Downing Street shaken as modernising Tory strategist quits
By Ian Dunt Follow @IanDunt
One of the chief architects of David Cameron's political agenda is leaving Downing Street, in a move with major political ramification for the Conservative party.
Steve Hilton, who is widely credited with pushing the Tory project onto more centrist ground, is taking an unpaid academic sabbatical at Stanford University beginning this summer.
"With his wife and young family, Steve will be moving to California," a Downing Street spokesman said.
"He will spend his year on campus teaching, researching and writing, and will focus on innovation in government, public services and communities around the world."
The political repercussions of the move are hard to over-estimate. Mr Hilton was considered Mr Cameron's 'ideas man', projecting a more metropolitan, progressive and green image to voters in a bid to 'detoxify' the Tory brand.
While Mr Cameron relied on Andy Coulson, who left over the phone-hacking row, to tailor policies for right wing tabloids, Mr Hilton's role was to bring in more centrist voters who had switched to Tony Blair in 1997.
His departure leaves the 'big society' agenda in serious doubt. It will also rob political correspondents of stories about his strange behaviour at work, which included refusing to wear shoes and suggesting staff should only fly Virgin airlines.
It could also signal a move to the right, despite the balance the Liberal Democrats provide to the coalition.
Many Tory backbenchers were extremely suspicious of Mr Hilton's advice to the prime minister, believing him partly responsible for Mr Cameron's resistance to right wing messages.
In the short term, analysts are likely to interpret the resignation as another sign of a weakened Downing Street team. Labour will likely claim it is evidence of a government is disarray.
