When the going gets tough, the tough get going. That's unless you are former Conservative leader David Cameron, who resigned in the wake of defeat following last year's EU Referendum. It is easy for the former Tory leader to offer these remarks since he then went on to resign as an MP, after throwing a temper tantrum over grammar schools.

'A brand of authentic conservatism is needed.'

He makes a valid point though: the Conservatives do need to broaden their appeal to all people. Despite returning to power in 2010 after 13 years on the opposition benches, neither Cameron nor May have won majorities the size of Thatcher's during the 1980s.

Many regard the Tories' majority in 2015 as 'impressive'. Conservatives for Liberty penned an article urging him to return. Some even believe the party could win a landslide if he became leader again. In an age where Corbyn pulls Labour further to the left, a brand of authentic conservatism is needed to combat this, something Dave could never offer.

Cameron has left Theresa May with two disasters of his own making: Brexit and a damaged party brand. In regards to the latter, he should have done more to broaden the Tories' appeal sooner. An analysis conducted after the 2015 General Election discovered many voters still viewed the Conservatives as 'the party of the rich.' Other electors voted Tory because they believed they were 'the best out of a bad bunch' that year.

This is why the Conservatives' majority of 12 in 2015 did not mean the modernisation project succeeded. Cameron shifted the party towards the centre ground prior to his resignation, and May took them further to the left. The population then refused to provide them with a working majority this year.

His vision of conservatism was uninspiring.

Before the 2008 Recession, his modern one-nation conservatism consisted of hugging huskies, hoodies and trees, so much so the party ditched the old logo for a tree that looked like it had been designed by a child. Then after Labour wrecked the economy, Cameron talked about cutting the deficit faster than the Thatcher government ever did.

Andy Coulson and Steve Hilton could not decide between them in the 2010 General Election whether austerity or the 'Big Society' should be the Conservatives' central campaign theme that year. By 2015, the latter was quietly dropped.

The Conservatives would do well to ignore the former Witney MP calling the kettle black. Modern conservatism should be about Britain succeeding outside the EU, defending the Union, a return to free market values the party has been embarrassed to advocate since the 1990s and maintaining Thatcher's vision of everyone owning their own home. If these had been Cameron's campaign themes after 2005, you might be reading a completely different article now. But the former Tory leader only did what he did best at the time: hugging hoodies.