Cameron is picking a needless fight, says Tory right

Senior MPs already angered by Mr Cameron's stance on grammar schools were provoked further by Shadow Chancellor George Osborne's claim that the Tories are now the "heirs to Tony Blair" on public service reform.

Mr Osborne said it was increasingly clear that Labour was lurching to the Left and the Conservatives were best placed to continue the Prime Minister's attempts to "personalise" schools and hospitals.

His claim prompted Gordon Brown to insist last night that there would be "no retreat" from "essential" public service reforms under his premiership.

However, Mr Osborne's remarks also irritated Tory grassroots activists and Right-wing MPs.

They were further dismayed at his insistence that a Tory government would actively prevent new grammar schools being opened, even if local parents and teachers wanted them.

Pressed after giving a speech in London by a Conservative activist on whether the party would permit the opening of new grammars which had local support, Mr Osborne said:

"We don't believe in schools choosing pupils. We believe in pupils choosing schools."

Even though the Tories opened no new grammars under Margaret Thatcher or John Major's governments, some MPs believe the party's stance does not sit easily with its pledge to devolve power to public service staff to run their own affairs.

Shadow ministers were ordered not to brief the media on internal tensions yesterday and party chiefs are confident there will be no further frontbench resignations over grammar schools.

As the Daily Mail forecast last week, Tory Europe spokesman Graham Brady quit on Tuesday in protest at suggestions from the leadership that selective schools entrench social disadvantage.

MPs on the traditional wing of the party appear emboldened by the recent turmoil and signs that the Tory poll lead over Labour is narrowing.

One senior MP said: "There is a lot of disquiet over this and a host of other issues.

"Cameron seems to be determined to show that the Conservative Party has radically changed and the more fire he is able to drum up, the more he can demonstrate that the party is heading in a new direction.

"But at what cost? The elephant in the room is the polls. We have lost several points in the last couple of weeks and this is deeply damaging.

"He is picking a needless fight with his own MPs and activists. There are a number of MPs - including frontbenchers - who have been pushed to the end of their tether by this 'heir to Blair' stuff.

"Graham Brady's resignation is the tip of the iceberg. There are a lot of very unhappy people out there."

Former Tory spin doctor Nick Wood, who worked for William Hague and Iain Duncan Smith and remains close to several Right-wing members of the shadow cabinet, said: "There is going to be a great deal of confusion over this.

"The average Conservative supporter who wants to see the back of Tony Blair is going to find it rather hard and unappealing to see the leader of the Conservatives as the natural heir.

"What people are looking for is a break from the Blair era rather than a continuation."

Mr Brady, the first frontbencher to quit under Mr Cameron's leadership, said his position of keeping the 164 existing grammar schools but ruling out creating any more was "illogical".

"This question highlights the illogicality of supporting popular selective systems but preventing them from expanding when parents want them to," he said.

"If population is growing in a selective local education authority area, whether it's Buckinghamshire or Trafford, surely new grammar schools should be available. In areas which are currently selective it's a very odd position."

The response on Tory websites was also largely negative.

One commentator said it was "mad" to portray the Tories as heirs to Blair just as a Prime Minister leaves office deeply unpopular.

Another said the "overgrown schoolkids" now in charge of the party were "out of control".

However, a further comment read: "The only ones out of control are the lot who appear to have only just realised that their party hasn't supported grammar schools for 30 years."