Cameron speech: Reactions

Conservatives react to David Cameron's leader's speech
William Hague, Alan Duncan, Oliver Letwin and others give politics.co.uk their reaction to David Cameron's leader's speech.William Hague, shadow foreign secretary: "It was a very good speech. I think it's the best he's delivered to a conference. It was really outstanding. What I liked about it was that it shows what he's really like. Those who really know, already know what he's really like, but I'm not sure the country at large has always understood that. But I think it really came across this week." Alan Duncan, shadow business secretary: "It was fantastic. It showed three things - character, values and judgement. And during the whole week they showed judgment. During all this financial turmoil, they got it right. They were sober but they looked forward. I think he knocked the experience charge absolutely stone dead. It was masterly, it was grown up - just what we needed." Oliver Letwin, Conservative policy director: "I think it was an enormously powerful speech. With a combination of power and charm he showed balance, maturity, clarity of judgement and character. He also nailed the point that Gordon Brown's experience is exactly the kind of experience we don't want to repeat." Susan Williams, Conservative party candidate for Bolton West: "I think he got the tone just right. I just thought the seriousness of the situation we found ourselves in during the last few weeks was really reflected in the initial part of his speech. I thought some of his messages were excellent. He knew his audience, both in the hall and the wider world." Pat Moore, local Conservative Association chairman: "This is my first conference, and I liked it very much. As the chairman of a Conservative association it gives me something to take back. I like what he said about the NHS. I liked what he said about the environment. I liked what he said about personal responsibility."

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Analysis: Mandelson returns

Analysis: Mandelson returns
The prince of darkness is back in Cabinet, but why? He was never liked by Labour, he was despised by the public – who saw in him the personification of Labour spin - and he was the sworn enemy of prime minister Gordon Brown. So what on earth is he doing back in power? Well, Peter Mandelson has two important saving graces. Firstly, he is a highly experienced trade commissioner, having done several years of sturdy work in the EU. Secondly, he and Mr Brown agree entirely on trade and financial matters – specifically anti-protectionism. These two factors make him suddenly important, a potential lifesaver as Labour tries to navigate itself through the current economic chaos. It's a dangerous move. On the plus side, Britain gets a strong, proven trade minister. On the downside, the potential for schism at the height of government increases and an unpopular Labour administration has thrown an unpopular face in front of the TV cameras again.The decision also indicates that tensions between the Blairite and Brownite tribes may be beginning to thaw, with a resurgent Tory party, a successful conference and global financial chaos unifying the party. Politically, the move fits into the reshuffle as a further advertisement for how seriously the government is taking the economic crisis. Whatever else people might think of him, Mr Mandelson is a heavy hitter on this sort of thing. Years organising EU trade, and standing up to the protectionist instincts of volatile leaders like France's Nicolas Sarkozy, will either kill you or make you stronger. It did not kill him. So Mr Brown has parachuted Mr Mandelson in as the centrepiece of his 'economic reshuffle': A serious figure to head a reorganised – possibly renamed – Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. A newly created National Economic Committee to spot ailing banks and swiftly act to shore them up, either through nationalisation or merger. The (frankly window-dressing) of high-level businessmen like Sir John Bond, Vodafone chairman, brought into government. It is all meant to communicate one message: We are on-top of all this madness. We are taking it seriously. We have the best team, the most experience, and the will take the most decisive action to ride the UK through the troubled times ahead. The Cabinet reshuffle, and specifically Mr Mandelson re-introduction to British political life, is a continuation of Labour's chief line of attack and should be considered a direct riposte to David Cameron's speech on Wednesday. There, Mr Cameron argued judgement and character are more valuable than experience. Today's reshuffle is designed to prove that argument wrong. But the move also has a secondary function, which is to relax those nervous about a left-ward drift in the government. Mr Brown can now speak out against 'fat cats' and push for much firmer regulation of the markets, while pointing at Mr Mandelson and other recruits, such as Sir John, as evidence of his continued occupation of the centre ground. Ian Dunt

