David Cameron has been "very misguided" in allowing the Liberal Democrats too much power in the coalition, Ann Widdecombe has claimed as she talked of her hurt at being denied a peerage.
The Conservative former minister, who quit as an MP at last year's general election, said the Prime Minister had been "brave" in some of his actions since arriving at Number 10.
But the former politician, who won popular acclaim for her appearance on Strictly Come Dancing last year, said he needed to show more authority in dealing with the junior coalition partner.
She told Fern Britton in a BBC interview: "I think he's done some brave things. I also think that he has been very misguided in the way that he's dealt with Nick Clegg inasmuch as he forgets who the senior members of the coalition are and the Liberals are only there because of us.
"They are not there in their own right. They actually lost seats, they didn't prevail in the last election, they need reminding of that from time to time. But he should just call their bluff and say: 'What do you want, an early election?'"
Ms Widdecombe renewed her complaint that she was deliberately snubbed by Mr Cameron for a seat in the Lords despite being "an obvious candidate" for elevation.
She said: "It was ... let's be honest about it, a pretty pointed exclusion. I mean David Cameron was making vast quantities of peerages. He had to in order to redress the balance in the Lords. And I was an obvious candidate, and I wasn't there, and that means that he had taken a decision that I would not be there.
"I'd be a liar if I didn't say that an exclusion that pointed didn't stab just a little bit but I am a great one for saying 'It's no good looking back'."
Speaking from her home in Devon, she added: "If ... he was expecting that I would sit lamenting on Dartmoor, well tough luck, he's to watch me having the time of my life."
The Fern Britton Meets programme will be broadcast on BBC One on Sunday.