Cameron gets his message spot-on

TomTom

All this windy rhetoric. Kinnock was great at this. Frankly, these flights of fancy are getting boring. We know how journalists get advance copy of these 'speeches' and rush off to file the line they have been fed by the Propaganda Commissars.....but the public is getting very cynical and tired with this theatricality

Chuck Unsworth

Sainsbury's, eh?

Stepney

Now get the message out there and try and keep it intact through the minefield of the media.

It's a great message and one a lot of people want to hear.

teledu

Yes, that's a good speech and one that, if reported properly by the BBC etc. would serve Cameron well; it does emphasise what a complete load of tossers Labour and Brown and Balls are.
Had to chuckle at the line..."To those who say â˜you canâ™t do thatâ™, I say â˜of course we can â“ and of course we must.".
He's right of course, but what a pity he didn't apply that approach to his Lisbon constitution referendum pledge.

david

Is that like he got his Spring Conference speech spot on? What difference did that make to the polls?

Political speeches, preaching to the converted, a waste of time, why do they bother?

Richard Smith

"Spot on!?!

He couldn't hit a cow's backside with a banjo at the moment.

oldtimer

I agree. It is a better, more direct speech. The golf ball might be a handy prop to bounce over to Brown in one of the TV debates.

Two other observations. He says this:
"And if people in Wales want a referendum on full law-making powers that is a matter for them – so a Conservative Government will not block it." Presumably he can be relied to take the same position on a referendum about the relationship between the UK as a whole and the EU. His draft manifesto says it will enable the tabling of Bills supported by a petition of 1 million voters.

The second observation concerns the timing of cuts. The distinction that Brown draws between Tory cuts now and Labour cuts next year is surely false. There is evidence all around us that the cuts have started to bite, both in local and national government and in the universities. Cameron and the Conservatives should shoot this argument down.

Sally Chatterjee

Cameron won the leadership thanks to a great speech, we know he can master this.

Obama did some great speeches, look where that got him. It's leadership and judgement that matter to me, and the way he's been on the backfoot over Ashcroft suggests weakness.

He'll sack backbenchers over dodgy expense claims in a flash but doesn't want to stand up to Lord Ashcroft.

As I've said before, he should be miles ahead in the polls given he's running against 13 years of Labour failure, waste, corruption and illegal war.

moorlandhunter

This needs to be out on the news so that people can hear about it. It is plain and simple economics, basic stuff that every household has to do each day, yet I bet the TV news will not mention it, certainly not the BBC.

London Calling

Dear David Cameron,

I don’t want to know what’s written on the Jar, I want to know what’s in it?

Secrets and Lies is the current best seller, but it’s not in the Bookshops yet. You propose that the NHS will be safe in your hands, meanwhile its what’s going on behind your back that I want answer’s to and that your promise’s actually have weight to them. I want the truth not a fairy liquid ad…

Hundreds of NHS wards to be shut in secret plans?

Plans that could lead to the closure of hundreds of hospital wards are being drawn up but will not be made public until after the general election, opposition parties have said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7379983/Hundreds-of-NHS-wards-to-be-shut-in-secret-plans.html

Chris

Its a simple message and a clear one. Once people begin to realise just how far behind the public sector has falled in terms of productivity then they will be quite rightly mad at Labour for letting it happen, and will be keen for a change.

My one caveat is to emphasise to the front line public sector workers that this doesn't mean a return to the 80s spending cuts which I know a lot of them fear.

David R

Richard, that's because your bare arse is in the way. There are laws about that sort of thing, you know.

mitch

And because of the BBC nobody will ever see it unless they are already Tory voters meanwhile Gordon struts his stuff in the desert all over the News......coincidence I think not.

Red Rag

Is there ever a speech by Cameron that most article writers on The Spectator don't call "spot on""Obamaesque""brilliant".

According to The Spectator he has been "spot on" for the last few months.....look where that has got him.

http://redrag1.blogspot.com/

Tanya Dobbs

Same old,same old but aligning themselves with Sainsbury's will do him/them no favours

Richard Manns

May I suggest something about the NHS?

Everyone should be aware of the aging population in the UK. So, to keep things just as they are will cost more money.

So perhaps think that Cameron simply expects the aging population to swallow the savings that he intends to make. I'd rather he aimed higher, but pretending to increase spending in some meaningful way whilst simply acknowledging our aging population is a simple way of taking any NHS-based attacks out of the enemy's hands.

Alfred T Mahan

H'm. "You can achieve better government, and better services, for less money". And therein lies the rub, because better government should mean fewer services. It isn't just a question of "more for my customers while reducing my costs", as you quote above. It means "less for much less", and until Cameron and Co understand that they will continue to flounder. How many new quangos is it they're reported to want?

They need to find new language akin to "rolling back the frontiers of the state" to catch the public mood. And then put it into practice as well.

Short the UK

Hi Peter,

Can you confirm who is coaching Cameron on economics?

Thatcher had Budd & Walters.

If I were running the campaign I'd run the following posters:

1. "What you as the City of London have done for financial services we as a Government intend to do for the economy as a whole."

Pictures of the bust bank logos.

2. Chart of Gold showing where Gordon sold it.

Strapline: "Gordon sold our Gold at the wrong time." "Time for a change."

3. There are some good quotes in his first budget on him making sure the housing market didn't have a bubble. Dig it out and put it up, showing houses sinking.

4. Picture of Gordon with in big letters "no more boom & bust" Strapline: "can this man get anything right?" "Right time for change."

