Tory leader is WMN reader

TORY leader David Cameron takes time out on his Westcountry

holiday to catch up on the issues that affect the region.

Tory leader David Cameron reading yesterday's Western Morning News (with a picture of himself on the front page) on the beach at Harlyn Bay, Cornwall. Mr Cameron looks relaxed after a poll revealed that 22 per cent of Labour supporters think he would make a better Prime Minister than Gordon Brown

Just 24 hours before facing a grilling from WMN readers, Mr

Cameron was snapped reading the paper on the beach at Harlyn

Bay, North Cornwall.

Sporting a brightly coloured pair of Bermuda shorts, the

41-year-old took a break from playing Frisbee to scan the pages

of the Westcountry's award-winning newspaper.

Today, he will put his family holiday near Padstow on hold

to field questions put by people from across Devon and Cornwall

in a unique event organised by the WMN.

Some last-minute research of yesterday's paper will have

given him a good idea of the topics that questions are likely

to cover – from the importance of the tourism trade to council

waste, anti-social behaviour and affordable housing.

Seventy WMN readers will gather for the exclusive question

time event in Padstow and anyone not able to attend can follow

the proceedings in a special live blog at

www.thisiswesternmorningnews.co.uk from 10.45am this

morning.

Having begun his holiday in Cornwall with blue skies and

warm sunshine, the storm clouds were gathering last night.

Heavy showers were predicted.

But the political forecast for the Conservative leader was

much brighter, with a string of opinion polls putting his party

well-ahead of a beleaguered Labour Party. As Gordon Brown

endured another day of speculation about his future as Prime

Minister, Mr Cameron looked relaxed on his summer break.

A ComRes poll for the Independent found more than half of

voters believed the Conservative Party was ready for office,

with 46 per cent saying the same about Mr Cameron.

And the Daily Telegraph's latest YouGov poll saw the Tories

stretch their lead by a point to 19, despite falling one point

to 45 per cent, as Labour fell two points.

The Conservatives have publicly admitted major gains are

needed in Devon and Cornwall for the party to stand any chance

of sweeping to power at the next election.

But many voters in the region remain unconvinced that the

Westcountry would fare better under the Conservatives.

A cross-section of readers, business leaders and community

groups will challenge the Tory leader to outline his policies

on the EU, post offices and pensions in today's hour-long

question time.