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Hutton could lose head in reshuffle

John Hutton, business secretary
Rumours are circulating around Westminster that business secretary John Hutton could lose his head in the upcoming Cabinet reshuffle.Observers are predicting a minimal reshuffle, with Gordon Brown replacing transport secretary Ruth Kelly and a handful of more junior appointments. But government insiders say the current financial turmoil in the markets requires a heavy hitter in the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory reform. Mr Hutton – considerably to the right of mainstream Labour opinion and a firm Blairite – has always been distrusted by Brownites. It is likely Mr Hutton would be moved, rather than dropped from government altogether. The most obvious location would be one of Des Browne's roles as defence secretary or Scottish secretary. Mr Browne is unlikely to retain both. Jon Cruddas, the left-wing backbench MP who impressed many party members with his conference statements, is tipped for a Cabinet position. You can read politics.co.uk's interview with Jon Cruddas here.

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Blair resignation: Aftershocks continue

Blair resignation: Aftershocks continue
The aftershocks over Sir Ian Blair's resignation as Britain top police officer continued this morning, with London mayor Boris Johnson forced to deny reports of a Tory plot to oust him.Speaking to reporters, Mr Johnson described allegations of a plot to oust Sir Ian as "completely barking". "I came to this conclusion after a great deal of thought and after consulting a number of people," he said. Home secretary Jacqui Smith criticised the mayor last night, saying Mr Johnson had acted improperly. The Met chief announced his decision to step down from office on Thursday, saying Mr Johnson no longer supported him. The London mayor took over as chairman of the Metropolitan police authority on Wednesday and informed Sir Ian during a meeting that he sought fresh leadership at the police force. Ms Smith, though, has claimed that Mr Johnson did not follow official protocol of seeking the home secretary's approval. Speaking on BBC's Question Time last night, she said: "There's a process in place that the mayor chose not to respect. "The mayor said on the first day in his job he didn't feel he had confidence in Sir Ian and that's why he took the decision to resign. "What is important when you are both choosing and when you're supporting somebody that you're asking to do a job like that is that you keep party politics out of it." Former Labour mayor Ken Livingstone also criticised the decision, claiming he regretted the "political decision". The Conservatives countered though, criticising Ms Smith for continuing to support Sir Ian after his decision to leave office. Sir Ian's three-and-a-half year reign as Met commissioner was blighted by controversy. He was roundly condemned after claiming he did not understand why the Soham murder victims, Holly Chapman and Jessica Wells, had received so much media attention. He also received wide-spread criticism over his handling of the shooting of Brazilian electrician Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell tube station in July 2005. Yesterday he announced he would officially leave the position on December 1st.

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Cameron's speech as-it-happened

