ConservativeHome's ToryDiary

Highlights of David Cameron's speech to Spring Forum

It wasn't quite the speech that ConservativeHome and Matthew Parris wanted but David Cameron's address to Spring Forum had many good themes and here are three highlights:

Two years of 'decontamination' mean the party is being listened to again: "Now when we say it's time to scrap restrictions on stop and search, they don't say: "same old Tories...", they say "quite right, too many young black men are being shot and stabbed and we need to do something about it." When we say it's time to stop the waste of five million people out of work and claiming benefits, they don't say "there they go again banging on about scroungers...", they say, "of course, if you can work you should work and at last someone's got a plan to get Britain working again." And when we say immigration is good for Britain but it should be controlled because of the pressure on housing, on schools and hospitals, people listen to us because they feel they're listening to common sense. At last, they can agree with us without feeling that they're agreeing with intolerance, or lack of compassion, or harsh judgments about people who are less fortunate. What we've done - what you've done - these last two years is simple but profound. We've made people feel good about our Party again and that's something that everyone in this hall should be incredibly proud of."

The need to restore trust in politics: "Let's not pretend that we're outsiders to Westminster, come to clean things up. We've been part of the problem and we need to sort it out from within. That's why we'll bring about a clear change in Parliament. No more MPs voting on their own pay. No more cushy final salary pensions scheme. Clear declaration of expenses and allowances.  Let me put this directly. This is public money, taxpayers money, and it is our duty to be careful with it and open about how it's spent. And I know how much this matters to all of you here. You put in the hard work. It's you who canvass, who leaflet and get our message out. You do it in the good times and you do it in the bad times and I'm not going to allow unacceptable standards at Westminster to let you down."

Conservatives will deliver because we're building on international success stories: "I've been to New York and seen how you can have zero tolerance, beat-based policing that defeats crime and restores trust in the police. And with a Home Secretary like David Davis we can do that here.  I've been to Sweden and seen how letting new schools set up in the state sector and letting parents choose can unlock innovation and quality. And we can do that here as long as we replace Ed Balls with Michael Gove. I've seen how in Ireland cutting tax rates for business can unleash a wave of enterprise, investment and wealth. I've been to California and seen how a dynamic vision of environmental change can create a greener society and a stronger economy. George Osborne gets the modern world more than anyone and with a Chancellor like him you know we can do it here."

The main theme of the speech was the family.  We'll be posting separately on that in about thirty minutes.  In the meantime the full speech is here.

"The truly astounding fact we have discovered in recent months is that a Cabinet without John Prescott and Margaret Beckett is less competent than the Cabinet when they were in it."

William Hague has just ended the morning session of Spring Forum with a laugh-a-minute attack on Labour:

"The Prime Minister who did not have the courage to call the election he had planned is the same Prime Minister who does not have the honour to call the referendum that he promised.

The only thing he has been able to decide upon is to run away from ever consulting the people.

There they were when we met at Blackpool last October, talking of nothing but an imminent election with the arrogant over-confidence that comes from too long in power. Neil Kinnock was even there to say that an election would be called and the Tories would be ‘ground in to the dust’. A triumphalist Kinnock - a sure sign that everything was about to come to grief.

For it turned out within hours that the Prime Minister who had calculated on an early election before he was found out had been rumbled already; that the leader who had prepared for the battle did not have the bottle to begin it; and it has since turned out that he is the same leader who agrees a European Treaty but can’t decide whether to attend the ceremony, calls a minister incompetent but couldn’t decide whether to sack him, calls a review of round the clock drinking but then can’t decide to go ahead and put a stop to it as he should; this is the Prime Ditherer of the nation.  He reminds me of the American state Governor who once said ‘I’m not indecisive. Or am I?’

Perhaps this is no surprise, but for me the truly astounding fact we have discovered in recent months is that a Cabinet without John Prescott and Margaret Beckett is less competent than the Cabinet when they were in it.

Not only have they lost the bank account details of every family in the country and let out thousands of criminals early because they failed to plan for prison places, but we have a Home Secretary who is scared to walk down the street and a Chancellor who appeared to have dreamt he was delivering the budget and then woke up to find that he was."

The main thrust of William Hague's talk was the party's efforts to win back the north.  Download a full PDF of the speech.

