Conservative leader David Cameron made a great speech at the Party Conference in Birmingham today, issuing a warning to Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the Labour Government that the Tories will form the next government with him as Prime Minister.
In his speech, Cameron vowed to clean up the mess caused by the Left-Wing Labour Government - he promised that the Tories would get rid of all the pointless quangos that Labour have created and get rid of the overbearing Health and Safety, Equality and Political Correctness cultures.
He also promised to mend "Broken Britain" - such as the violent knife culture that stalks our streets - and to do more to help families.
He also attacked Labour for their Nanny State culture and their belief that the State is the answer to everyone's problems.
The Tories were leading Labour in the polls before Cameron's speech. We will have to wait and see what effect his speech had on those polls.
Cameron dons the mantle of Thatcher to insist: 'I'm the man to lead Britain'
By Joe Murphy
01st October 2008
Daily Mail
The Tory leader branded Gordon Brown a 'risk' too great to keep in power and claimed he was ready to lead the nation.
'I'm a man with a plan, not a miracle cure,' he said, warning that there were 'no overnight transformations' on offer.
Prime Minister-in-waiting: David Cameron received a standing ovation as he addressed the Tory party conference today
Mr Cameron's keynote speech to the Conservative party's Birmingham conference saw him decisively postpone income tax cuts until the economy was in better shape. Debt must fall first and then tax handouts for the low paid would take priority.
He also announced a full review by the Shadow Cabinet of every spending plan, aiming to find savings in time for a first Tory budget in more than 12 years.
In a highly personal speech, Mr Cameron hit back at Mr Brown's jibe that he was a novice, insisting he had the 'character and judgment' to be Prime Minister.
Turning the tables, he said Britain could not afford the 'risk' of keeping Mr Brown in office, because Labour borrowing and overspending were to blame for the severity of the economic crisis.
'The risk is sticking with what you've got and hoping things will turn out better,' he said.
'When you've taken the wrong road, you don't just keep going,' he added. 'You change direction - and that is what we need to do.'
But he acknowledged that the economic crisis gripping the country had made people question whether the Conservatives were capable of taking office.
'I know how worried people are,' he said. 'They want to know whether our politics, and let's be frank, whether our politicians, are up to it.'
Tough talk: The Tory leader said it was time for change after 11 years of Labour
He admitted: 'You cannot prove you're ready to be Prime Minister - and it would be arrogant to pretend you can. The best you can do is tell people who you are and the way you work; how you make decisions and then live with them.'
He compared Mr Brown with James Callaghan - another Labour chancellor who became Prime Minister but who presided over the 1979 Winter of Discontent.
'He had plenty of experience - but thank God we changed him for Margaret Thatcher,' he said.
Mr Cameron devoted long passages of a lengthy speech to his personal values, highlighting his role as a father of three children, married to a successful businesswoman, Sam.
He joked: 'I admire entrepreneurs. I should do - I go to bed with one every night.'
There were few policy announcements in an address crafted to win people's trust more than make 'short-term headlines'.
Cameron kisses his wife Samantha: He put the family at the heart of his speech
He bleakly warned that tight public finances would leave no room for giveaways.
Hairdressers, call centre workers on overtime and self-employed electricians were singled out as the typical targets of tax reductions when they could be afforded.
To them, he said: 'I know it's your money. I know you want some of it back.And I want to give it to you. But we will only cut taxes once it's responsible to do so.'
He empathised with families worried about losing heir homes and jobs in the downturn.
'These are times of great anxiety,' he said. 'We understand the gravity of the situation our country is in.'
After a unique conference record of making a speech every day in an effort to show he was on top of the economic situation, Mr Cameron went on: 'The test of a political party is whether it can rise to the challenge of what the country requires and what the times demand. I believe we have passed that test this week.'
Mr Cameron singled out the two Cabinet ministers seen as likely Labour successors to Mr Brown - Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Health Secretary Alan Johnson.
He accused Mr Miliband of 'one of the most arrogant things I've heard a politician say' - when the minister said that without a strong government 'you end up on your own'.
He embarrassed Mr Johnson by reading out the minister's letter replying in beaurocrat-speak to a complaint that a woman died after receiving poor treatment in the NHS.
A HIGHLY PERSONAL SPEECH
In a highly personal speech, Mr Cameron put his own character at the heart of his bid to run Britain. The Tory leader stressed that 'my values are Conservative values', saying that his core beliefs included sound money, low taxes and social responsibility.
But he claimed that at a time of economic crisis, the public were less worried about detailed policies than the values and judgment of politicians who wanted to take power.
