David Cameron’s leadership and party renewal

The chapter explores the relationship between David Cameron’s leadership and Conservative Party renewal. It argues that both Cameron’s leadership, and the understanding of the process of renewal have evolved since 2005. It explores the analytic problems associated with the concept of leadership and the importance of the role of followers as well as leaders. It discusses Cameron’s leadership style and the skills and personal characteristics he brought to the role, It discusses the key challenges for Cameron’s leadership and suggests that, despite his spectacular successes, Cameron continues to puzzle observers and that his leadership has encountered an unusual and intense degree of internal opposition. His historical legacy as the architect of Conservative renewal remains contested, not least because his ability to manage intra-party divisions over Europe has yet to be proved.