So, Did He Deliver?

As I outlined on Wednesday morning, in my view, David Cameron had one big task to perform in his close of conference speech. Did he deliver? By and large, yes, I think he did.

The press over the last two days seems to agree and the polls out today, particularly the Guardian which puts the Tories and Labour neck-and-neck, back this up.

What did he get right? Most things. The key element for me, along with the warm words about education, the NHS and defence, was the tone and the philosophy that ran through the speech. What I was hoping to see, and what I did see, was a philosophy coming through that could be summed up on the doorstep with some juicy phrases. Some of the ones I noted down during the speech included:

“We are the Party of One Nation” - This was obviously a particularly TRG-friendly phrase!

“The revolution of freedom from control” - Which works as a key principle that many will understand and relate to.

“Stop wasting money on pointless gimmicks” - Another with broad control that, coupled with the right examples, will be a winner.

“Why don’t you [Brown] go ahead and call that election and let the people decide!” - This has been one of the most consistent recent themes and has been repeated by every member of the party interviewed in the last few days. Brown now has a no-win choice on the election and the Tories seem to be very much on the up as a result.

“Britain will win” - Nice and simple closer, although not exactly Churchillian, it worked well for the cheers in the hall but will perhaps travel less well.

One phrase I did no hear from DC, but which is already being used widely, is “Safer, greener Britain”. This did not sit easily with me the first time that I heard it as I thought the terms made an odd couple. However, it is being repeated and seems to resonate, so there you go. The connecting them is one of the Conservative Party protecting the country from the biggest threats and that was a good part of DC’s speech, too.

Was there anything wrong with it? The “no-script” approach might have jarred with some, but a larger number probably appreciated it. There were some sections that seemed a bit long, but even then there are audiences for some policies that might have felt left out had they been shorter. Really, though, these things are quibbles and the real answer to the question is no, nothing much.

So, the Tories now have a spring in their step and a bounce in their polls. Whether either lasts remains to be seen, but I think this is an overall vote of support in the Cameron leadership.

From a TRG perspective, it is all to be welcomed, and our members are likely to be able to campaign with enthusiasm and confidence should Brown not lose his nerve over calling an election.