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| How Steve Hilton turned on his friend and ex-boss David Cameron How Steve Hilton turned on his friend and ex-boss David Cameron | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| It is barely more than a year since David Cameron was pictured bear-hugging a grinning Steve Hilton at the launch of the former Downing Street adviser’s new book, More Human. | It is barely more than a year since David Cameron was pictured bear-hugging a grinning Steve Hilton at the launch of the former Downing Street adviser’s new book, More Human. |
| Hilton was tanned and dressed casually in a bright yellow T-shirt and orange trousers as he posed alongside the prime minister after returning from California in a blaze of media attention to promote his new ideas about transforming society. | Hilton was tanned and dressed casually in a bright yellow T-shirt and orange trousers as he posed alongside the prime minister after returning from California in a blaze of media attention to promote his new ideas about transforming society. |
| But it is hard to imagine the two men enjoying such cordial relations these days, after Hilton mounted his fifth attack on his former boss’s policies and manner of governing in the year since he returned from life as an academic in San Francisco. | But it is hard to imagine the two men enjoying such cordial relations these days, after Hilton mounted his fifth attack on his former boss’s policies and manner of governing in the year since he returned from life as an academic in San Francisco. |
| The subject of his latest critique is Cameron’s failed immigration target. Hilton has punched the remain campaign’s sorest bruise by telling the Daily Mail that civil servants warned years ago that the target would never be met without leaving the EU. | The subject of his latest critique is Cameron’s failed immigration target. Hilton has punched the remain campaign’s sorest bruise by telling the Daily Mail that civil servants warned years ago that the target would never be met without leaving the EU. |
| Despite his sustained criticisms of Downing Street, Hilton was until recently described as Cameron’s “close friend”, his guru and sometimes even the brains behind his modernising agenda that stretched from hugging hoodies and huskies to the “big society”. | Despite his sustained criticisms of Downing Street, Hilton was until recently described as Cameron’s “close friend”, his guru and sometimes even the brains behind his modernising agenda that stretched from hugging hoodies and huskies to the “big society”. |
| He was the subject of Westminster fascination in the early days of the coalition for his tendency not to wear shoes in the office and various outlandish policy ideas leaked by the Lib Dems before he headed off to America in 2012 for a sabbatical in academia. | He was the subject of Westminster fascination in the early days of the coalition for his tendency not to wear shoes in the office and various outlandish policy ideas leaked by the Lib Dems before he headed off to America in 2012 for a sabbatical in academia. |
| Such was Hilton’s reputation that he even earned a place in satirical history as the inspiration for the herbal-tea drinking spin doctor Stewart Pearson in the BBC’s The Thick of It. | Such was Hilton’s reputation that he even earned a place in satirical history as the inspiration for the herbal-tea drinking spin doctor Stewart Pearson in the BBC’s The Thick of It. |
| But after Hilton’s return from the US last year, it became clear he had political plans of his own that did not involve being cast in the role of an eccentric adviser still allied to his old boss. | But after Hilton’s return from the US last year, it became clear he had political plans of his own that did not involve being cast in the role of an eccentric adviser still allied to his old boss. |
| He started by telling the Daily Mail that he wanted Cameron to stand up for marriage and attacking an “insular ruling class” that controls the UK. | He started by telling the Daily Mail that he wanted Cameron to stand up for marriage and attacking an “insular ruling class” that controls the UK. |
| By January, he had also attacked George Osborne for letting Google off the hook over its £130m back tax bill, despite his wife having formerly been a senior communications executive at the firm. He hit out at the ruling elites who were bullying Jeremy Corbyn and laid into the government for cosying up to a corrupt Chinese government last autumn. | By January, he had also attacked George Osborne for letting Google off the hook over its £130m back tax bill, despite his wife having formerly been a senior communications executive at the firm. He hit out at the ruling elites who were bullying Jeremy Corbyn and laid into the government for cosying up to a corrupt Chinese government last autumn. |
| Relations have only soured since then. Those who know Hilton say he is a longtime opponent of the EU and centralised bureaucracy, so it was not surprising that he would come out for the leave campaign. Will Straw, the director of Britain Stronger in Europe, points out he is “so Eurosceptic he supported John Redwood’s leadership bid in 1995”. | Relations have only soured since then. Those who know Hilton say he is a longtime opponent of the EU and centralised bureaucracy, so it was not surprising that he would come out for the leave campaign. Will Straw, the director of Britain Stronger in Europe, points out he is “so Eurosceptic he supported John Redwood’s leadership bid in 1995”. |
