The Sunday Torygraph headlines Right-wingers back Cameron for leader in an article that has the smell of kite-flying about it. Melissa Kite, the deputy political editor, claims that Cornerstone are going to back Cameron because he is “more socially conservative” than people think. Guido doubts this story is entirely accurate. Andrew Rosindell forinstance would rather go to the Black Gay and Lesbian Socialist’s Christmas Party than back Cameron, Tombstone members are clearly not monolithic. Some of the headbangers loathe Davis with a vengance, some see the way the wind is blowing and are belatedly seeking preferment in the coming Cameron shadow cabinet. Some are backing him out of principle – the principle being that they want power and Cameron increases that prospect.

Cameron is no wet, he occupies neo-con territory on foreign affairs, he is resolutely Euro-sceptical (forget that youthful heretical memo to Lamont about the ERM, that was in the past and was a private mattter). The right has noticed he is up for re-negotiating the relationship with the EU and shifting Tory MEPs out of the “Quisling” EPP. He would privatise more council houses and cut taxes lower than Thatcher.

This has slowly seeped deep into the consciousness of the right. Guido was at a wonk-fest lunch on Friday at the Institute of Economic Affairs, the 50 year-old think-tank that spawned a thousand free-market wonks. Chatting to a Tory special adviser, a right-wing anti-Euro campaigner and an IEA staff member, the feeling was Cameron may not be one of us, but he might win. These are the people who hated John Major, the ideological die-hards of popular capitalism are just fed up with being powerless, which is why they have gone Cameroonie. Never mind the policy substance, feel the power surge.

“Blair’s Euro-Failure” headlines didn’t really happen today. His Euro-daytrip for foreign heads-of-state was pretty much a waste of time. It looked likely to lead to a rash of off-message headlines. So instead Blair went into stern statesman mode. A bit of sabre-rattling and the headlines became “Tough Tony Tells Tehran“. Blair is the genius of spin.

Finally, an actual policy skewer for Cameron, in a move aimed at solidifying the Davis base he goes straight to the point. No waffle about “change” but a pounds, shillings and pence pledge to cut taxes by £1,200. Which is a figure that Guido seems to recall being central to a 1992 Tory poster saying “Labour’s Tax Bombshell : £1,250 more tax a year under Labour.”Its an old core message – Davis is saying he’ll return the tax burden to where it was under Major. Nick Herbert is being credited with crafting the message, but Matthew Elliot, CEO of the Taxpayers Alliance will be pleased. He is a former aide to Davis who has taken a sabbatical to go back to help out his old boss on Team Basher. The expected Davis signing of a public pledge to lower taxes smacks of Elliot’s influence – inspired by Newt Gingrich’s Contract with America.

Cameron’s “we’ll share the spoils of growth between tax cuts and public services” answer will seem vague in comparison. Cameron needs to put a figure on his tax relief bid.

Some changes in Basher’s Team as they re-arrange the deck-chairs on the Titanic. A crowd of consistent losers has now been assembled to finish his campaign off.

Look at ‘em: Andrew Mitchell doesn’t know the editor of The Times from his elbow. Conway is the master of how to make enemies and abuse people. David Canzini, fresh from all those Tory by-election victories he masterminded, looks set to repeat his ‘success’ again, Chief-of-Staff Iain Dale increased the LibDem majority ten-fold in North Norfolk at the general election, Nick Longworth doubled the LibDem majority where he stood, Ashley Crossley similarly reduced the Tory vote and Nick Wood achieved the great press coverage that IDS enjoyed.

Basher’s B-team, its not a question of whether they will lose – its just a question of by how much…

Chris Gayling is officially Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, hence when Blair was being booed and slow hand-clapped at the European parliament in Strasbourg yesterday, he stood in at PMQs against Geoff Hoon, who was himself standing in for Prescott (who chose not to be there to defend the education bill). Unofficially the ex-TV producer and spin merchant is the attack dog set upon New Labour sleeze. So he is pretty busy.

Cherie creaming off all the profits from a charity dinner? Grayling growls on the news shows (he is ex-BBC news and Channel 4). Byers lies, Grayling barks to the Parliamentary Standards Committee. Margaret Beckett uses the Queen’s flight more often than the Queen? Grayling demands the cabinet office counts her air-miles. Now he has got his teeth into the Blunkett son’s 3% DNA Bioscience shareholding. The shares are said to be worth some £300,000 (dubious). Blunkett claims to have been rewarded with the shares after only two weeks work! GGrrrr Grayling…