Major Tory donor puts boot into Cameron

[Gilps]

He's not having the best of times, is he? Shame.

 

Natives getting very restless

 

A major Conservative donor has accused David Cameron of an "arrogant, Old Etonian" style of leadership and said he would give the party no more money.

 

Sir Tom Cowie, who has given £630,000 to the Tories over the past six years, said he had become "disillusioned".

 

He is now planning to make donations to the Prince's Trust charity instead.

 

A spokesman for Mr Cameron said a lot of new donors had come to the Tories and changing the party meant some people would be unhappy.

 

Sir Tom told the Guardian newspaper he was "very, very disappointed with David Cameron" and "disillusioned with his style of leadership", after what he describes as a series of blunders by the Tory leader.

 

In particular, he cited Mr Cameron's decision to go to Rwanda during the recent flooding in England, which affected the Tory leader's Witney constituency, and the party row over ending support for grammar schools.

 

The paper quotes Sir Tom as saying the Conservative Party seems to be run by "arrogant old Etonians who don't understand how other people live".

 

Mr Cameron's spokesman said the party would not abolish existing grammar schools, but said that the Tory leader believed there were better ways to improve social mobility.

 

Sir Tom, who founded the transport firm Arriva, gave £500,000 to the Conservatives ahead of the 2005 general election.

 

Guardian interview here