Cameron is Back

A great sense of relief washed over me this afternoon as David Cameron's speech came to it's shuddering, impassioned finale. Finally I thought, after months during which he seemed rudderless and lacking in leadership, he has caught the mood and delivered a speech to inspire the Conservative party and potential Conservative voters across the country.

Throughout the conference, there has been a general sense that Conservative Ministers, after a steep learning period for their first two years in government, are now really getting to grips with running the country and turning things around. But what was needed was a sense that this was not just the result of a series of individual efforts but part of a collective, focussed effort - one that was pre-conceived, planned and mostly importantly led. And that is an important part of what David Cameron communicated today - That the Conservatives are on-course and he is on top..

I suspect that we will look back at today and see it as the mid-term turning point - although it may be truer to look back to a pub lunch that Dave and Boris had a few weeks ago as the real turning point.

Boris's challenge to the PM over the last few weeks has probably served a useful purpose. It forced Dave to address the leadership issue and confront other issues.

Dave dealt very elegantly with the thorny issue of privilege today. The line 'I am not here to defend privelege, but to spread it' was inspired as was, 'There is nothing complicated about me. I believe in working hard, caring for my family, in serving my country'. 

Excellent.