Is Cameron about to turn traditional Tory policy on its head?

(From Guardian Unlimited)

Are the Tories about to emulate Disraeli's famous dishing of the Whigs 150 years ago, when they did a spectacular U-turn and backed the extending of the franchise after decades of supporting rotten boroughs?

Rumours are circulating that David Cameron, who lists Disraeli as one of his heroes, is examining with George Osborne a spectacular foray into Labour's core vote by backing huge tax concessions and higher pay for the lowest paid workers in the country.

The hint came yesterday with the publication in a series of newspaper advertisements sponsored by Liberal Democrat donor Anthony Jacobs, who is backing a huge change in the taxation system aimed at taking 10 million of the lowest paid taxpayers out of the system altogether.

Behind the scenes Jacobs has managed to get private meetings with the Treasury, Gordon Brown, George Osborne, David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Chris Huhne to discuss his ideas.

The frostiest response has come from the Treasury and Brown. Nick Clegg and Chris Huhne have expressed enough interest to reverse at their conference their party's position on taxation to favour tax-cutting rather than ever higher taxes on the rich.

But the most interesting response has been from the Tories. George Osborne's well-funded ...