| But what has annoyed Downing Street remain campaigners so much is that Hilton has made a point of associating himself with the official leave campaign of Boris Johnson and Michael Gove – two other friends-turned-adversaries of the prime minister. | But what has annoyed Downing Street remain campaigners so much is that Hilton has made a point of associating himself with the official leave campaign of Boris Johnson and Michael Gove – two other friends-turned-adversaries of the prime minister. |
| Rather than making his case from the sidelines, Hilton last week made a point of travelling to Norwich for a photo opportunity with Johnson in a move that appeared calculated to cause maximum irritation in No 10. He also made headlines by claiming that Cameron was at heart a Eurosceptic before he became institutionalised by his time in government. | Rather than making his case from the sidelines, Hilton last week made a point of travelling to Norwich for a photo opportunity with Johnson in a move that appeared calculated to cause maximum irritation in No 10. He also made headlines by claiming that Cameron was at heart a Eurosceptic before he became institutionalised by his time in government. |
| These claims give a clue as to the origins of Hilton’s disillusionment with the Cameron project – a feeling that the prime minister has abandoned his radical ambitions since entering No 10 and missed too many chances to shake off his own and the Tories’ elitist image. | These claims give a clue as to the origins of Hilton’s disillusionment with the Cameron project – a feeling that the prime minister has abandoned his radical ambitions since entering No 10 and missed too many chances to shake off his own and the Tories’ elitist image. |
| Gove, too, is known to view the remainers as dull, while the leavers – like Johnson and Hilton – are fellow travellers blessed with creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit. | Gove, too, is known to view the remainers as dull, while the leavers – like Johnson and Hilton – are fellow travellers blessed with creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit. |
| People who worked in No 10 during Hilton’s time there say there was a genuine closeness and affection between him and Cameron. But several advisers reported frustration at what they saw as Hilton’s impracticality and lack of ability to carry through his “blue-sky” proposals. | People who worked in No 10 during Hilton’s time there say there was a genuine closeness and affection between him and Cameron. But several advisers reported frustration at what they saw as Hilton’s impracticality and lack of ability to carry through his “blue-sky” proposals. |
| Andy Coulson, the former communications chief who was later jailed over phone hacking, recalled recently in the Telegraph: “I would ask, ‘So how does that work then?’ If I got an answer at all, it was along the lines of, ‘It’ll be fine – just you see.’ That was mildly irritating, as it was my team who would have to get out and sell the latest product from Steve’s dream factory.” | Andy Coulson, the former communications chief who was later jailed over phone hacking, recalled recently in the Telegraph: “I would ask, ‘So how does that work then?’ If I got an answer at all, it was along the lines of, ‘It’ll be fine – just you see.’ That was mildly irritating, as it was my team who would have to get out and sell the latest product from Steve’s dream factory.” |
| Hilton’s rightwing, free-market ideas certainly infuriated Lib Dems who worked with him, as chronicled in David Laws’s book about the coalition. | Hilton’s rightwing, free-market ideas certainly infuriated Lib Dems who worked with him, as chronicled in David Laws’s book about the coalition. |
| One Lib Dem former adviser said: “I was unfortunate enough to spend some time in Steve’s thought wigwam and it was not a pretty place. I remember him suggesting we should scrap maternity laws and invest in cloud-busting technology to improve the British weather. I certainly do not remember at any time him raising any points about the immigration policy he is now criticising.” | One Lib Dem former adviser said: “I was unfortunate enough to spend some time in Steve’s thought wigwam and it was not a pretty place. I remember him suggesting we should scrap maternity laws and invest in cloud-busting technology to improve the British weather. I certainly do not remember at any time him raising any points about the immigration policy he is now criticising.” |
| While Cameron has taken a while to rise to Vote Leave’s bait, Hilton’s latest attack over the sore point of immigration appears to have proved an annoyance too far for Downing Street. | While Cameron has taken a while to rise to Vote Leave’s bait, Hilton’s latest attack over the sore point of immigration appears to have proved an annoyance too far for Downing Street. |
| In a round of interviews on Tuesday, the prime minister slapped this down, saying his former adviser was “simply not right”. | In a round of interviews on Tuesday, the prime minister slapped this down, saying his former adviser was “simply not right”. |
| In such a climate, it seems highly unlikely Hilton’s “sabbatical” from No 10 will ever come to an end – unless he returns under another incumbent. | In such a climate, it seems highly unlikely Hilton’s “sabbatical” from No 10 will ever come to an end – unless he returns under another incumbent. |