Sheep

Eventually, it will sink in that "compassionate Conservatism" does not mean "One Nation" or "cuddly" or "not wholly unpleasant" or "vaguely sort of left-wing" Conservatism. It's a neoconservative euphemism.

Before enlightenment dawns on the bewildered herds of Westminster, expect more confused bleating from those, like this Liberal Democrat, who think they can see a wolf, but are baffled by its downy soft wooly jumper. Particularly entertaining, in a cruel way, is the absolute bewilderment that a Tory, and a right-wing Tory at that, should lay claim to environmental credibility.

It’s easily done, as these examples from the US show. All that is needed is to drop the leftist language of social choice and economic impacts from environmental concerns, and replace it with the classically liberal rhetoric of personal consumption decisions. Cameron’s redefinition of the environment as a "quality of life" issue is an attempt to do precisely that.