Former regional press journalist Francis Elliott is writing one of the first biographies of Conservative leader David Cameron.

Francis, who worked for the Carlisle News & Star and Edinburgh Evening News before joining the Independent on Sunday, has teamed up with colleague James Hanning to pen Cameron: The Rise of the New Conservative.

The book will aim to look behind the spin to reveal the MP’s personality traits, family background and achievements, tracing his progress from his childhood in Oxfordshire to his time at Eton and Oxford Univeristy, his election to Parliament in 2001 and his rise to Conservative leader.

It will also explore the possible future of the Conservative Party with Cameron in charge and access its potential for victory and success.

Francis told HoldtheFrontPage: “As we head towards a new era in politics I think people want to know more about David Cameron.

“We already know quite a lot about Gordon Brown and other politicians but David Cameron is fairly new on the scene and there is a genuine hunger for more information.

“Personally I’m interested to find out ‘is he for real?’ and I will be endeavouring to answer that question.”

The book is an unofficial biography, but Francis hopes the Conservative leader may yet agree to be interviewed.

It is due to be published by Fourth Estate in April.

Francis is now Whitehall editor at the Independent on Sunday, having previously worked for the Carlisle News & Star from 1993 to 1996 and at the Edinburgh Evening News from 1996 to 1998.

He has also worked for New Statesman magazine, was Westminster editor for Scotland on Sunday and went on to become the Sunday Telegraph’s deputy political editor before joining the Independent on Sunday in 2003. Do you have a story about the regional press?
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