Could Cameron's progressive Conservatism threaten the centre ground

It was interesting reading Martin Kettle in this morning's Guardian.

He takes a look at the Tory shift towards the so called progressive Conservatism and argues that the Labour party should take this very seriously.It follows David Cameron's speech to the Demos conference yesterday which he says was an

absolutely unambiguous pitch for the political centre ground over which Labour is arguably dropping its guard

The danger he believes is that

To the Browns of this world, progressive conservatism is simply an oxymoron. It makes them snort with derision. To many in the Labour tribe, the idea that anyone other than Labour, not even the Liberal Democrats let alone the Tories, could ever have a credible progressive thought is a laughable one

Martin Kettle is not alone either in thinking this.In the Independent Steve Richards says that

The recent sharper divide over economic policy has not dampened Cameron's apparent progressive zeal.

adding like Kettle that the ground is there to be won

Cameron has astutely seized terrain vacated by the Government. Although Gordon Brown uses the phrase "progressive consensus", he has yet to form one.