I spent yesterday at various home office events, helping several candidates, speaking at a skills and apprenticeships round table, and then at the ANEC and Northumbrian water receptions. As always the conference is fascinating for the people you have the chance to listen to and the opportunity to talk policy with many. Very interesting discussions with everyone from the IPPR, to the news from the NECC of the slow turnaround of the economy, and a good chat to the brilliant MEP, Martin Callanan, who spoke really well about the need for a strong centre right voice in Europe.
Last night Boris in his speech demolished Ukip, cheering up party activists with a slew of jokes:
‘Ukip if you want to – David Cameron’s not for kipping. Not unless, obviously, he’s at his sister-in-law’s wedding’....but the Mayor is good at reminding all of us of the misery that would result from voting Ukip:
However, my favourite quote of the week has been the PMs comment on the Miliband speech from last week:‘My message to the charming Mrs Farage and all those who believe in that way of thinking and all her friends is look, don’t vote for Ukip, don’t even think about it because we will see this country if you do so sleepwalk into a repeat of the Labour government.’
“Look, it was a great miracle of memory – he managed to memorise the entire 1983 Labour manifesto and recite it!”