David Cameron addresses the Conservative party conference
Welcome to politics.co.uk's As-It-Happens page. Here you can keep up to date with major parliamentary debates, press conferences or news events in real time. Just hit refresh on your browser to see the latest development.This event is now over, but you can see how it developed below. - - - - - David Cameron is about to deliver his speech to the Conservative party conference. It's his big opportunity to respond to Gordon Brown's claim that, amid the global financial crisis, this is "not the time for a novice". Follow his address live on politics.co.uk. The Tory leader is seen striding purposefully across the bridge which links to the conference centre in Birmingham. He's a bit nervous, he admits, but this can often be a handy thing. He's got a lot to live up to after his barnstorming performance this time last year. Senior members of the shadow Cabinet are applauded to their seats, William Hague and George Osborne looking especially pleased with themselves, as the big buildup continues. First, though, Baroness Warsi tells a joke and delegates watch a video. At the appointed hour Mr Cameron comes striding out on to the stage to the usual standing ovation. Senior Tories are on the stage behind him – it's a visual contrast with last year's empty stage for him to pace on. He begins by saying how pleased he is that "everyone is in tune" – a jibe at Labour there – before properly starting with a repeat of his bipartisan rhetoric "in the short-term to ensure financial stability". A repeat of "short-term" underlines his point: "the mistakes have been made", after all, so it's the Conservatives' job to explain how to do it otherwise. A neat pivot from yesterday's cooperation to today's expected attacks on Gordon Brown. An early starter for ten is the armed forces and Afghanistan. A few logical steps from pullout to "more slaughter on our streets" justifies the Tories backing our troops "100 per cent". Big round of applause for that, unsurprisingly. As with all good conference speeches Mr Cameron inserts a personal story about an 18-year-old soldier he met. And then a lament about all the things which are wrong with Britain's treatment of those armed forces – easing from approval to criticism is the theme so far. Slipping in a note of triumphalism about yesterday's Ghurkha court ruling is the perfect addition here. "These are times of great anxiety. I know how worried people are. They want to know whether are politics and, let's be frank, our politicians are really up to it," he says. Here's the key section: character and values are what people want to know about, he says. Mr Cameron says his most important world is "responsibility". And he says he asks simple questions about every judgment he makes based on these lines. Mr Cameron is explaining what you have to do when you're handling a crisis. "You cannot prove you're ready to be prime minister – it would be arrogant to tell people you can. The best way is to tell people who you are, how you make decisions, and how you live with them." This is personal stuff – much more personal than the prime minister's effort this time last week. The Tory delegates engage in a burst of frenetic applause as Mr Cameron mentions the union as an example of his judgment. "I want to be prime minister of the United Kingdom," he says, before admitting: "I know that sometimes my party gets it wrong and other parties get it right." "Simple principles" are oozing out of every sentence at the moment. This speech is an exposition of his fundamental political outlook. "Go with your conviction, not calculation," he says. "The right thing will always be right." Having built up to some big points about spin, without actually mentioning the world, he warns "difficult and unpopular things" are looming. "I believe that to rebuild our economy it's going to take change. I believe that to repair our broken society we don't need more of the same, we need change. Experience is the excuse of the incumbent down the ages." This is directly addressing the "novice" jibe from last week. "Experience is what they always say when they want to say," he says, before citing James Callaghan as an example of useless change. "Thank God we swapped him for Margaret Thatcher," he says. A huge round of applause here, as months of pent-up adoration for the Iron Lady are released. Now Mr Cameron moves on to the current situation. He blames the authorities, and "irresponsible" bankers in the City for whom he warns a "day of reckoning". Ultimately, though, the prime minister is at fault. He "changed the rules of the game but took the referee off the pitch" while turning into a "spendaholic". "The cupboard is bare." The solution to the current crisis is by getting borrowing down – by giving the Bank of England's power to limit debt in our economy would be restored. That's an announcement and a half. Government borrowing will be reined in, he says, before fawning on his shadow chancellor and pledging to destroy "all those useless quangos and initiatives". There's going to be a bit of belt-tightening in the shadow Cabinet and the 'Office of Budget Responsibility' outlined by George Osborne yesterday. Quite a large section of his speech now has been dedicated to repeating Mr Osborne's announcements. He can't be blamed for that, of course, as there's nothing more important in British politics at the moment. He reverts to old-style Tory attacks on Labour's "reckless spending". Then there's a build-up to something on tax cuts, but he again says "responsibility" is needed to ensure public spending cannot change immediately. He says the Tories have to be able to "say no even in the teeth of protest". Easy to say with a double-digit lead in the polls, while there are brief flickers of a Conservative government to come. After a joke about sleeping with entrepreneurs – his wife Samantha, specifically, he moves on to name-check the high-speed rail network proposed by shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers on Monday before slipping in his priorities for both the NHS and the "broken society". He quotes David Miliband saying that unless government is on your side you end up on your own. "I thought it was one of the most arrogant things I've heard a politician say." He accuses Labour of believing there is nothing inbetween the individual and the state. "No such thing as society – just them, their laws, their rules and their arrogance. You cannot run our country like that." Erm, didn't Thatcher say there was no such thing as society? The audience loves it, giving him his biggest round of applause so far. "It's not the leader, it's Labour," he continues. "This whole health and safety, human rights culture, has infected every part of our life." Strong stuff here – Shami Chakrabarti won't be happy – as he talks about teachers needing a first aid officer present to give children plasters. "We have got to end this nonsense," he says, earning another massive round of applause. "Broken politics" is the next target, mentioning the word "sleaze" against Labour in another reversal of previously accepted logic. This is a cue to deliver a whole range of scattergun attacks, including a commitment to hold the referendum on the Lisbon treaty – despite the fact it's already been ratified. On the public services he says: "We've had 11 years of superficial short-term tinkering." He says Labour has ripped out the NHS' soul and replaced it with targets and management. Quite a neat example here, if a bit emotionally manipulative: a wordy letter from Alan Johnson about one of Mr Cameron's constituents who died of MRSA. "God, we've got to change that," he says in his most animated section yet. The Tories love it. Mr Cameron claims to be "the party of the NHS" and says "under my leadership that is how it's going to stay". He's playing the leadership card quite a bit here, but what seems most significant so far is his attacks on Labour as a whole rather than Gordon Brown in particular. It's markedly different from his usual party political performances. Time now for the section on the "broken society". He thinks those who disagree that assessment are living on another planet, citing gun and knife crime, alcohol-related crime and the "angry harsh culture of incivility" which he says have disappeared within a generation. A lengthy list of the different types of people you find in prison ends with a point about understanding the causes of crime. He's certainly ticking all the Tory boxes today. "In times of stress and anxiety the family is the best welfare system there is," Mr Cameron says. Business pays the cost of family breakdown in its taxes – so everyone needs to do their bit to promote the family. And then there's the tax issue: he doesn't want to "aggravate" anyone, but those who choose to get married deserve tax breaks because of their commitment. Schools are the second chance when families are failing, according to Mr Cameron's view of the world. He applauds the Tories' "radical" plans to end the state monopoly and allow new schools to be set up. He pledges a "declaration of war" against dumbing down, in more fighting talk. The level of small-c conservatism here is quite breathtaking and is markedly different from his previous rhetoric. Mr Cameron is raising his game here – but how will the voters respond? Welfare reform is the "pitched battle" of the reforms planned by the next government, he says. The culture of a commitment to work has ended, he says, and the Tories aren't going to put up with it. Mr Cameron claims the benefits culture is partly to blame. Iain Duncan Smith gets a nod for making the Tories "the party of social justice", but he is now beginning to wrap up. The big argument is: "When the call comes for a politics of dignity and aspiration… to expand hope and broaden horizons, it is this Conservative party that will achieve those great and noble ends of fighting poverty, extending opportunity and, yes, repairing our broken society." It's the progressive ends, Conservative means issue, stupid. Mr Cameron claims the changes needed to make the Tories "relevant" in the 21st century were made because "this party that has always believed in one nation in this century be a party of one world". The audience for this section is most definitely the conference floor – for all the changes he's just listed were driven by his leadership. "We're a changed party and we're a united party. We're making progress in the north, the south, the east, the west," he says, before trumpeting Crewe and Nantwich and Boris Johnson's mayoral win in London. "We are a united party… and we know our task is to take people with us." "I'm a man with a plan, not a miracle cure," he continues, calling for "character and judgment" in these times. "The character to stick to your guns and not to bottle it when things get tough. Leadership, character, judgment: that is what the country needs at a time like this and that is what the modern Conservative party offers." The final note is a "responsibility" towards unity – in the belief that "better times will lie ahead". He finishes and the standing ovation begins. Samantha Cameron joins him on the stage. Clapping in time with Roxy Music's Let's Stick Together – does that count as an ovation? Mr Cameron leaves the conference hall, making his final exit as lift doors close behind him. It's over for another year – and it's by far the best speech of the conference season.