What Tory members want next from the leadership

As Conservatives gather in Gateshead (see the above morning view from ConservativeHome's hotel) we asked Tory members what they thought the leadership should do next.  The results below of yesterday's survey also featured on this morning's Today programme.  Highlights:

• Members want stronger attacks on Labour and a powerful account of the extent to which Britain has become broken during the Blair-Brown years.  These are the top two wishes of the grassroots.
• There is a strong belief in the electoral potency of David Cameron.  85% want him front-and-centre in future campaigns.
• 82% support the Tory leader's recent decision to launch a campaign against the political establishment.  Nick Clegg is jumping on to this issue today with a call to cut the number of MPs by 150.
• By four-to-one Tory members oppose George Osborne's matching of Labour's spending plans.  They want to abandon that pledge so tax relief can be afforded.  Iain Dale makes the case for lower taxation in his Telegraph column of today.
• Tory members aren't in a hurry for a change of direction, however.  84% agree that we should focus on May's elections and then make next step decisions.

The words used above to describe the next steps are summaries of the statements put to respondents.  Download exact_wording_of_next_steps.pdf

Back from Nottingham

As I head back to Salisbury here are a few random reflections on the Nottingham Spring Forum...

Although attendance seemed slightly down it was a very well-organised conference and all credit to Fingerprint Events for that.  Picking up my pass from Accreditation was a fast and perfectly pleasant process.  If Fingerprint can deliver the same service in the autumn they will deserve further plaudits.

David Cameron has decided to directly address the 'will-say-anything-to-get-elected' concern by adopting some tough positions and determining to stick at them.   His green tax proposal (not supported by this website or the majority of party members) isn't popular with voters and his support for marriage and the family (this website's favourite feature of Project Cameron) upsets some metropolitan commentators - but both crucially suggest that David Cameron has some inner steel and the positive contribution that makes to 'the Cameron brand' could be more important than reactions to any individual policies.  This, regular readers may remember, was recommendation two in ConservativeHome's list of twelve recommendations for Mr Cameron's second year as leader.  Two other key recommendations (on the north and the A-list are already well on their way to being adopted).

I enjoyed a very friendly conversation with David Cameron at yesterday evening's BBC reception.  He told me that he's a regular reader of ConservativeHome but we spent most time talking about his appearance at yesterday's doctor's rally (the big media hit of the weekend) and an address he is giving to the Conservative Christian Fellowship on William Wilberforce later this week.  Mr Cameron described me as a "theocon" - a badge I am happy to wear!  I also bumped into an even more powerful figure in the Conservative Party - Steve Hilton.  We discussed a number of strategic issues but I won't repeat any of it here because I want him to talk to me again!

I 'had a go' at Andrew Scadding of the BBC at their reception (paid for by us licence fee payers) for failing to conduct even one interview with BBC whistle-blower Robin Aitken.  Andrew is very straight-dealing and he has kindly promised to come back to me with an explanation of why the Corporation doesn't hesitate to headline internal critics of the Tories/ White House/ big business but can't find one slot to respond to Robin Aitken's comprehensive examination of BBC bias.

Alistair Burt MP was impressive during this morning's Q&A on the NHS.  He persuasively argued that it was vital that Gordon Brown was married to all of the failures of the Blair years - many of which (pensions, tax, waste) he is, of course, personally responsible for.  Someone out there should definitely come up with a campaign to fix Blair and Brown together in the public mind.

A most enjoyable part of the weekend was dinner last night with Jean Eaglesham of the FT, Brendan Carlin of The Telegraph and Danny Kruger of the leader's office.  If you see more links to Brendan's Little & Large blog over the next few weeks it will be as a small thank you for last night's generosity.

Last year Spring Forum attendees were given that much-mocked 'don't overfill your kettle' leaflet.  This year we received two cards - one setting out the party's seven priorities and one focusing on the party's NHS campaign.  A scan of them both can be viewed below (click to enlarge).

Cameron: I'll take the tough decisions

David Cameron has used his Spring Forum address to show that he is not a politician who'll say anything to get elected but will make the tough decisions in Britain's interests:

"If last year was all about change, then this year is more about grit - the gritty determination to say where we stand on the big issues, to stick to our guns, to take tough decisions.  And when the right thing to say is unpopular, to say it anyway, because it's right."

