The Tories continue to display how divided they are over their leader Dave Cameron's stance on the environment.

On the one hand, Caroline Jackson MEP, one of the few Conservative MEPs to be considered on the moderate wing of the party, has complained that Cameron's promises have proved to be "all talk and no action at the moment".

On the other hand, unreconstructed Europhobe Roger Helmer MEP accused his leader of indulging in a "green gesture that will do far more harm than good" by calling for a strong substitution principle as part of the EU's REACH proposals on dangerous chemicals.

David Cameron based his leadership campaign last year around pledges to put the environment at the heart of policy making (to please his moderates) and to withdraw the Conservative MEPs from the European People's Party (to please the Eurosceptic right). One year into the job and he has reneged on one promise, (when he found out that leaving the EPP would see the Tories either sitting alone or in partnership with the Polish Law and Justice Party, which opposes gay pride marches, and a Dutch conservative Calvinist party, which bans women from representing it in parliament), and paid mere lip-service to the other.

Perhaps Mr Cameron should heed the warning of pollster Frank Luntz - if he wants to make the Conservative party credible, he needs to be a "leader not a brand".