Action man: Cameron and Tory MP Desmond Swayne jog along a Birmingham towpath ahead of today's conference speech
'Of course your plans are important, but it's the unexpected and unpredicted events that can dominate a government.
'So people want to know what values you bring to big situations and big decisions that can crop up on your watch,' he said.
'And people want to know about your character - the way you make decisions; the way that you operate.'
In a bid to use his youth as an asset rather than a liability, Mr Cameron paid tribute to his wife Samantha and said that his family was at the centre of his life.
'I'm a 41-year-old father of three who thinks that family is the most important thing there is. For me. For my country,' he said.
The Tory leader stressed that he was 'not an ideologue' but held to some key principles: patriotism, a belief in public service and strong defence.
'But I am also a child of my time. I want a clean environment as well as a safe one. I believe that quality of life matters as much as quantity of money.
'I recognise that we'll never be truly rich while so much of the world is so poor.'
He added that he was ready to 'do difficult and unpopular things for the long-term good of the country'.
CAMERON ON THE NHS...
Mr Cameron accused Labour of 'ripping out' the soul of the NHS and claimed the Tories are now the true protectors of the health service.
The Government had presided over 11 years of 'superficial, short-term tinkering' but had failed to make the NHS respond to patients rather than Whitehall and had just pumped in extra money.
'Labour have taken our most treasured national institution, ripped out its soul and replaced it with targets, directives, management consultants and computers,' he said.
The Tory leader then told delegates how the wife of one of his constituents, John Woods, had died in hospital after catching MRSA. Mr Woods described her treatment as 'like something out of a 17th-century asylum, not a 21st-century, £90billion health service.'
As his wife was dying, she turned to him and said: 'I never thought it would be like this.'
The Tory leader wrote to Health Secretary Alan Johnson about the Woods and got a letter back explaining the NHS complaints procedure.
'Four ways to make a complaint...but not one way for my constituent's wife to die with dignity,' Mr Cameron said.
EDUCATION
Mr Cameron pledged to 'break open' the state monopoly on the education system and allow parents and communities to set up new schools.
There would be 1,000 new academies with the freedom to run their own affairs under the Tories.
'Any government I lead will not go on excusing failure,' he said. 'When families fail, school is the way we can give children a second chance.'
Revealing that he worried 'more than anything else' about finding good schools for his children, he promised parents they would not have to wait years for change.
'The election of a Conservative government will bring - and I mean this almost literally - a declaration of war against those parts of the education establishment who still cling to the cruelty of the 'all must win' philosophy and the dangerous practice of dumbing down,' he said.
He criticised the president of the Spelling Society for using poor grammar and exam chiefs for awarding a pupil marks for writing 'f**k off ' as an answer in an exam paper.
'As Prime Minister I'd have my own two words for people like that, and yes, one of them does begin with an 'F'. You're fired,' he said.
HEATHROW
His decision to oppose the third runway at Heathrow - met with fury by business chiefs - would help rebalance Britain's economy, he said.
'When our economy is overheating in the South-East but still needs more investment in the North, the right thing to do is not go ahead with a third runway at Heathrow but instead build a new high-speed rail network linking Birmingham, Manchester, London, Leeds," he said. "Let's help rebalance Britain's economy.'
BRITAIN'S 'BROKEN SOCIETY'
Mr Cameron said his key goal would be to fix Britain's broken society. He added: 'The central task I have set myself and this party is to be as radical in social reform as Margaret Thatcher was in economic reform.'
Parts of Britain were now being blighted by 'senseless, barbaric violence on our streets'.
In London, 27 youngsters had been murdered on the streets this year: 'Children killing children,' he added.
Life expectancy on some estates was lower than in the Gaza Strip and an 'angry, harsh culture of incivility' seemed to be everywhere.
'In one generation we seem to have abandoned the habits of all human history... that in a civilised society, adults have a proper role, a responsibility, to uphold rules and order in the public realm, not just for their own children but for other people's too,' he said.
Tougher punishment, longer sentences and more prison places were, to a degree, part of the solution, to maintain a clear barrier between right and wrong.
But echoing Tony Blair, he stressed that dealing with the 'long-term causes' of anti-social and criminal behaviour, such as poor education, families splitting up and drug addiction, was vital.
Marriage would be backed in the tax system.
Spouse support: David Cameron with wife Samantha in the Hyatt Hotel
dailymail.co.uk
In his speech, Cameron vowed to clean up the mess caused by the Left-Wing Labour Government - he promised that the Tories would get rid of all the pointless quangos that Labour have created and get rid of the overbearing Health and Safety, Equality and Political Correctness cultures.
