Ten quick observations from day two
(1) The mood here is much improved. Yesterday's tax cut pledges from George Osborne have given Conservatives something very real to fight for on the doorsteps. Fraser Nelson sort of agrees but concludes: "The Tories are doomed, but very upbeat about it." An autumn election is going to be very tough but at least the Tory troops now have a lot more ammunition for the fight. I'm hoping for a lot more from David Davis later. I still think crime and social breakdown should be at the heart of our election strategy.
(2) The mood will get still better when Tory activists read their newspapers over their bacon and eggs. Sun, Mail, Express and Telegraph are all very positive about yesterday's tax announcements.
(3) Housing continues to emerge as a key Cameroonian theme. The abolition of inheritance tax for the middle classes and the abolition of stamp duty for first-time buyers on homes of £250,000 in value have now been followed up by a commitment to abolish HIPS. Shadow Housing Minister Grant Shapps told conference: "The experts ridiculed them. The industry doesn't want them. The market doesn't need them. The next Conservative Government will scrap them."
(4) Michael Gove promised 'grammar streams' in every school yesterday and a central place for Winston Churchill in the curriculum. Representatives loved it.
(4) George Osborne yesterday joked that anybody who thought he'd support charges for supermarket parking must have been "off their trolley"! I'm picking up a little bit of anger amongst some of the greenest blues at Conference at what they are interpreting as a downgrading of their agenda. Both Zac Goldsmith and John Gummer are here in Blackpool. I wouldn't be surprised if one green explodes at some point soon.
(5) Which MEP has the most fans in Blackpool? Answer: Roger Helmer! Roger and The Freedom Association have been distributing fans with the message 'Keep a cool head on climate change' written on to them. At a fringe meeting yesterday Iain Murray and Russell Lewis examined the enormous costs of combating climate change. Murray suggested an alternative strategy of technological investment (he welcomed Richard Branson's encouragement of a more efficient airline fuel), resilience to extreme events and adaptation.
(6) And what of the climate in Blackpool? The weather has been cool but dry. Huge numbers of people are spilling out of the stuffy, hot atmosphere of the Imperial Hotel as a result - and on to the large car park for some fresh air or the freedom to smoke.
(7) Michael Cockerell is filming around the Imperial for one of his big BBC documentaries. It looks, I understand, at the changes David Cameron has been making to the Conservative Party. It won't be shown before an autumn election.
(9) Both the BBC and News International are not holding parties at this year's Party Conferences. Last night's Telegraph party was incredibly well-attended as a result. The finest drinks were being served at Lord Strathclyde's private party. Nick Herbert spoke at ConservativeHome's own reception in the Churchill Room. ConservativeHome is the first website he visits on any day he said. Pictured (clockwise from top left): Debi Jones, Laura Kuenssberg, Julia Manning, Stephen Crabb MP, Amanda Platell, John Hayward, Iain Murray and Fraser Nelson.
(10) Line of the day award goes to Boris Johnson. If Mr Broon decides not to call an election he's nothing more than a big girl's blouse!
Just flicking through the speeches from yesterday and Michael Gove spoke about special schools, which is all well and good, but he did not mention children in care. Not one word. Labours record on educational acheivement of children in care is abysmal and we dont seem to wish to challenge it, nor propose alternatives.
Its great that we are talking about families, but we also need to be paying attention to those without them. They may not be old enough to vote, but they are a section of very vulnerable people indeed and we mustnt ignore them.
Posted by: James Maskell | October 02, 2007 at 09:29
Confernce is turning about to be brilliant!
I'm loving the atmosphere and feel inspired about being a Tory again. Well done to Mr Cameron and Mr Osbourne - You are proving the doubters wrong.
The polices are well thought out, constructive and positive and already many of my non-Tory friends are turning our way after many years in the cold. Things really are looking up!
The next Government will be a True Blue one.
Posted by: Josh | October 02, 2007 at 10:19
Caught five minutes' worth of Liam Fox on News 24 this morning. Best five minutes I can remember hearing from any politician in years.
Posted by: Alex Swanson | October 02, 2007 at 11:08
It's always interesting to see a Conference from the outside, as the real world sees it. And because work obligations meant I couldn't go this year, I'm seeing Conference the way everyone else in the country does - on TV. Sadly I've got to tell all of you at Blackpool, however Michael Gove's speech went down in the hall, he was a disaster on TV. He was absolutely *demolished* by Andrew Neil on the BBC2 programme. Watch it, if it's online, and squirm.
Posted by: Long Suffering Suffolk Tory | October 02, 2007 at 11:17
Didnt think Gove was that bad Suffolk Tory certainly a lot less cringe worthy than Call Me Darling on Today. Thought Cameron was top form with Neil and Osbourne speech was just what I needed to hear. Felt inspired to be a Tory again.
We've still got a long way to go but I'll be knocking doors with a spring in my step (if Brown got the bottle to call it).
Posted by: ceidwadwr | October 02, 2007 at 11:40
I watched Andrew Neil on the Daily Politics - it's hardly fair to say Michael Gove's speech went down badly on telly. It wasn't shown. All we got was Neil, armed with a big fish, wittering on about how Gove's father may have been a fishmonger but he was rich enough to send him to a top private school. Even Mcihael White said he thought Neil was being unfair. And after berating Labour for playing the class card over Boris last week, I thought it was a very strange pitch for Neil to make. Perhaps he was just trying to please his BBC masters.
Posted by: Oscar Miller | October 02, 2007 at 14:55
The conference has been very positive and the emerging policies are going down well.
Posted by: Matt Wright | October 02, 2007 at 16:07
Good to see the conference goers are feeling positive. Its always so hard at conf when the mood is maudlin. It will be interesting to see if any of it translates outside of the half-pissed Tory throngs in Blackpool however.
Posted by: Andrew Ian Dodge | October 02, 2007 at 17:38
What happened to number 8? And judging by the content in the latter few of the 9, there aren't at all ten interesting things to come from day two.
Posted by: Jon | October 02, 2007 at 20:29
Well, I'm back at home now and casual onlookers are telling me we're having a good conference with the right ideas coming out.
Posted by: Matt Wright | October 02, 2007 at 22:35