PM David Cameron's speech didn't cut it for true Tories

How can you say "PM David Cameron's speech didn't cut it for true Tories" at the same time as saying "...and the crowd love LD it"?

Harry, I think your summary is schizophrenic, not DC's speech... I quote: "It was a nice try, but Cameron is delusional if he thinks the blue sky that made up his stage backdrop is anywhere near to reality" ... and "It’s all very well telling people that prices will rise and there will job losses, but people already know that they are scared without having to be told they are." Which is your actual view? Also - I think you should give David credit for treating the electorate like grown ups. Yes, they do now it is going to rough and they are scared, but it doesn't do any harm to send out positive messages either. You can be a cutter (we have to be, or the AAA rating will go) AND be liberal-minded with the money that is left. I see no contradiction in that.

I think that Cameron has to strike a balance between austerity measures, which will cost people their jobs, and re-balancing the economy by switching more projects from the public sector to the private sector. I would strongly advise him to wait until that transition has taken place, before taking on the unions. If he does wait, and there is a transiton of jobs from public to private sector, he may well be able to achieve a re-balancing with minimal disruption. Cameron are the Coalition are trying to do the right things with their economic strategy and the UK is in a by far bettter place than the Eurozone. I also like the 'common sense' approach to European legislation. The Uk should not have to put up with petty regulation from the EU, and it's about time that the Human Rights of the victim were put before that of the criminal!

My impression was that it was a very corporatist speech. The hi-speed rail boon-doggle is still on, and the changes to planning permission law now appears to be to enable retail parks.

He tried to explain the British national interest in the Libya adventure, I was left with the impression he doesn't know how we ended at war there either.

We can all hear the clock ticking. Cameron came across as a man trying to push the plugs into his party's ears. It might work with his followers but it won't work with the rest of us.

With the BBC, ITV, Channel4 and Skynews constantly talking about cuts, austerity, hard times, riots, debt, job losses and every thing else they can negativise to break up the coalition, I think it's damned amazing that we still have growth in the economy and that half the population have set fire to themselves in the street.

The press need their heads smacking together and told to man-up and stop doing down Great Britain!!!

Speeches are all well and good, but it is action that counts. What is required are efforts to allow the private sector to grow. That means rolling back some of the tier upon tier of regulation and taxation heaped on business by government, which in this case mostly means the blind adoption of endless EU edicts. The likelihood of this government doing that in any meaningful way is not great.

Sir Trev Skint Says: 'The press need their heads smacking together and told to man-up and stop doing down Great Britain!!!'

Oh I see, lie you mean? Pretend it isn't happening/ Something like the Stalinist tractor production figures, would that suit you?

The world is now devoid of true leadership. Cameron sold his soul to the liberal democrats to become prime minister. Most of the time it appears to me that the liberal democrats are running the country. If I was a UK voter I would not bother to go to the polls to vote for any of them. Same here in the US, I will only go to the polls to vote obama out of office, not because I like any of the alternative contenders What a sad reflection on world politicians when we are always voting for the least destructive alternative

I stand to be corrected, but, amazingly, I don't believe the words "climate change" presented themselves. As for Lady Macbeth's excitement at the Gay Marriage announcement, perhaps Boles or one of the others has promised her that she can be bridesmaid.

I think the title of this peice is a bit presumtuous, to say the least. There is a lot of debate within the party as to what policies we should be pursuing on all sorts of issues. I've spent much of the last few days at conference having discussions with all sorts of people: MPs, Councillors, party faithful and non-members alike. There was hardly a consensus view on almost any subject. So no matter which policies he backed, SOMEONE who considers themselves a 'true Tory' would have been disappointed. I think he struck the right note, therefore, by focussing instead on an optimistic message. He was essentially back to the 'Big Society' idea in all but name. But let's face it, there ARE hard times ahead, and the party has spent the last 18 months making this case. People ARE going to have to work harder for less if we want to recover as a country, in the shorter term at the very least. How best to get them to do this? To talk even more about doom and gloom, or to assure them that we, as a nation, are capable of stepping up to the plate and overcoming the problems that face us? Neither Ed Milliband nor Nick Clegg were able to deliver a speech anywhere near as optimistic or inspiring. It was Cameron doing what he does best. I'm starting to deeply suspect that you just like criticising him, no matter what he does Harry.

Very well written. I heartily agree with this article.