Wednesday 1 October 2008

It must be serious: Tory ties are back

Just back from Birmingham. A strange mood, as the Conservative conference competes for attention with the turmoil in the financial markets. Ties are very much back in fashion, as the opposition adapts its tone to the new age of serious.

David Cameron’s non-partisan approach to his unscheduled statement today was well received by the commentariat. (You can watch the video on Nick Robinson's blog).

But will he keep it up? One of his first pledges as opposition leader was a commitment to ending ‘punch and judy’ politics. Yet he has admitted that he ditched that idea – and indeed he chose to make unusually personalised attacks on the prime minister once Blair gave way to Brown.

Unless the new statesmanlike approach was intended to last for only one 24 hour news cycle, it would suggest a rather different opposition leader’s keynote speech tomorrow. Let’s see.

No comments: