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He Did What He Needed To Do

Jonathan Sheppard delivers his verdict on the Prime Minister's conference speech.

By Jonathan Sheppard

5 Oct 2011, 18:00

I have to hold my hands up and say that in all the time I have attended party conference, and my first one was in 1992, I have never sat in the hall and listened to a leader's speech. I have watched them from the exhibition hall. I have watched them from work, and I have watched them from the sofa at home, but never in person. Maybe that makes me less qualified to comment on the virtues of a good speech, or perhaps given I watch them like the average punter in the street may flick on the TV, perhaps I get a better impression as to how well they will be received.

For me Cameron did what he needed to do. The problem with a conference speech is that it is crafted by external event. It is of course much easier to make a barnstorming speech when you are vying for the leadership of the party. It is easier to make a rallying call to arms when it is your final speech before an election. It is easier to make a positive speech after you have returned your party to Government. But when the economy is bumping along; when many of your members are not that enamoured with their coalition parties then the opportunity to give one of those memorable speeches is limited.

That’s why Cameron did what needed to be done. It was quite brave to talk about gay marriage. Surely that won’t have gone down well with some of the old guard in the party. He pressed the right buttons on Europe and bashed ‘elf n safety’ always a winner at a Tory conference. He spoke about many of the grave issues facing the country, and spoke in measured tones about what needed to be done. In all honesty it was an average speech. But surely given the circumstances should we expect anything more?