"[Gordon Brown] says he's against green taxes. He's telling people what they want to hear - that you can go green without paying the price. That's not leadership, that's not substance."

"It's only easy to do the softer things, like talk about how much your family means to you.  But it's only when you do the tough things that people know you're serious."

Download PDF of full Cameron speech

More later.

Notes from Nottingham

William Hague's speech: A few weeks ago I wrote for The Guardian's Comment is free and welcomed the more balanced Conservatism of recent months.  The messages of modernisation are being blended with grittier messages on Europe, tax and crime.  'The politics of and' is certainly on show here at the Nottingham Spring Forum with much emphasis on the NHS and crime... on greenery and the importance of the family.  This is what William Hague said earlier today:

"So when some commentators write that the Conservative party should simply stick to its well-worn grooves, I say they're wrong. I say the challenges we face are so great, that party loyalties among younger voters are so weak, and that the failure of Labour across the board is so absolute, that the time has indeed come for us to fight with as much confidence for a cleaner environment and a better health service as we have always fought for strong defence and fairer tax. That our task is to show that social responsibility, bringing out the best in families and communities and not just relying on the state, is the only way to face the great social and environmental crises of our time."

Mr Hague (under a little fire for his outside interests) used his speech to set out five broad principles to guide Conservative foreign policy:

1. The return of Cabinet-style foreign policy decision-making - in contrast with Tony Blair's "decade of sofa-style decision making";
2. For Britain's "permanent friendship" with the USA to be coupled with "honest criticism" but nothing to disrupt the  diplomatic, intelligence and security links between our two nations;
3. Greater investment in relations with the Asia-Pacific region with "much increased attention on the many friendly nations of the Middle East";
4. Reform of multilateral institutions  EU, NATO and the UN;
5. A defence of our basic values across the world - "a strong attachment to human rights, a belief in the rule of law, the defence of political freedom, the promotion of economic liberalism, and humanitarian intervention when it is sensible and practical."

George Osborne's speech: The Shadow Chancellor gave an upbeat assessment of the party's prospects in his address:

"You wouldn't have believed me if I'd said to you, back in the days after our last election defeat, that less than two years later we would be ahead of our opponents, in command of local government, dictating the political pace and, above all, setting the agenda of ideas.  But we are, thanks to you, thanks to our courage to change, and thanks to David Cameron - who has defied the armchair critics, stuck to his guns and put us in a position where we can now win the next General Election."

He called on Gordon Brown to put the NHS at the heart of Wednesday's Budget:

"In every part of this country there are local hospitals facing closure, nurses facing the axe and junior doctors left in limbo.  The chancellor's financial mismanagement has led to ward closures, job losses and patients travelling further for their care.  So Gordon Brown should make Budget Day NHS Day.  He should set out the National Health Service's budget for the next three years, so the health professionals can start to plan for the long term now.  We've already had the three-year budgets for the Home Office, the schools capital budget and the Treasury itself.  So why not the NHS? He must have done the sums. Let's have them."

Liam Fox on defence: The Shadow Defence Secretary spoke to a gathering of Conservative Future about defence policy (at 36 I probably shouldn't have been there).  Dr Fox addressed the issues of energy security, the rise of Russia and the threat of Iran-driven nuclear proliferation.  And, in the best line of Conference so far, he noted that hawks tended to live a lot longer than doves.

William Hague under fire for outside interests

Simon McGee, Political Editor of the Yorkshire Post, effectively accuses William Hague of being a part-time Shadow Foreign Secretary in this morning's edition of the newspaper:

"William Hague has earned up to £400,000 from after-dinner speeches since returning to the Conservative front bench as David Cameron's top lieutenant.  Despite assurances that he would slash his personal business commitments, Mr Hague has not only kept all his non-executive directorships and advisory posts, but added another position during the 15 months since Mr Cameron appointed him Shadow Foreign Secretary and de facto deputy party leader.  His portfolio of extra jobs now stands at five.  The Yorkshire Post can also reveal that the Richmond MP took time out from the 2005 General Election campaign to act as a paid speaker at five commercial functions, netting him more than £30,000.  They included two appearances in London with just a week to go to polling day."

Former MP Michael Bates who is Mr Hague's deputy on the new northern board for the party, rejected the Yorkshire Post's criticism:

"Anyone that knows his work rate knows that his party and const-ituency come first and these he gives great service to.  He spends 95 per cent of his time working for the party. His income has fallen by two-thirds in terms of speaking engagements since he returned."

