ConservativeHome's Bournemouth 2006 Conference blog

Graham Smith reviews BBC coverage of "the speech"

Wednesday 4th October 2006.
BBC TV news at 6:00pm

“United, rejuvenated and open to new ideas – David Cameron’s vision of his Conservative Party.”

With those few words George Alagiah opened the BBC Six O’Clock News. Fellow newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky added:

“Out went the old slogans: this time it’s all about public service and social responsibility.”

Those of you who have followed earlier reports of the rather disappointing BBC coverage may join with me in expressing pleasure and delight that the Conservative Party Conference has finally become the top story on the six o’clock news bulletin. Nick Robinson was especially complementary of David Cameron’s first keynote speech as leader:

“He mapped out a new direction for the Party: not of new policies, but of new positions.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. At last the media is beginning to propagate the core message of the quiet revolution currently taking place within the Party, as the principled foundations on which twenty-first century Conservatism prepares to govern twenty-first century Britain are laid in place.

David Cameron promises to save the NHS from the Government

At last, people are beginning to understand that principles – not policies – should lie at the heart of British politics. David Cameron was right to say the creation of the NHS is one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century. And he is right to promise to save the NHS from the “one size fits all” approach that has characterised the top-down target-driven approach of our increasingly centralist (indeed, some would say Leninist) Government.

David Cameron understands strong family life leads to a strong, cohesive society

“Everyone watching at home,” David Cameron was speaking from the platform, “knows that we will only tackle crime…

“…if we tackle family breakdown…

“…if we tackle drug addiction…

“…if we mend broken lives.

“So we have a new reality in British politics today. With David Davis as Home Secretary, this Party, the Conservative Party is the only party in Britain that will be tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime.”

With these stirring words, David Cameron underlined the commitment to support families made yesterday by Shadow Chancellor George Osborne. He continued:

“All families do a vital job, and they all need our support. But I also believe that marriage is a great institution, and we should support it.

“I'm not naïve in thinking that somehow the state can engineer happy families with this policy or that tax break.

“All I can tell you is what I think. And what I think is this. There's something special about marriage. It's not about religion. It's not about morality. It's about commitment.

“When you stand up there, in front of your friends and your family, in front of the world, whether it's in a church or anywhere else, what you're doing really means something.

“Pledging yourself to another means doing something brave and important.

“You are making a commitment. You are publicly saying: it's not just about me, me me anymore. It is about we – together, the two of us, through thick and thin. That really matters.

“And by the way, it means something whether you're a man and a woman, a woman and a woman or a man and another man. That's why we were right to support civil partnerships, and I'm proud of that.”

A New Direction and there’s no doubt it was New alright

Delegates warmly welcomed the speech saying it would take Britain forward to a better life for all. Nick Robinson closed his report from Bournemouth by summing up the grassroots mood of the Conservative Party delegates in three sentences:

“No longer pessimistic. No longer backward looking. No longer angry.”

Another armchair report on the BBC, by Graham Smith

Tuesday 3rd October 2006.
BBC TV news at 6:00pm

Those of you who were among the 2,000 people said to be queuing outside in pouring rain for conference passes at some point over the past few days will no doubt have little or no sympathy with my relatively brief wait this evening. There was I at the stroke of six o'clock, pen and pad in hand, sitting in a comfortable armchair alongside a conveniently placed small table on which resided a cup of inviting beverage and a slice of my wife's mouth-watering fruitcake tantalisingly accompanied by a small piece of Red Leicester cheese.

Twenty-one minutes later, your increasingly somnambulant armchair reporter was gazing at his empty cup, and the accompanying plate on which a small scattering of crumbs could now barely be discerned, attempting to calculate how long the kettle would take to boil again when the newsreader's voice mentioned a phrase that he had longed to hear. Indeed a phrase that brought his mind back to a state of alertness comparable with the way cartoon characters eyes shoot out of their heads on long stalks. That phrase was "and at the Conservative Party Conference today..."

And so, for the third day running, BBC TV attempted fruitlessly to stir up a row over lack of firm Conservative commitment to a tax-cutting policy. They reported Shadow Chancellor George Osborne resisting calls for tax promises from Lord Tebbit and Edward Leigh MP, saying he would not write the Budget for 2009 now. This non-story is getting a bit long in the tooth and further lazy reporting saw Ceefax rerunning highlights of David Cameron's conference speech from the weekend.

However I continue to be encouraged by what is coming out of conference and the BBC TV report included some good clips. For example, the commitment to rebalance taxes to support families whilst providing particular help to single parents and George Osborne's clear statement of intent that lower taxes extend the space of freedom in our society and help people to take greater social responsibility over their own lives, and the lives of others:

"Surely we must have learnt from three election defeats this simple truth? We must win the argument on the economy.

We will never do that if people believe our tax policy comes at the expense of their public services. That will not happen.

"We will share the proceeds of growth between the lower taxes this country needs and the increases in spending on public services every government should provide.

"And we will never ever win the argument on tax - or anything else for that matter - if people fear for one moment that we might endanger the stability of the economy."

Meanwhile elsewhere in Britain:

• a 23 year old policeman from West Yorkshire has been crowned Mr Gay UK after beating 24 rivals to win the title;
• a glut of natural gas supplies in Britain has seen wholesale prices collapse and left traders having to pay for it to be taken off their hands; and
• Boris Johnson MP has sought to defuse the growing row over parental choice in school dinners by praising a millionaire chef saying, "Jamie Oliver is a national saint."

