Warsi says we are working for an outright Conservative majority in 2015

By Harry Phibbs
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Baroness Warsi had one of the first speeches to deliver to the Party Conference in Manchester and also one of the most difficult. There has been plenty of criticism that she been too low profile, too deferential, towards the coalition to champion the Conservative Party's interest.

On the other hand under her Chairmanship the Party has had a good year. Gravity was defied to increase the number of councils and councillors controlled by the Conservatives. There was also the decisive victory for the No campaign in the AV referendum despite the leaders of Labour and the Lib Dems backing the Yes campaign.

In her speech she said:

Let me let you in on something.

As proud as I am of the Coalition, as charming as Chris Huhne is to me I have a single driving ambition as Chairman of this Party: To win an outright Conservative Majority in 2015.

For the Party Chairman to voice such sentiments should hardly be required in normal times. But these are not normal times.

She went on to stress that the modernising, inclusive effort should go beyond the passive matter of not discriminating against people. It should involve an active effort to reach out to those who might be suspicious of the Conservative Party.