"New priorities for a new era"

The above graphic is a scan of the programme for this weekend's Tory Spring conference in Nottingham.  Robert Halfon, our candidate in Harlow, compared the five key themes to the ten words which Michael Howard employed at the last General Election.

Of the new five themes it seems that "better public services" will be topping the agenda in Nottingham and healthcare, in particular.  David Cameron will address a rally of thousands of junior doctors in London this morning, according to The Telegraph, and Andrew Lansley yesterday announced a major emphasis on public health that reminds The Telegraph of Sir Norman Fowler's late 1980s public health campaign against AIDS.  The Tories want to move the heathcare system to a much greater focus on prevention and the Health Secretary will be renamed Secretary of State for Public Health.

10.30am update: According to the Nottingham Evening Post - in line with the "safer streets" theme - we can expect a big emphasis on policing: "David Cameron would like an elected mayor or police commissioner to run Nottingham's police force.  The Tory leader wants to see a direct line of responsibility for crime fighting, similar to that which has proved successful in US cities, like New York. At the Conservative Party Spring Forum, which begins in Nottingham today and will attended by 2,500 Tories, Mr Cameron will outline a "radical reform" of policing."

Tory members embrace Cameron's family agenda but reject the green tax plans

ConservativeHome.com has just completed its March survey of Conservative Party members.  1,320 Tory members took part in an online survey on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th March.  The latest results are summarised below.  More detailed posts will follow over the next few days.

70% of Tory members are satisfied with David Cameron (29% "very") and 29% are dissatisfied (13% "very").

77% expect David Cameron to be Prime Minister after the next General Election.

69% say that the Conservative Party is on the right course but 25% believe that it is on the wrong track.

David Davis is the most popular member of the shadow cabinet.

Party members are less than impressed with this week's Conservative Party consultation on green taxation.  54% think that climate change should be tackled through technology rather than taxation.  48% think green taxes within Britain are "pointless" because "any reduction in British emissions will be quickly overtaken by the industrial activity of fast-growing countries like India and China."  Only 31% of members agreed with the following statement of Tory policy; "Higher taxation of air travel, as long as it is offset by lower taxes on businesses and families, is essential if we are to tackle the problem of climate change."

Party members are much more likely to support David Cameron's family policy.  86% agree that family breakdown is a leading cause of failure at school, juvenile offending and unhappiness.  72% agree with the proposal for a married couples' tax allowance.

41% believe that the House of Lords should stay as it is.  38% believe that it should be fully or largely democratic.  10% support a fully-appointed Upper House.

By a thin margin - 48% to 43% - members believe that David Cameron was wrong to force Patrick Mercer's resignation.

'Let us be the change' says Mahatma Cameron

Painting the walls of a few Manchester homes is not to be the end of the Conservative activist's commitment to social action. As activists left the conference hall, after David Cameron's speech, they were handed a wavenetwork leaflet entitled 'be the change'.  Within the leaflet David Cameron encouraged activists to recognise that "personal action is the most powerful way to bring about change".  Ten changes "to change your world and environment" were recommended to Tory activists:

1. Take the bus when you can
2. Get to know your neighbours better
3. Pick up one piece of litter from the street everyday
4. Re-use your plastic bags when you go to the shops
5. Switch to energy efficiency light bulbs at home
6. Reduce your thermostat by 2 degrees
7. Support your local shopkeepers
8. Don't overfill your kettle
9. Fill out a donor card
10. Give blood.

Related link: David Cameron's New Year message invokes Gandhi.

00.30am addition on Monday morning: Download be_the_change.pdf.

David Cameron: We must fast forward to the new Conservative Party

Key sections of speech:

HUMOUR: "Well it’s been a busy few months.  Charles Kennedy’s retired. Tony Blair’s about to retire.  He’s certainly taking his time over it… Soon I will be the longest serving leader of a major political party in the country.  But don’t worry, Gordon; don’t worry Ming…  I won’t be attacking my opponents for their youth and inexperience."  Reagan would have been proud of that line!

A HEALTHY PARTY: "We’ve signed up 20,000 new members – at a time when other parties are losing support."  Francis Maude said it was 25,000 yesterday!