Graham Smith thinks the BBC is exaggerating divisions on tax

Monday 2nd October 2006.
BBC TV news at 6:00pm

The focus of tonight's early evening news broadcast swung away from the platform to the fringe events and beyond as BBC TV struggled to find good material to support its desired storyline on continued splits within the Conservative Party.

As I watched the plain background displayed just two words - tax row. Cue the opening presenter: "A number of senior party officials have challenged David Cameron's position on tax..."

Hang on a minute, I thought to myself. What did he say? A number of senior party officials? A number? Haven't I come across that particular bit of civil servant speak before, possibly in 'Yes, Minister' where Jim Hacker's ever-faithful PPS explains to his master how HM Treasury reports are written? Does the following sound familiar:

Bernard: "Minister, if HM Treasury receives more than five responses to the consultation, then they have received 'many responses'. Between two and five responses are described as 'several'"

Hacker: "And what if there is just one response?"

Bernard: "That would correctly be described as 'a number of responses' Minister.

Hacker: "A number? [*FX* splutters] But there was only one!"

Bernard: "One is a number, Minister."

So, it seems despite the BBC's very best efforts to create division, there is overwhelming support for David Cameron's 'softly, softly' approach to policy development. As commented on yesterday, he is wise to ensure that firm foundations of principled conservatism exist before attempting to lay the bricks of individual policies.

Back to the fringe. Lord Tebbit - described as the leader of this Tory peasant's revolt - may have drawn sustained applause from his audience for desiring to reduce taxes by leaving the EU, but it was clear only a fraction of the conference delegates bothered to attend.

All in all, I was much more encouraged by today's news report. Perhaps tomorrow will see BBC TV reporting on the actual meat of the conference - and getting it right.

Graham Smith: Assessment of BBC coverage (7:35pm news, Oct 1st)

Despite the best efforts of CCHQ's media unit, BBC TV is reporting David Cameron's opening address to this year's Conservative Party Conference to have been a rather flaccid belly flop that may alienate many traditional Conservative supporters.

Party officials had been hoping a Sunday afternoon start would see the Bournemouth International Centre's conference hall packed with large numbers of younger, greener, recent tory converts from the professional classes, whose energetic support and desire for change swept Tony Blair to power in 1997. Despite a well-written speech, clearly intended to act as a giant springboard to kick off the huge upwards surge in public opinion that Cameron's Conservatives so desperately need, BBC reporters appeared not overly impressed. And their opinion seemed to be shared by unhappy faces amongst the blue rinse brigade who warmed to passionate delivery of phrases such as "ready to fight and ready to win" in a manner vaguely reminiscent of the applause greeting David Steel's rather premature "go back to your constituencies and prepare for Government" speech of an earlier era.

In a clear attempt to distance today's Conservative leadership from President Bush, the BBC reported that David Cameron was preceded in the main hall by US Presidential hopeful Senator John McCain, who hailed Cameron's "able and determined" leadership before paying tribute to the "unity, confidence and principled sense of purpose that distinguishes British Conservatives under the leadership of my friend David Cameron". He also warned of a "dangerous, difficult and long fight" against Islamic terrorism but insisted America, Britain and their allies would prevail. Senator McCain won loud applause from Conservative activists in a packed hall when he insisted "government that governs best, governs least". Mr Cameron, whose growing reputation as an apologist for past policies seemingly knows no bounds, conceded that the party had alienated voters by "banging on" about Europe and tax cuts. Speaking against a backdrop of green foliage and bright sunlight, he told delegates:

"Our party's history tells us the ground on which political success is built. It is the centre ground. Not the bog of political compromise. Not the ideological wilderness, out of the fringes of debate. But the solid ground where people are."

The party must focus on the issues that concern voters, like childcare, standards in state schools, a better NHS and low mortgage rates, he added.

As Nick Robinson, playing the devil's advocate on behalf of the country's public servants, so eloquently put it: "sounds attractive on the surface, but how can you deliver all these good things if you don't want the Government to do any of it?"

Continuing the strategy that saw 'Built to Last' receive strong support from Conservative activists earlier this year, David Cameron's emphasis on the need for a firm foundation to the Conservative Party received positive comments from delegates. Applying one of Jesus Christ's parables to the changing face of British politics, he said, "policy without principle is like a house without foundation - it will not stand the test of time."

As if to further emphasise the need to demolish many of the Party's so-called traditional policies, policies that have their basis in the culture of another era rather than upon the firm foundation of principled conservatism, David Cameron lent a hand to activists working to transform a disused church into a new community centre. Seeing an internal wall, that had served its purpose and was no longer needed, being smashed down acted as a powerful backdrop to the spirit of change that is embracing Cameron's Conservatives.

But for those thinking David Cameron's first conference speech as leader has started off on the wrong foot by refusing to be drawn into debate on detailed policies, things may soon get worse. Writing in this afternoon's newslog, the BBC's Political Editor Nick Robinson predicts:

"Cameron's challenge this week is to prove that his campaign bus isn't just 'The Smooth Talking Express'. He plans to show his strength by standing up to those who demand that he promises tax cuts now. The test of leadership will come, though, not simply by standing up to Norman Tebbit or John Redwood but by telling the country - not just his own right wing - things they may not wish to hear."

There is no doubt. The Conservative Party is changing: and the leadership is undoubtedly prepared to sacrifice the elegant yet now outdated decorations of an earlier era where these prevent the Party from establishing firm foundations for the 21st century.