He also promised to mend "Broken Britain" - such as the violent knife culture that stalks our streets - and to do more to help families.
He also attacked Labour for their Nanny State culture and their belief that the State is the answer to everyone's problems.
The Tories were leading Labour in the polls before Cameron's speech. We will have to wait and see what effect his speech had on those polls.
Cameron dons the mantle of Thatcher to insist: 'I'm the man to lead Britain'
By Joe Murphy
01st October 2008
Daily Mail
- I'm the man with a plan, not a miracle cure, says Cameron
- Brands Gordon Brown too great a 'risk' to keep in power
- Accuses Labour of 'ripping the soul' out of the NHS
- Aims to fix Britain's 'broken society' and the 'senseless, barbaric violence on our streets'
- Declares 'family is the most important thing there is'
The Tory leader branded Gordon Brown a 'risk' too great to keep in power and claimed he was ready to lead the nation.
'I'm a man with a plan, not a miracle cure,' he said, warning that there were 'no overnight transformations' on offer.
Prime Minister-in-waiting: David Cameron received a standing ovation as he addressed the Tory party conference today
Mr Cameron's keynote speech to the Conservative party's Birmingham conference saw him decisively postpone income tax cuts until the economy was in better shape. Debt must fall first and then tax handouts for the low paid would take priority.
He also announced a full review by the Shadow Cabinet of every spending plan, aiming to find savings in time for a first Tory budget in more than 12 years.
In a highly personal speech, Mr Cameron hit back at Mr Brown's jibe that he was a novice, insisting he had the 'character and judgment' to be Prime Minister.
Turning the tables, he said Britain could not afford the 'risk' of keeping Mr Brown in office, because Labour borrowing and overspending were to blame for the severity of the economic crisis.
'The risk is sticking with what you've got and hoping things will turn out better,' he said.
'When you've taken the wrong road, you don't just keep going,' he added. 'You change direction - and that is what we need to do.'
But he acknowledged that the economic crisis gripping the country had made people question whether the Conservatives were capable of taking office.
'I know how worried people are,' he said. 'They want to know whether our politics, and let's be frank, whether our politicians, are up to it.'
Tough talk: The Tory leader said it was time for change after 11 years of Labour
He admitted: 'You cannot prove you're ready to be Prime Minister - and it would be arrogant to pretend you can. The best you can do is tell people who you are and the way you work; how you make decisions and then live with them.'
He compared Mr Brown with James Callaghan - another Labour chancellor who became Prime Minister but who presided over the 1979 Winter of Discontent.
'He had plenty of experience - but thank God we changed him for Margaret Thatcher,' he said.
Mr Cameron devoted long passages of a lengthy speech to his personal values, highlighting his role as a father of three children, married to a successful businesswoman, Sam.
He joked: 'I admire entrepreneurs. I should do - I go to bed with one every night.'
There were few policy announcements in an address crafted to win people's trust more than make 'short-term headlines'.
Cameron kisses his wife Samantha: He put the family at the heart of his speech
He bleakly warned that tight public finances would leave no room for giveaways.
Hairdressers, call centre workers on overtime and self-employed electricians were singled out as the typical targets of tax reductions when they could be afforded.
To them, he said: 'I know it's your money. I know you want some of it back.And I want to give it to you. But we will only cut taxes once it's responsible to do so.'
He empathised with families worried about losing heir homes and jobs in the downturn.
'These are times of great anxiety,' he said. 'We understand the gravity of the situation our country is in.'
After a unique conference record of making a speech every day in an effort to show he was on top of the economic situation, Mr Cameron went on: 'The test of a political party is whether it can rise to the challenge of what the country requires and what the times demand. I believe we have passed that test this week.'
Mr Cameron singled out the two Cabinet ministers seen as likely Labour successors to Mr Brown - Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Health Secretary Alan Johnson.
He accused Mr Miliband of 'one of the most arrogant things I've heard a politician say' - when the minister said that without a strong government 'you end up on your own'.
He embarrassed Mr Johnson by reading out the minister's letter replying in beaurocrat-speak to a complaint that a woman died after receiving poor treatment in the NHS.
A HIGHLY PERSONAL SPEECH
In a highly personal speech, Mr Cameron put his own character at the heart of his bid to run Britain. The Tory leader stressed that 'my values are Conservative values', saying that his core beliefs included sound money, low taxes and social responsibility.