HOUSING: "In 1997 the average deposit for a house or flat was around £5,000.  Today it’s approaching £25,000.  Put simply, we’re pricing our young people out of aspiration.  There is a new housing apartheid in Britain between those who already own their own homes… and those young people who look at their salaries, then look at house prices, and fear that they will never achieve that dream.  We need starter homes.  We need shared ownership.  We need more houses that are beautiful, environmentally sensitive, and above all, affordable.  We helped millions to buy their council houses in the 1980s.  And we must become the Party of aspiration once again."  The only major section on social justice within the speech.

GREEN TORIES: "Our planet is rapidly getting warmer.  The polar ice caps are melting.  Sea levels are rising.  Hosepipe bans in April.  What more evidence do we need?  We simply cannot afford to ignore it.  This Government hasn’t taken the environment nearly seriously enough.  We need to be the party that doesn’t tiptoe around the issue.  Instead of just far-off targets that we will never meet, we need binding targets for carbon emissions every year.  We can take a lead.  We can make a difference.  Imagine if twenty years ago I’d have told you that all our cars would be running on unleaded petrol…that we’d be recycling our waste on a daily basis… that houses in England would have solar panels on their roofs.  You’d have thought I was mad.  Well today I want this Party to lead a new green revolution.  Daring to imagine possibilities that seem a distant dream today.  Unleashing innovation, imagination, inspiration.  Setting a clear framework that brings forward the best technology, the brightest thinking, the boldest plans.  And setting a clear challenge for individuals, for households, for business and for government… a clear challenge that says: this is our planet, our future, our responsibility.  We’re all in this together, and together we can lead the way."  This section won loud applause.

PENSIONS: "The advance of science, medicine, prosperity means that we are living longer.  Forty years in work followed by forty years in retirement.  That could soon become everybody’s expectation.  It must surely be our mission to help each individual live each precious stage of their life to the full.  Filling in forms to get means-tested benefits?  What a way to treat the elderly, those who by any moral code most deserve our respect and support.  So let us set a clear direction.  Raising state pensions to reduce means testing.  And raising the retirement age to help pay for it.  We must lead the debate on pensions."  Nothing on Labour's £200 General Election year tax bribe.

NO TO ID CARDS: "Under my leadership, we’ll always strive to do the right thing.  That means saving our energy to oppose the government when it’s wrong.  Like on ID cards.  Labour can’t decide what it’s for.  They can’t control what it costs.  They can’t explain why they’re making it compulsory.  Labour’s plastic poll tax has no place in modern Britain.  It’s an ugly monument to the waste, chaos and vanity of intrusive, over-mighty government.  I promise you this….in office, we will pull it down."  The audience liked this commitment.

CHANGE WILL ONLY GET FASTER: "There’s so much we need to change in our country - we can’t afford to waste time going slow on changing our Party.  So now is not the time to put our foot on the brake.  Now is the time to press on the accelerator.  We must fast forward to the new Conservative Party.  I know some of you think we’ve had quite enough change for the time being.  I read the letters… Asking me to slow down… Telling me to take it easy… Sometimes reminding me to wear a tie… Well I say this.  Britain cannot wait while we take it easy.  We have a massive mountain to climb if we’re to win the next election.  If we falter on the way, then Labour will win again."

Missing topics: Iraq, Iran, Darfur, Tax, Immigration, Crime, UKIP, And Theory Of Conservatism.

Editor's overall verdict: Nothing new in this speech but a reaffirmation of David Cameron's leadership message of 'change'.  If David Cameron is to convince voters that this message is more than spin he will have to start taking difficult decisions soon on issues like green taxation, energy and pensions. 

Download full text of David_Cameron_speech.pdf

Britain's two finest political speakers delight Tories gathered in Manchester

Delegates at the Manchester Spring Forum were treated to barnstorming speeches from the two best platform speakers in Britain today: William Hague and Michael Heseltine.

Describing himself as the Conservative Party's "youngest old-timer" William Hague said that there were three main reasons for his optimism about Tory prospects:

• His change message is consistent with the finest traditions of Conservatism - not least his commitment to the poorest people in Britain and the world.  The finest Conservative tradition is the one nation tradition, Mr Hague said.
• The Conservative ideas of decentralisation and freedom are proving to be the ideas of the age - particularly in successfully transforming cities like Liverpool and Manchester.
• The new mood of willingness of all the great talents in the Conservative Party to come together to help David Cameron become the next Prime Minister.