Marcher Baron

The first bit of duplication he can cut is that of translation. We don't need all our documents in tens of different versions.

Rhoda Klapp

"More for less is not some pie-in-the-sky political promise. It’s something that businesses up and down the country do day-in, day-out. They think: how can I deliver more for my customers while reducing my costs?

And they come to the conclusion that they will do whatever they can get away with. Screwing their suppliers. Moving their call centre overseas. Buying up all the plots that could be made into supermarkets before the opposition get hold of them.

A neighbour used to work for United Biscuits. He told me about de-contenting. Reducing the size a little. Changing the recipe a bit. Putting fewer in the packet. They do those things until somebody complains, then stop.

Is this what Cameron is planning? Or is this all fluff? If he will give no details of his super wheeze, I'll assume it is nothing but hot air.

Alex Creel

Good to see Cameron injecting humour into the speech, that represents a more skilful approach to getting the message across - rather a scalpel than a sledgehammer. Good to hear him broaden the blame to 'this government and its ministers' - Brown is a recognised failure and pointing the finger at him alone gets us nowhere. Tarring the whole sorry lot of them with the same stick makes his ineptitude theirs also.

JONNY

He couldn't hit a cow's backside with a banjo at the moment.

You've hit the bottom there Richard.

Ke H

This is far & away the best photo-image of Cameron & a much more convincing delivery.He needs to develop this and spurn the rather droopy presentation of his recent poster campaign.
Over and above that there must be a sustained attack following the news this morning that LABOUR,OF ALL PEOPLE,ARE PROPOSING SIGNIFICANT CUTS IN THE N.H.S.
Why there is not a wholesale attack on this at full volume is quite beyond me:it is an opening that comes gift-wrapped,for goodness sake.

Noa Zrk

'The leftist elite still believes in multi-culturalism, coddling criminals, a European super-state and high taxes. But the rest of the Netherlands thinks differently. That silent majority now has a voice,' he said.

No, not Cameron in Llandudno, unfortunately, but the real hero of the Conservative right in Europe. Moderate, measured and popular. Geart Wilders.

Who will speak for the silent majority in the UK?

Richard

Well he has'nt even made the news....so there is your answer.
Speeches given to the faithful without taking questions from the media-how do you expect them to report it?
Pile it high sell it cheap yep this a good way to deliver public services. Go to hospital for a blood test and get a Kidney transplant while you wait on special offer...do me a favour!
Tell Shameron next time you see him outside his bunker....Deal with the Ashcroft affair now or be dammed to history as the spiv who F***ed up the "Tory can't lose" election.
Like another poster said it's whats in the jar your paying for not the label so tell us whats in the F****ng Jar.

Liberty

But the papers are full of Brown's Afghan stunt and if they mention the Tories it will be questions about Ashcroft, what they will do with the economy, some scandal from long ago, Balls questioning their schools policy, etc. It doesn't matter how good their story is the Tories cannot get positive press. Most mainstream media only like negatives, Labour understand this and keep them fed with it.

Jez

"We know what we’re fighting for..."

End to immigration?.... a control of immigration?..... a look at immigration?...

*NUH* *NUH*......

'No Score'.

Nicholas

Must have been good, the national socialist puritans are in full rebuttal with their trolls working hard to keep the seeds of doubt planted - as in this thread.

Michael

An excellent speech. Coherent and persuasive. Complete focus on policy should be the Conservative's strategy in coming weeks, instead of constantly harping on about Gordon. We already know he's useless and don't need Dave to constantly remind us.

Lord Boyders

Always encouraging to see the Labour twits at work, there must be a smelly group of students typing away at the first signal from the grubby wormtongue. Plenty out tonight!

TrevorsDen

I have been out all day so have not seen anything - but you can bet the BBC will not see it that way.

Thick Richard seems to confirm it.

General Zod

Oooh, now you're swearing, Richard, you supposedly non-native English speaker dyslexic.

What's tonight's story as to your identity?

donald persons

As an observer of the UK from the other side of the pond, I must force myself to NOT make comparisons to US politics. I sense that the attitudes shaping public opinion in the UK and the effectiveness of Cameron in this speech have very different fault lines. In some ways, our two governments and peoples for the past 30 years have been divided over endlessly rebalancing a smaller pie. Our national budgets are burdened by debt repayments. "Fixing the problem" in Cameron's view will need also to come to terms with the limitations on Government and help the people understand this clearly and personally across the nation. I rather like the man and would find him good company at a pub.

Jack R

Nothing on ending mass immigration; nothing on opposing Turkey's entry into E.U.

Nicholas

What is in Brown's jar, Richard? I know what is on the label - money grows on trees so that Brown can spend it - but what is inside?

Richard

@Nicholas
Well the contents are well labeled and they conform to all the statutory regulations. Healthy with less fat, low salt and wholesome.
Unlike the Tory jar mislabled and of unknown origin. Might no correction will contains nuts.

Paddy

Cameron needs to play "dirty" like Brown and his henchmen.

Why don't they concentrate on just one topic (Labour have totally ruined the NHS).

All they need to do is interview Julie Bailey - campaigner for Stafford hospital re. so many deaths.

Ian C

The message is bang on. Encouraging at last at a nervous time. It just shows how difficult it is to craft a clear message that can resonate.

If they really can get a majority big enough to do some of these things it will help this country enormously. If he can keep this as the message and not get too distarcted by the 'how', he can win well enough in May.