14 May 2015, The Tablet

Man with a mandate – but not a free hand

by Julia Langdon

 
Last week, the Conservatives tasted the delight of their first outright parliamentary victory in 23 years. But with a tiny Commons majority and a range of difficult issues already emerging, David Cameron faces a challenging term ahead, not least from some members of his own party David Cameron is not a politician who looks for much guidance from others on political matters, or so one gathers. Sir John Major, the last Conservative Prime Minister to win an overall majority in the House of Commons 23 years ago, was asked recently by a friend if his successor in the post ever asked him for advice. “Not as much as the Queen,” he replied, coolly.It was an interesting observation (not least for what it says about the Queen) because in the wake of an extraordinary general election &n
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