One of those "great talents" was Lord Heseltine said William Hague as he introduced the former Deputy Prime Minister.

Michael Heseltine began his speech by saying that he was as surprised as his audience to be addressing his first Conservative conference in ten years.

He likened his chairmanship of the new Tory urban regeneration taskforce to a head waiter.  His job was to provide a menu of pro-poor policy options for David Cameron to choose from.

Francis Maude: 'Proper conservatives' should be more like David Cameron

Francis Maude has used his opening speech to the Tory conference to say that voters like David Cameron and the broad mass of the Conservative Party needs to become more like him.  Noting that party membership has increased by 10% since David Cameron's election,  the word that appeared throughout the Tory Chairman's speech was change and the Manchester conference centre is festooned with banners bearing the word "change".  Francis Maude:

"People really do think [David Cameron] is the goods: high intellect, deep integrity, serious principles, gives strong leadership to his party, is willing to take tough decisions, as well as having flair and charisma.  People think – and how right they are – that David has all the qualities they want in the future PM.  We now need to convince them that the whole party has changed...

It would be wrong for us to expect David Cameron to carry the entire burden of persuading people that we’ve changed.  As a party we vaunt our belief in personal responsibility.  We must all take personal responsibility for the success of our shared venture, not contract it all out to the leader."

Mr Maude went on to say that change in the kind of candidates selected by the party was an essential part of the necessary change agenda.  He rejected the idea that the statements within Built To Last bordered on the banal.  He stressed the need for a less narrow view of what it meant to be a Conservative:

"Our appeal still needs to be broader. So why should we seek to define people out of our party’s appeal by telling them that they’re not “proper Conservatives”?  We need to define our conservatism so that more people are attracted to us not fewer.  Otherwise we can never win and never have the chance to put our principles into practice in the service of our country and our communities."

In a nod to Tory traditionalists one of the strongest parts of his speech was an attack on Labour's reliance on funding from the trade unions:

"Who have been Labour’s biggest donors since 2001?  It’s not Paul Drayson, not Bernie Ecclestone, not even the munificent Lord Sainsbury.  It’s Unison, the GMB, Amicus and the TGWU.  Those four unions alone have given over £27 million to the Labour Party since the beginning of 2001.  And the total for all unions is over £47million – about two thirds of Labour’s funding.  What, you may ask, do they get in return?  It wasn’t beer and sandwiches at Number 10.  This time it was something much more mouth-watering than that.  This time Labour and the unions got together two years ago, and the result was a lip-smacking deal that would have made the brothers of the 1970s proud.

The Labour Party granted the unions over 60 policy concessions – from watering down anti-strike legislation to support for European employment regulation.  In return?  Yes, you guessed it.  The unions bankrolled Labour’s general election campaign.  And it doesn’t stop there.  There’s now a union ‘modernisation fund’.  Last month, this doled out £3 million of taxpayers’ money to the unions.  These unions, who so desperately needed £3 million of taxpayers’ funds, who at the same time are giving Labour £12 million a year.  So let me make it quite clear.  If there is to be agreement on reform to party funding, it will have to include an end to the corrupt cronyism of Labour’s union dependency."

Mr Maude's day began controversially.  Rather than seeking to dampen the row with UKIP he stoked up the row by using a Today programme interview to suggest that elements of UKIP would like to go back to a Britain of many decades ago - one that was all white.  UKIP and the Tories now appear to be at the beginning of an escalating war.  UKIP leader Roger Knapman MEP issued a petulant statement saying that "while UKIP had a policy of contesting as many seats as possible, it would in future particularly target Conservative marginals".  Hatred of Conservatives appears to motivate UKIP more than Euroscepticism.

There is such a thing as society, it's just not the state

I'm sat at the back of the Manchester Intl Convention Centre watching a truly inspirational presentation by four community workers.   David Cameron, chat show style, has introduced each of their stories.  Again and again the stories are showing that government bureaucracy and short-term funding patterns frustrate the work of social entrepreneurs.  'What works' in overcoming inner city disadvantage are self-help schemes where communities come together, often led by inspirational individuals.  (1) Partnership with the private sector; (2) respect for the faith-basis of many of the most innovative charities; (3) encouragement of volunteering (rather than an emphasis on paid professionals) and (4) a more mature attitude to risk by funding organisations are four ingredients for better community regeneration.