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Dvaid Cameron criticised over school plaster claim
David Cameron faces criticism for misleading the public in his speech to the Conservative party conference yesterday.In one of his speech's most impassioned sections Mr Cameron claimed teachers are not permitted to put a plaster on a child who has grazed his or her knee without a first aid officer being present. He attacked Labour's "health and safety human rights culture" for having "infected every part of our life", adding: "Teachers can't put a plaster on a child's grazed knee without calling a first aid officer." This, according to the Health and Safety Executive, is a "myth" which causes "hassle and worry" to parents and teachers. It has set up a page on its website to help fight the myth, which states: "We've often heard of teachers, volunteers and carers being told to ask parents for permission, or even requiring parents to drive over and put the plaster on themselves. "This persistent myth causes a lot of unnecessary hassle and worry." It says there is no rule against a responsible adult putting a plaster on a child's minor cut, leading Green party deputy leader Adrian Ramsay to criticise the Tory leader's rhetoric. "For the sake of a cheap political point, David Cameron has deliberately added to the confusion over first aid and children," he commented. "This is a favourite Tory myth that may seem fun at party conference but can adversely affect the standard of care injured children receive out in the real world." He added: "This kind of petty irresponsibility is totally inappropriate for a senior politician. If he won't even tell the truth about a plaster, how could we trust him with the health service?"

