This year was – believe it or not – the first time I’ve actually been a Conference delegate, so although I’ve heard Cameron speak many times before this was my first experience of a big set-piece Conference leader’s speech. I was in no mood to miss it and joined the queue early along with friends from Manchester Conservatives. This was just as well really – if you weren’t queueing two hours before the doors were opened, you didn’t get a seat. Just goes to show how enthused Party Members are at the moment, and how many had made the trip to Birmingham for Conference.
Unfortunately this meant that I had to watch William Hague’s big foreign policy address on a television screen from the queue and that I missed a chance to attend the last set of fringe meetings, which was very disappointing as there were a couple I’d highlighted in the Conference Guide.
Cameron was preceded by five Parliamentary candidates – Louise Bagshawe, Adeela Shafi. John Bell, Davena Rankin and Shaun Bailey – who each made a short address. All five made excellent and highly personal addresses and Shaun Bailey – our candidate in Hammersmith who spoke last – was truly inspirational.
Cameron’s address itself has been receiving some rave reviews in the press today, and as someone who watched from the Symphony Hall itself it isn’t hard to see why. It was a very different speech from last year’s noteless performance but no less impressive. It was a powerful illustration of how the Conservative Party as a united team and David Cameron as Prime Minister would govern if successful at the next General Election.
Labour have been briefing that this speech was all about platitudes – an accusation full of high irony after Brown’s address last week – but while the Government resort to dithering and cheap soundbites Cameron and his team have put together this week both a vision and a plan for forming the next Government. You can download the “Reconstruction, Renewal, Repair” policy document here and read the plan and policy statements for yourself. It’s time for change.
It was nice to see your smiling face on News at Ten and Newsnight. Cameron’s joke was lost on me I’m afraid.
I saw you a few times in Birmingham, but I never really got the chance to introduce myself. It was my first conference too as a delegate, although I watched the speech on the TV in the ICC. I couldn’t be bothered to queue. We went to a fringe meeting on Europe instead.
I’m sure I’ll see you at a future Conference Andrew! Do say hello. The queue was ridiculous, I can’t remember exactly when we started queueing but it was before 11am and my friend was sat in the ICC foyer looking out for the queue starting from about 9.30am.