of the magic of David Cameron lies in his ability to highlight issues such as child care, global poverty and the environment: strong values of Conservatism never given a central role before.

Gradually, we are seeing a Conservative Party that is hungry to win and with

These days they say politics is as much about image as policy. Sound bites not speeches on how to change the world.

And strangely enough, the man they’re all talking about isn’t the Prime Minister, Mr. Spin himself, Tony Blair. It’s the new leader of the Conservative Party, David Cameron.

The Conservatives have been long overdue an image overhaul. At the last general election, polling showed that policies’ popularity plummeted on the revelation of them being Conservative. Many saw the party as elderly and out of touch with modern Britain.

Then along came Cameron.

Young and dynamic, at just thirty-nine he worked up a storm at the annual Party Conference and went on to win the subsequent leadership battle. By a comfortable margin too, on an agenda of reform and modernisation, with remarkable little turning in the old guard’s graves. Three successive election defeats had brought home the lesson: to have a winning message, you first need the right messenger.

Policies started getting air-time. And not just the traditional tried and tested themes. Part of the magic of David Cameron lies in his ability to highlight issues such as child care, global poverty and the environment: strong values of Conservatism never given a central role before.

Gradually, we are seeing a Conservative Party that is hungry to win and with a

Party, David Cameron.

The Conservatives have been long overdue an image overhaul. At the last general election, polling showed that policies’ popularity plummeted on the revelation of them being Conservative. Many saw the party as elderly and out of touch with modern Britain.

Then along came Cameron.

Young and dynamic, at just thirty-nine he worked up a storm at the annual Party Conference and went on to win the subsequent leadership battle. By a comfortable margin too, on an agenda of reform and modernisation, with remarkable little turning in the old guard’s graves. Three successive election defeats had brought home the lesson: to have a winning message, you first need the right messenger.

Policies started getting air-time. And not just the traditional tried and tested themes. Part of the magic of David Cameron lies in his ability to highlight issues such as child care, global poverty and the environment: strong values of Conservatism never given a central role before.

Gradually, we are seeing a Conservative Party that is hungry to win and with

n Britain.

Then along came Cameron.

Young and dynamic, at just thirty-nine he worked up a storm at the annual Party Conference and went on to win the subsequent leadership battle. By a comfortable margin too, on an agenda of reform and modernisation, with remarkable little turning in the old guard’s graves. Three successive election defeats had brought home the lesson: to have a winning message, you first need the right messenger.

Policies started getting air-time. And not just the traditional tried and tested themes. Part of the magic of David Cameron lies in his ability to highlight issues such as child care, global poverty and the environment: strong values of Conservatism never given a central role before.

Gradually, we are seeing a Conservative Party that is hungry to win and with

able little turning in the old guard’s graves. Three successive election defeats had brought home the lesson: to have a winning message, you first need the right messenger.

Policies started getting air-time. And not just the traditional tried and tested themes. Part of the magic of David Cameron lies in his ability to highlight issues such as child care, global poverty and the environment: strong values of Conservatism never given a central role before.

Gradually, we are seeing a Conservative Party that is hungry to win and with

of the magic of David Cameron lies in his ability to highlight issues such as child care, global poverty and the environment: strong values of Conservatism never given a central role before.

Gradually, we are seeing a Conservative Party that is hungry to win and with a growing momentum. And just as gradually, Cameron keeps rising up the opinion polls.

A man unafraid to tackle the issues of the day, he is bound to have enemies. “Too much like Tony Blair,” the blue-rinse brigade may say. “Too thin on policy.” What they don’t seem to understand is that the public just don’t want to know that much about policies either.

Immediately before an election, sure, some voters might. But, even then, not many. We live in media controlled times, where our political views are shaped by television. Young people don’t want to know the fine print of fiscal policy, but why they can’t afford to buy their own homes because of spiralling house prices.

Before, the art of a good sound-bite has been dominated by Tony Blair. “Education, education, education,” “Twenty-four hours to save the National Health Service,” and “Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime.” all spring readily to mind. Another reason why Blair has been so successful for so long.

All that is changing. Politicians are learned how best to identify with the people, sp