Cameron warned over 'ditching' Tory values

David Cameron has been warned by one of his own MPs that there is "real concern" amongst party members about the direction in which he is taking the Conservatives.

In an interview with the House Magazine, Philip Davies attacked the Tory leader for seeming to ditch traditional party supporters in an "anxiety to be on the centre ground of politics".

It follows criticism from other right wingers in the party such as Lord Tebbit and Edward Leigh that Cameron is in danger of deserting his core support as he seeks to woo the wider electorate.

Davies singled out the way future Conservative candidates are chosen as an example of his concerns.

"There are certainly things that David Cameron has done that I don't support. The 'A-list' of candidates being one of them, a list of candidates with the odds stacked in favour of one particular gender or race is not something I believe in at all," he said.

And on the wider issue of the party's direction he said: "Obviously I do not want us to ditch timeless Conservative values in this anxiety to be on the centre ground of politics - that is one of my main concerns.

"Amongst the party membership there is a real concern about the direction the party might be going in and I don't think it is beyond us as a party to reach out to more people than we have done at the last three elections whilst keeping on board those people that have stuck with us through thick and thin.

"I cannot believe that is a task that is beyond us and there is no need to ditch our values.

"It is not a choice between getting more people to support us or just stick with the core vote.

"I think you can reach out and broaden the appeal whilst retaining our long-term, traditional supporters - that is what I want to see".