David Cameron

It was a good Leader’s speech. The Conference liked it. The media liked it. There was a theme of hope and a warning of cuts. This is the point perhaps. Any speech made before the Spending Review is announced in a fortnight is doing no more than marking time. That will change the political climate. Until then there is an air of expectation or even foreboding.

I did not agree with his assessment of the Afghan war and I profoundly disagree with the outburst over the Lockerbie bomber, not least because it is probably the wrong man and certainly not the one, or many, responsible for giving the order and devising the plan. Poor judgement that. Like the wobble over married tax allowance. To extend to higher rate taxpayers would cost £1.5 billion against the saving on child allowance of £I billion. By the end of the month the Downing Street act, which has been something of a casualty of this conference, will have to sharpen up. It would be a mistake to underestimate Ed.  Brother David will explain.