Furious that their leader has given too much away to his new coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats, Tory conspirators are already gathering in Commons dining rooms to plot the blue lines he should never cross.
And Cameron himself has inflamed the issue by rewriting the election rules for the 1922 Committee so that Tory government ministers can help choose who sits on the one party committee that could challenge his power.
The relationship between the traditional Tories on the right and the Cameroons was never going to be easy and got off to a bad start. Some of the right were never keen on a coalition- Conservative Way Forward- set up by the ’92 intake of MPs including former Cabinet minister, John Redwood, wanted the Tories to rule as a minority government.
But the most dramatic action has been taken by the Cornerstone group- a very traditional, Christian, low tax, cut public spending Tory grouping, whose luminaries include Edward Leigh, the former chair of the Commons public accounts committee; ex minister, Christopher Chope (who tried to bring a bill to end the statutory minimum wage) and Greg Hands, a tough talking right of centre MP who won his seat in 2005.
These “roast beef rebels” met in Dining Room A before Parliament officially came back and over a traditional roast dinner and glasses of claret came up with a strategy to challenge the Liberal Democrat influence in the coalition.
The group – whose numbers range around 20 to 30 – celebrate their position in politics by always dining on traditional English fare – roast lamb, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding- with English puds and soups.
But by reaching out to newly elected Tories the numbers started to swell so they had take on a new dining room in the Commons – which can seat up to 48.
A week later a second dinner was attended by 40 people with apologies from a further 40 who would have liked to attend.
The reason is that they are planning a strategy to create a grouping – that come the issue- that can muster enough Tory MPs to countermand the 57 Liberal Democrats backing David Cameron, thereby depriving him of a majority in the House of Commons.
And they look like being many issues. The Tory retreat over repealing the human rights act, the plan to increase capital gains tax from 18 to 40 per cent on the sale of second homes, the less Eurosceptic stance of the coalition, all are adding to their qualm. And the fact that there will not be an automatic repeal of the hunting laws has angered the shire vote.
As one Tory – not a natural supporter of the traditional right -put it: “Cameron should have given us some red meat but all we have been offered is gruel and water”.
Cameron should also be alarmed that Cornerstone has now started co-ordinating its efforts with the Thatcherite No Turning Back Group, whose members include tax cutter, Lord Forsyth, the former Scottish secretary and close friend of the Tory icon. This gives them the prospect of organising rebellions in the Lords.
Worse still there is some nasty talk of traditional Tory fifth columnists in the government itself – Cornerstone will be well briefed by works and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith , Owen Patterson and John Hayes, all members.
All this is pointing to a heady political brew and just at the point when Labour will be reinvigorated by a new leader and new MPs. Bring it on.