DAVID CAMERON

Watching David Cameron give his first keynote speech as Conservative Party leader, it was easy to believe you were watching the young Tony Blair.

David Cameron's most impressive achievement is also copied from the Tony Blair playbook – he has taken a party which looked like it might never win again, and made it seem electable.

As you might expect from a man who once worked in broadcasting, he has led a charmed media life. From the energy-saving windmill on his roof to the 'Webcameron' internet video site, and the sleigh ride with huskies in the arctic, his photo opportunities have been deftly executed.

They didn't all go entirely to plan – like the speech which was misread as a call to 'hug a hoodie'. Or the polluting official car that followed him on his eco-friendly bicycle trip to the Commons, somewhat undermining the image of a low-emissions leader. But the damage has been less than it could have been, and the good news from the pollsters has flowed in a steady stream.

He manoeuvred skillfully in the House (cunningly supporting Tony Blair on a school reform package that much of the Labour Party opposed), and looked to redefine his own party by picking fights with the right-wing old guard – like John Redwood and the party's tax-cutting contingent.

Again, this was widely seen as an attempt to repeat Tony Blair's 'clause four' moment – a fight with the hardliners to prove that the party is now a champion of the centre ground.

There have been mistakes, of course, not least in that traditional graveyard of Tory Leader's hopes, Europe. The decision to pull out of the European People's Party grouping in the European Parliament and signing up with a Czech party to form a minority caucus of just two parties didn't seem like the work of a master strategist. Nor did it look good when the act of leaving had to be delayed until 2009.

The main criticism of Cameron has been that he lacks concrete policies. “All spin, no substance” is the familiar charge. And it may indeed be so. But as the man himself has argued, why commit the party to a narrow set of policies three years before a likely general election?

Why indeed, when the strategy of behaving sensibly and making the right noises has proved so effective?

It may not be so effective for long though. The next few years will be crucial for many reasons. Cameron will have a new opponent across the despatch box, most likely Gordon Brown. The policy detail will increasingly have to be filled in between the broad outlines – and when the party is tied down to specific commitments, it will be easier to attack.

The honeymoon effect will fade away, and Cameron will find it harder to shock or surprise voters and the press. Recent pronouncements, which would have been remarkable 12 months ago – like the call to put the interests of workers above those of the rich – have been met with little interest.

Nonetheless, it's hard to argue that David Cameron's first full year in office has been anything but a remarkably successful one. For proof, you only have to look at the polls.

CITATION

"Although it is a pity to have to nominate a politician in a formal leadership role, there is no escaping the nomination of David Cameron. He has brought an unparalleled freshness to political debate and presentation. He has turned the Conservative Party back towards One Nation Toryism; in so doing he has transformed its image in much the same way - if less strikingly so - as Tony Blair transformed Old Labour. At the same time he has shown the political nous not to declare policies too early in the political cycle; instead, he has sensibly set up Commissions to work out policies for presentation in mid-2007. If the process ends up with equally sensible policies, the country will be the winner." Harold Walker

RELATED LINKS

David Cameron's first conference keynote
FactCheck: Did Cameron break his Euro pledge?