The commentators                    02-10-14

...on David Cameron's speech

Voters will not judge Mr Cameron on the near-faultless technical execution of an eight-month-old speech. The lasting impression from today is of an economic message that requires voters to believe two things about the Tories: that they are sober stewards of this country’s dire public finances, and that they will cut taxes. The two things are reconcilable, but the tension will be explored and stress-tested over the coming months.
- Janan Ganesh, Financial Times
Mr Cameron is throwing the right-wing sink at the biggest threat to the unity of the Conservative vote since 1945. The prime minister’s message to every voter and backbench Tory toying with the idea of defecting to Ukip was a simple one: I get it. I’m no longer the wishy-washy green Tory you thought I was. I’m one of you. It’ll remain to be seen whether he is, of course.
- Tim Montgomerie, The Times
Peter Oborne
Cameron delivered his finest and most important conference address since the autumn of 2007 when, by force of political oratory, he frightened Gordon Brown out of holding a general election. That speech saved Cameron’s leadership, his party and, arguably, the nation. Yesterday’s gave the Conservatives a fighting chance of winning the election. While he was at it, Mr Cameron dealt effectively with the crude and insulting proposition, much favoured at Labour’s conference, that he is in politics to further enrich a small group of already privileged friends and dependants, while destroying the life chances of everyone else.
- Peter Oborne, Daily Telegraph
Cameron has changed a lot of things in the Conservative party in the past nine years. But he has not changed the underlying fear of many voters that the Tory party remains at heart a party of the rich, the privileged, the southern, and those who do not depend upon public services. In some ways he has solidified those fears. Like the Conservative party conference in general this week, Cameron’s speech implicitly understood a lot of the questions that needed asking. But it supplied all too few of the answers.
- Martin Kettle, The Guardian
It was a bravura performance, a fighting speech, in dramatic contrast to Miliband’s lamentable showing a week earlier, which has caused even some Labour stalwarts to assert publicly that he is unfit to become Prime Minister. David Cameron has put new heart into Britain’s Conservatives, as few of us before the Birmingham conference dared to hope that he could. He has given the supporters of Nigel Farage reason to think long and hard before they collude in what many of us fear must be an assisted political suicide pact for the British people.
- Max Hastings, Daily Mail
Thursday 25 September Judges for the Editorial Intelligence comment awards announced their shortlists today, with ten nominations for the FT, nine for the Times, five for the Guardian, four for the Independent - and two for SubScribe. 
The Times and Sunday Times scored a clean sweep in nominations for the main award of commentariat of the year, which will be decided between David Aaronovitch, Camilla Cavendish, Daniel Finkelstein and last year's winner Caitlin Moran.
Guardian's Jay Rayner was shortlisted in the food writer category, but said that he did not wish to be considered as that award is sponsored by Tesco. 
The awards will be presented on November 25. See the full shortlists here
When you see "George" in a headline, who do you think of? The no-longer-eligible bachelor, the boy who is third in line to the throne, or the man in charge of the nation's wallet?
The Mail's splash today says "George scraps pensions tax". It feels wrong, too chummy.
We're happy with George for Clooney or the Prince, but not for Osborne. Why? 
- Are we on first-name terms? 
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Comment digest courtesy of
Editorial Intelligence
David Cameron
October 1
Conservative conference
September 30
Conservative conference
September 29
Conservative conference
September 26
War on Isis
September 25
Labour conference
September 24
Miliband's speech
September 23
Labour conference
September 22
Referendum fallout
September 19
Scottish referendum
September 18
Scottish referendum
September 17
Scottish referendum
September 16
Scottish referendum
September 15
Scottish referendum
September 12
Scottish referendum
September 11
Scottish referendum
September 10
Scottish referendum
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Scottish referendum
September 8
Scottish referendum
September 5
Scottish referendum
September 4
Nato and Isis
September 3
Scottish independence
September 2
Hacked photographs
September 1
British politics
August 29
Carswell defection
August 28
Rotherham scandal
August 27
Islamic militants
August 26
Middle East
August 22
James Foley
August 21
James Foley
August 20
British politics
August 19
Iraq
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Iraq
August 15
A levels
August 14
Iraq
August 13
Robin Williams
August 12
Iraq
August 11
Iraq
August 8
Boris Johnson
August 7
Boris Johnson
August 6
Baroness Warsi
August 5
First World War centenary
August 4
Gaza