Guido Fawkes: "Well the audience, as ever, loved Dave. Guido was watching the press pack and some of Cameron's apparatchiks. The press seemed if not bedazzled, not unimpressed. Team Cameron seemed happy, tension that was in their faces at the start of the speech dissolved into satisfied smiles by the end."
Iain Dale: "I leave Blackpool more optimistic about the future than I have been for a long time. Gordon Brown will know the Tory Party is back - and back with a vengeance. Brown has a real dilemma now. If he calls an election he loses, and if he doesn't call an election he loses."
Adam Boulton: "Tories I spoke to genuinely seemed to think that he had advanced their cause. One even said: "I really am looking forward to an election now. Cameron also hit the spot with three out of four of Sky News' swingvoters in Redditch."
Shane Greer: "The Conservative Party is back and if anyone should be concerned about their future then it's Gordon Brown. If he calls the election now he will win, but quite possibly with a reduced majority and a reinvigorated David Cameron. If he doesn't call it he will look incredibly weak, and bring the Labour Party one step closer to leaving office."
Martin Kettle: "Ed Balls, watching from the BBC studio, pronounced it the speech of a party leader not a prime minister. In some ways that is hard to deny - although the same charge can also be made against Brown's recent performances. Nothing that happened today makes an early election less likely - and an early election is not what Cameron really wants. Cameron will not have done himself any harm at all in this speech. But the question, with the stakes now so sharply raised, is whether he has done himself enough good."
The Times' Sam Coates: "Afterwards, Mr Cameron could be heard asking his shadow cabinet if he had done all right as the crowd burst into an ovation at the end, according to the Press Association. “Was that all right?” his microphone picked up. Shadow ministers could be heard saying “brilliant”, "unbelievable” and “very good”. He asked his wife, Samantha, the same, adding: “I love you babe”. Moments later, he said: “Ahh, I’m knackered.""
Fraser Nelson reveals that David 'babe'/ 'hottie' Cameron is now travelling home by train in "goat class". What a man of the people! Oliver Letwin is in first btw.
It's got the Guardian readers running scared! The new Labour fad is on the way out folks!
Posted by: chrisblore | October 03, 2007 at 18:20
It's got the Guardian readers running scared! The new Labour fad is on the way out folks!
Posted by: chrisblore | October 03, 2007 at 18:20
Re Fraser Nelson's comment:
Don't know about Cameron, but DD looked like he was having a kip in standard class on the way back to Yorkshire.
Good for him! They earnt it.
Posted by: Al Gunn | October 03, 2007 at 21:37
I feel much happier since returning from Blackpool! David came across well, said what needed to be said and, as people have already said, GB is now in a real dilemma! I really hope he DOES "push the button" as we are more than ready for him!
The Conference was fantastic - the best one I've attended and I've been to a good few! IDS was one of the real high spots - fantastic speech and fixing our "broken society" I really think is the "Big Idea" we should be concentrating on! David Davis has also much improved in his speech-making!!
Posted by: Sally Roberts | October 04, 2007 at 07:40
The Conference was fantastic - the best one I've attended and I've been to a good few! IDS was one of the real high spots - fantastic speech and fixing our "broken society" I really think is the "Big Idea" we should be concentrating on
I'm with you there, Sally - and it was great to meet you in the Imperial the other night, btw...
The media have tended to focus on the taxation and border control policies - they have conveniently omitted the social justice agenda. That's one for us all to put over on the ground.
I agree that this is a great and authentic theme - we want to win power to fight for the poorest and most disadvantaged in society. Why do Labour want to win an election now, will someone remind me again please?
Posted by: Richard Carey | October 04, 2007 at 13:09
It was good to meet you too Richard!
Posted by: Sally Roberts | October 04, 2007 at 13:18
The party given by Tim and Sam at the Imperial was excellent.I was only sorry that I was not able to meet more people who are currently only names on a computer screen.
Nick Herbert made it clear how influential CH has become to our MPs and PPCs. Long may it continue!
It was instructive though how divisions seem even to beset the best of us. One little Scotsman and columnist peppered Tim's speech with loud cries of 'resign,resign!'.Does this man want a bigger job I asked myself!
Posted by: Malcolm Dunn | October 04, 2007 at 14:02
The party given by Tim and Sam at the Imperial was excellent.
Sorry I missed that one, Malcolm. I would have dropped by if I'd seen that!
Posted by: Richard Carey | October 04, 2007 at 14:25
Sally, I agree with you re fixing our broken society. The Conservatives have surprisingly made this their own issue and with genuine determination too.
I found Cameron's passage on it, the most powerful part of his speech.
Posted by: michael | October 04, 2007 at 15:04
Malcolm, if I had known you were there I would have said hello. I also said hello to Sally but not at the function - later on in the bar. I met Graeme Archer and Andrew Lilico - both great guys. Tim and Sam put on a great party - I'm only sad I missed out on a mug! (hint, hint)
Posted by: Alexander Drake | October 04, 2007 at 15:29