From whose political manifesto do you think the following are excerpted:

We believe in the role of government as a force for good.

We will put economic stability and fiscal responsibility first. They must come before tax cuts.

The right test for our policies is how they help the most disadvantaged in society, not the rich.

We will enhance our environment by seeking a long—term crossparty consensus on sustainable development and climate change.

It is our moral obligation to make poverty history.

We understand the limitations of government, but are not limited in our aspirations for government.

No, this is not from the election program of some leftwing party. It is from a statement of 'aims and values' of the Tories — Britain's conservatives — written under the direction of their new leader David Cameron.

It is painful to think that not so long ago British conservatives comprised a vibrant party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher. But their time in power had blunted their ideological edge to the point where even their great leader — whose policies had produced such impressive results — began to seem too extreme. Their drift to the middle and beyond has continued to this day and reached a stage where they speak the Left's language and practice its politics. It has been a long and sad fall from grace.

Vasko Kohlmayer   4 7 06