increasing social mobility.

Mr Cameron said the four aims of "progressive Conservatism" were a fair society, a green environment, safety for citizens and equal opportunity. "That is the essence of our vision, the ends we are fighting for," he said.

"Yes, they are ends that we share with people in the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrat Party and right across the mainstream political spectrum. But no, we do not agree about how best to achieve those ends."

Mr Cameron said Labour's debt crisis underlined its failure to increase social mobility or help those on the dole. He added that the Tory plans were to give individuals more power over their lives, and make "the automatic response to any event a response that represents the values of progressive Conservatism".