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Brown urges Congress to 'show reason'

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Gordon Brown has added his voice to calls from George Bush for Congress to approve a reshaped version of the White House's $700 billion (ВЈ388 billion) financial bailout package.In a move that sent shockwaves through world markets last night, Congressmen voted against the rescue plan. On Tuesday, Mr Bush said it was the responsibility of the United States' elected leaders to approve the package. Mr Brown, who had already expressed his disappointment at the vote's outcome, said in further comment that the bill's failure was a "matter or regret". "But I'm confident reason will prevail," he told Sky News. "Reason must prevail and I think reason will prevail." In a separate interview with the BBC, Mr Brown said the government would do "whatever it takes" to guarantee people's savings. A Downing St spokesperson told politics.co.uk that the Financial Services Authority was currently consulting on guaranteeing deposits of up to ВЈ50,000. In a statement earlier on Tuesday, Mr Bush had warned of the "real prospect of economic hardship for millions of Americans" unless the bill was passed. "Congress must act; the financial security of every American depends upon it," he said. The bill was turned back by 228 votes to 205 on Capitol Hill on Monday, with Democrat and Republican leaders left reeling from the number of dissenting Congressmen. Republicans had voiced concerns over the plan's socialist spine; while Democrats claimed it was unfair for the American taxpayer to bailout financial institutions and the 'fat cats' that controlled them. "I recognise that this is a difficult vote for Congress. Many of them don't like that our economy has reached this point, and I understand that," Mr Bush said. "But the situation is urgent and the consequences will grow worse each day if we do not act. "If our nation continues on this course, the economic damage will be painful and lasting." Mr Bush warned that the $700 billion cost of the package paled in comparison to the $1 trillion dollar felt on markets yesterday, while the troubled assets the government planned to buy could increase in value before being sold in the future. "Much if not all of the tax dollars will be paid back," the president said. Mr Bush said he would hold talks with Congressional leaders today, with the House of Representatives not sitting due to a Jewish holiday. "Our economy is depending on decisive action from the government," he said. "The sooner we address the problem the sooner we can get back to growth and job creation." The president continued: "I can assure our citizens that this is not the end of the legislative process: the legislation is complicated and it can be contentious. "It matters little what path a bill takes to become law, what matters is that we get a law." Mr Brown had earlier said he sent the White House a message calling for "decisive action". His statement coincides with an almost unprecedented day of political overtures from the three main parties. David Cameron made an emergency statement to the Tory party conference saying he would work closely with the government to overcome the economic storm, beginning with support for a banking reform bill announced by Labour last week. Nick Clegg has written to both party leaders calling for everyone to put their proposals on the table. Mr Brown's words were moderate compared to those of Peter Mandleson, New Labour architect and currently EU trade commissioner. Speaking on the BBC's Newsnight programme, Mr Mandelson said: "I feel they've taken leave of their senses, and I hope that in Europe, we will not see politicians and parliamentarians replicating the sort of irresponsibility and political partisanship that we have seen in Washington."