Tory leader pledges 'real grit' in the face of lower poll ratings

Tory leader pledges ‘real grit’ in the face of lower poll ratings
By Andrew Grice, Political Editor Independent 06 December 2006

David Cameron’s honeymoon is over. His personal ratings are falling as the euphoria over his election as Tory leader a year ago today fades, and his party’s showing in the opinion poll is no higher than it was then.
A lot has been achieved in his first year. Cabinet ministers admit he is proving the greatest threat to Labour since it came to power in 1997. The Tory brand is no longer contaminated in the voters’ eyes.

Mark Borkowski, PR Expert view

‘I think he has reinvigorated the battle for voice in the media. The Tories lost so much ground, and so many of their leaders have been dullards when it comes to communication. Cameron has a hell of a lot of style. He has been ahead of the game, on green issues, signing up people such as Zac Goldsmith, all very powerful in terms of making Labour think, ‘We have a fight on our hands’. He’s been seeing celebrities and doing lunches and dinners with influential people. There’s a freshness to it, but whether it’s ultimately changing root and branch Conservatives in the Shires is the real question. To me, his image feels like a film set: you see a bright building and you go behind it to find it’s propped up with sticks. When it comes to the hand-to-hand fighting of an election, he’s got to be more than just a pretty face.’
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article2042962.ece