Good morning Spring Forum-ers

David Cameron and Eric Pickles will do a live webcast from the conference at 1.15pm. You can still submit questions to webcast@conservatives.com

Cameron is also interviewed by The Times on the first day of his first Spring Forum as leader:

• "Trade union funding is a hangover from the corporatist past. It’s profoundly unhealthy and I’m offering a solution to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown: a cap on donations applying to everybody and modest state funding that can help you break that unhealthy link with unions and help you to be a genuinely socially democratic party."
• “Being in opposition is a pretty miserable existence. All you can do is try and behave in the way you would if you were in government.”
• “The climate change levy is just a tax on energy. It’s not a charge on carbon. We’ll be setting out exactly how we would change it soon.”
• “All politicians look at the polls. They’re dishonest if they say they don’t. But what really matters is what lies underneath. People want to know if we share their values, understand what their needs are."

There has been some debate surrounding two interviews with Francis Maude about whether the tone of the weekend should be optimistic, realistic, or both - see today's newslinks.

Click "Continue" to see a schedule of the main events...

No change on the Party Board

In the Party Board Elections Simon Mort and Jeremy Middleton have been re-elected and Emma Pidding has defeated John Flack and Toby Vintcent for the third slot.

What should Cameron say in his big speech?

On Saturday morning David Cameron will speak to his first major Conservative gathering since he became party leader.  Since his election in early December the Conservative Party has increased its opinion poll standing by about three or four percentage points.  The ConservativeHome Poll of Polls still gives Labour a 1.4% lead, however.  ‘Project Cameron’ has a long way to go if the Conservatives are to earn a parliamentary majority of one.

What should David Cameron say on Saturday morning?

• Should he use it to emphasise his change message?  Should he look to his long-term rebranding of the Conservative Party and say that he is determined to accelerate his change agenda and his emphasis on social justice, environmentalism and equality for women?
• Should he offer some reassurance to the core vote with some Euroscepticism and tax-cutting?  Might he even deploy the ‘politics of and’ by explaining the compatibility of core and breadth issues?
• Should he focus 100% on the local elections and put the council tax hike facing pensioners at the heart of the campaign?

Editor's comment: I would hope that he makes some serious mention of the unfolding tragedy in Darfur.  Darfur is the biggest man-made tragedy in the world today.  David Cameron highlighted the issue on a number of occasions during his leadership bid but 121 days into his leadership he has said almost nothing on this issue.

A challenging article (not online but scanned below) in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal by Paul Rusesabagina (whose heroic efforts inspired the Hotel Rwanda film) said that four conditions needed to be in place for genocide to happen:

1. A cover of war;
2. Ethnic grievances must be manipulated and exaggerated;
3. “Ordinary citizens must be deputised by their government to become executioners”;
4. “The rest of the world must be persuaded to look away and do nothing.”

David Cameron is not Prime Minister and cannot make anything happen directly but he can put pressure on our Government to act in Darfur.  Up to 400,000 people may have been killed in Darfur and the killing and raping continues.  The existing African Union troops in Sudan have no equipment and no clear rules of engagement.  The UN – compromised by Chinese and Russian economic relations with Khartoum – is enfeebled.  Saturday may not be the moment for a big initiative on Darfur but every passing day is another day of shame for what is called the ‘international community’.  Some community.

5.20pm UPDATE: WHAT I DID NOT KNOW WAS THAT WILLIAM HAGUE AND ANDREW MITCHELL HAVE BEEN IN DARFUR OVER THE LAST WEEKEND: ‘William Hague’s video diary from Darfur will be shown on Channel 5 News TONIGHT at 5.30 and 7pm.’ I have just learnt.  (I still think it needs Cameron to put the issue on the political agenda, however).

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Tim Montgomerie WLTM leafletters

I'm planning to distribute this leaflet to attendees at Manchester's Spring Forum on Saturday morning.  A record number completed March's ConservativeHome survey but I am keen to keep increasing the survey size.  If you are willing to donate half-an-hour of your time to help me leaflet please email tim@conservativehome.com.  Thank you!