"Now the controversial strategist Steve Hilton, named the pint-sized Rasputin of Conservative politics, has become an unlikely frontrunner in the primary race for California governor. His rhetorical flair remains familiar credited with coming up with the hug a hoodie campaign for David Cameron's government, Hilton is now claiming that a vote for him will make California Califordable."
"Hilton gained prominence in the 2000s and 2010s for his role in modernising the Conservative party, going on to be Cameron's director of strategy. He was also known in Westminster for his unorthodox working style. Hilton would reportedly pad the halls of Downing Street in socks, ordering civil servants to enact his latest hare-brained scheme, a quirk parodied in the BBC political satire The Thick Of It."
"He also, according to those who worked with him, pushed to scrap maternity leave. Now he wants to be a politician proper, rather than an aide working behind the scenes. Some are sceptical of how this will work. The former Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable, who served in Cameron's coalition government, was unenthusiastic at the prospect."
"I think of him as ideologue rather than doer, gadfly not a serious politician, he said. His big idea, the big society', was a disappointment. Cable believes Hilton can only get elected by freak accident. David Cameron, right, and George Osborne, left, with Steve Hilton at his book launch in 2015. Photograph: Dafydd Jones/Rex Shutterstock"
Steve Hilton, a controversial Conservative strategist known for unorthodox ideas and rhetorical flair, has emerged as a frontrunner in a California governor primary race. He previously gained prominence in the UK for modernising the Conservative Party and serving as David Cameron’s director of strategy. He is credited with campaigns such as “hug a hoodie” and has been associated with unusual working habits, including pushing schemes through Downing Street. He has also been reported to have pushed to scrap maternity leave. Hilton now claims his election will make California more affordable. Critics, including Vince Cable and a former government adviser, question whether his ideologue style and impatience with compromise can translate into effective governance.
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