Davis urges Conservatives to 'walk tall'

David Davis, the frontrunner in the Tory leadership race, has urged the party to "walk tall again," during his speech at the party conference in Blackpool.

The Shadow Home Secretary said that he had “set a course,” which he claimed could unite all sections of the party.

However, many commentators claimed that Mr Davis’ speech had disappointed many delegates at the conference, with some describing his 20-minute speech as “uninspiring” and “low key,” particularly in the wake of well-received speeches by other leadership contenders, Kenneth Clarke, David Cameron and Sir Malcolm Rifkind over the past two days.

Mr Davis concentrated on the issue of crime in his speech, saying that he would recruit more police and build more prisons if the Conservatives returned to power under his leadership.

However, he also spoke of his “vision of a better Britain”, which included reducing taxes, rebuilding the NHS and putting teachers and parents in control of schools.

He said: “I wasn’t born a Conservative. I chose to be a Conservative. Because I came to realise something that every one of us here today knows. Labour always ends up letting people down. And they let down the poorest and weakest in society most of all.”

Like his fellow contenders, Mr Davis also attacked Chancellor Gordon Brown in his speech. Calling him “poor gloomy Gordon”, he said: “He lives in hope of that long awaited move from Number 11 to Number 10. He’s packed his bags. He’s packed his books. He’s even packed his hair shirt. He’s given up Prudence and taken up with Patience. But his neighbour’s wife doesn’t want to move!”

Mr Davis warned that the prospect of Mr Brown becoming Prime Minister was no joke. He said: “He talks about opportunity, but he’s spent eight years entrenching welfare dependency. He talks about reform, but he’s spent eight years lining up with the unions. He talks about ownership, but he’s destroyed the value of pensions.

“Gordon Brown is rooted in the past. He’s driven by a socialism that’s out of date, out of time and out of place in today’s world. That’s why, for the sake of the country, we must take the first opportunity to turf him out of office!”

Mr Davis concluded his speech by saying that he was “proud” to be a Conservative. He said: “Britain has moved on, and we must move with it! But do you know what I want most? I want Tories to walk tall again.

So let me tell you: I'm proud to be a Conservative, proud of our history, proud of what we achieved for our country. I will not concede defeat to Gordon Brown and Tony Blair. I don’t believe that our best days are behind us. I believe that the best is yet to come.

“Yes: we need to debate our future. Yes: we need to agree on change. But we don’t need a collective nervous breakdown. So, let’s stop apologising – and get on with the job!”

The fifth and final declared leadership contender, Shadow Foreign Secretary Liam Fox, is due to give his speech on Wednesday afternoon.

(KMcA/SP)