WHEN David Cameron assumed the leadership of his party, he made much of his social progressiveness. In his acceptance speech he famously talked of loving his country “as it is now” and not as it was in some mythical bygone era.

He correctly identified the Tories’ perceived antipathy to minority rights and equal opportunities as a fundamental weakness in his party’s appeal to the electorate.

But where are the new progressive policies?

On immigration his party may well be reflecting more accurately than Labour the real concerns of British voters. But it’s still the old refrain: too many foreigners.

On marriage and society, Cameron is threatening to reverse one of his own government’s measures, by reinstating the married couple’s tax allowance. Setting aside the arguments for and against this policy, how is it “progressive”? 

On gay rights, where does his party stand, except in support of most of what we’ve already done? On women’s rights? On race?

I ask in a genuine spirit of enquiry, because it’s quite possible I’ve missed a recently-announced raft of such policies.

And before readers start fulminating against “progressive” policies on the above subjects, this is not about whether such policies are right (they generally are); it is about whether or not there is any evidence that David Cameron has followed through on his promise to make the Conservative Party more progressive.

Any thoughts?