But he claimed that at a time of economic crisis, the public were less worried about detailed policies than the values and judgment of politicians who wanted to take power.
Action man: Cameron and Tory MP Desmond Swayne jog along a Birmingham towpath ahead of today's conference speech
'Of course your plans are important, but it's the unexpected and unpredicted events that can dominate a government.
'So people want to know what values you bring to big situations and big decisions that can crop up on your watch,' he said.
'And people want to know about your character - the way you make decisions; the way that you operate.'
In a bid to use his youth as an asset rather than a liability, Mr Cameron paid tribute to his wife Samantha and said that his family was at the centre of his life.
'I'm a 41-year-old father of three who thinks that family is the most important thing there is. For me. For my country,' he said.
The Tory leader stressed that he was 'not an ideologue' but held to some key principles: patriotism, a belief in public service and strong defence.
'But I am also a child of my time. I want a clean environment as well as a safe one. I believe that quality of life matters as much as quantity of money.
'I recognise that we'll never be truly rich while so much of the world is so poor.'
He added that he was ready to 'do difficult and unpopular things for the long-term good of the country'.
CAMERON ON THE NHS...
Mr Cameron accused Labour of 'ripping out' the soul of the NHS and claimed the Tories are now the true protectors of the health service.
The Government had presided over 11 years of 'superficial, short-term tinkering' but had failed to make the NHS respond to patients rather than Whitehall and had just pumped in extra money.
'Labour have taken our most treasured national institution, ripped out its soul and replaced it with targets, directives, management consultants and computers,' he said.
The Tory leader then told delegates how the wife of one of his constituents, John Woods, had died in hospital after catching MRSA. Mr Woods described her treatment as 'like something out of a 17th-century asylum, not a 21st-century, £90billion health service.'
As his wife was dying, she turned to him and said: 'I never thought it would be like this.'
The Tory leader wrote to Health Secretary Alan Johnson about the Woods and got a letter back explaining the NHS complaints procedure.
'Four ways to make a complaint...but not one way for my constituent's wife to die with dignity,' Mr Cameron said.
EDUCATION
Mr Cameron pledged to 'break open' the state monopoly on the education system and allow parents and communities to set up new schools.
There would be 1,000 new academies with the freedom to run their own affairs under the Tories.
'Any government I lead will not go on excusing failure,' he said. 'When families fail, school is the way we can give children a second chance.'
Revealing that he worried 'more than anything else' about finding good schools for his children, he promised parents they would not have to wait years for change.
'The election of a Conservative government will bring - and I mean this almost literally - a declaration of war against those parts of the education establishment who still cling to the cruelty of the 'all must win' philosophy and the dangerous practice of dumbing down,' he said.
He criticised the president of the Spelling Society for using poor grammar and exam chiefs for awarding a pupil marks for writing 'f**k off ' as an answer in an exam paper.
'As Prime Minister I'd have my own two words for people like that, and yes, one of them does begin with an 'F'. You're fired,' he said.
HEATHROW
His decision to oppose the third runway at Heathrow - met with fury by business chiefs - would help rebalance Britain's economy, he said.
'When our economy is overheating in the South-East but still needs more investment in the North, the right thing to do is not go ahead with a third runway at Heathrow but instead build a new high-speed rail network linking Birmingham, Manchester, London, Leeds," he said. "Let's help rebalance Britain's economy.'
BRITAIN'S 'BROKEN SOCIETY'
Mr Cameron said his key goal would be to fix Britain's broken society. He added: 'The central task I have set myself and this party is to be as radical in social reform as Margaret Thatcher was in economic reform.'
Parts of Britain were now being blighted by 'senseless, barbaric violence on our streets'.
In London, 27 youngsters had been murdered on the streets this year: 'Children killing children,' he added.
Life expectancy on some estates was lower than in the Gaza Strip and an 'angry, harsh culture of incivility' seemed to be everywhere.
'In one generation we seem to have abandoned the habits of all human history... that in a civilised society, adults have a proper role, a responsibility, to uphold rules and order in the public realm, not just for their own children but for other people's too,' he said.
Tougher punishment, longer sentences and more prison places were, to a degree, part of the solution, to maintain a clear barrier between right and wrong.
But echoing Tony Blair, he stressed that dealing with the 'long-term causes' of anti-social and criminal behaviour, such as poor education, families splitting up and drug addiction, was vital.
Marriage would be backed in the tax system.
Spouse support: David Cameron with wife Samantha in the Hyatt Hotel
dailymail.co.uk