Cameron hits out at critics

David Cameron has hit back at the Tory critics attempting to undermine his leadership.

The latest Tory to question his rebranding of the Conservative party had asked for a peerage hours before publicly attacking him, Mr Cameron revealed today.

Ali Miraj, a former Conservative party candidate, joined the babble of dissent around Mr Cameron this morning, branding him as style over substance.

Mr Miraj told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was disillusioned with the party because "I think substance has been replaced with PR".

But Mr Cameron responded by publicly questioning Mr Miraj's motives.

According to the BBC Mr Miraj has now been suspended from the Conservatives' candidates list.

Mr Cameron said: "I think we have to, I'm afraid, put this in a context in which yesterday Ali Miraj was in my office asking for me to make him a peer and put him in the House of Lords, which is obviously not a promise I would make to anybody.

"I think listeners will draw their own conclusions about someone who one day asks for a peerage to be elevated to the House of Lords, and the next minute launches a great attack on the leader of the Conservative party."

In response Mr Miraj said Mr Cameron was attempting to smear him as a way to avoid confronting the substance of his claims.

But Mr Cameron told BBC Breakfast: "He wants to know what the Conservative Party stands for, well let me tell him: the big issue in Britain today is how we mend our broken society... and we have a plan to help put Britain's society back together again by strengthening families, strengthening marriage, giving communities more power over their own affairs."

Speaking to Radio 4's , Mr Miraj said Mr Cameron had ignored his "actual significant points".

"He is trying to smear me now, which in my view is very, very disappointing and smacks of a complete lack of integrity," he said, warning the party they would be the "losers" if they did not respond to his concerns.

Mr Miraj continued: "To be honest with you, a peerage is neither here nor there. I wanted to help David Cameron work and promote the party so that we win the next general election. Peerage or no peerage is irrelevant - it is missing the entire point.

"The point is that I am concerned that PR and gimmickry has replaced substance and if that continues we will head to a fourth successive defeat at the next general election."

Mr Cameron retorted in return that Mr Miraj had not denied his claims regarding the crisis.

The row was sparked after Mr Cameron aggressively hit back at his critics, following days of infighting within the party.

Speaking on Radio 4's Today programme this morning, Mr Cameron downplayed the significance of those questioning his leadership.

He said: "One of them yesterday asked for a peerage, another of them had to resign over grammar schools and one of them hasn't contributed to the Conservative party since I became leader."

The former Europe minister Graham Brady – who resigned over the grammar schools debate – this weekend said Mr Cameron was ignoring key voters and only appealing to a metropolitan elite.

Mr Cameron rejected this view today, pointing to the Tory's gains in northern councils in May's local election.

William Hague has joined shadow Cabinet colleague David Davis and defended Mr Cameron against his "armchair critics".

The shadow foreign minister pointed out Mr Miraj had been calling the Tory leader a "brilliant guy" a few months ago.

Mr Hague said: "That's always been his view and it is certainly my view, so I think we have to draw our own conclusions when someone who has expressed those views comes in and asks for a peerage, is denied one, and then goes out expressing the diametrically opposite view."

The former Tory leader said the party was going through a period of change and some people within the party were finding it harder to adapt.