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Cameron an 'arrogant' leader
07/08/2007 19:16 - (SA)
London - One of the Conservative party's biggest donors said on Tuesday he was no longer giving money to the party after becoming disillusioned with David Cameron's "arrogant Old Etonian" style of leadership.
Tom Cowie, who has donated £630 000 to the party during the past six years, told the Guardian newspaper he had initially been impressed with Cameron's "bright, breezy and confident" manner.
But he said he was angered by Cameron's policies, in particular the party's U-turn on building new grammar schools and the leader's decision to visit Rwanda when his constituents struggled with the floods.
The millionaire had supported the previous three Tory leaders, and gave a £500 000 war chest to Michael Howard to fight the 2005 general election.
"The Tory party seems to be run now by Old Etonians and they don't seem to understand how other people live," said Cowie, life president of bus and train operator Arriva.
"They seem to be very arrogant like I suppose Old Etonians can be."
'Very disappointed'
Cameron is the first Old Etonian to lead the Conservatives since Alec Douglas-Home in the early 1960s.
Cameron's shadow cabinet team includes a number of former pupils from the elite Windsor school including policy chief Oliver Letwin.
Cowie said he would make any further donations to Prince Charles' charity, the Prince's Trust, which helps disadvantaged young people set up their own businesses.
"All I can say is I am very, very disappointed with the state of the party. I will not mince my words: I shan't send them any more money," said Cowie.
The former grammar school pupil said he was especially disappointed about the Conservative policy not to build new grammar schools and to support new city academies.
'Party is changing'
"I come from a very humble background and I passed my 11-plus which means I got to grammar school.
"This made all the difference to my life. It took me into a different world, and to take this away from other people is not right."
A Conservative party spokesman said: "The party is changing under David Cameron and as a result a number of new supporters and donors have been attracted to the party.
"There will always be a few people who feel uncomfortable with the changes that need to be made, but now is not the time to abandon our strategy but to reaffirm it."
- Reuters
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