Bill's Comment Page

The 'quiet man' turns up the volume - but is it enough?

The Conservative Party Leader's keynote address turned out to be quite a performance, certainly the best and most 'relaxed' I have ever seen from him. It seems that the media training he is said to have had over the summer has had a positive effect.

Obviously the faithful gathered in the hall gave Iain Duncan Smith a prolonged standing ovation. The question which remains, though, is whether anyone else other than the media and political junkies such as me will care very much. I have to say I am uncertain about this because I think he did strike some chords which have the potential to attract voters who do not consider currently voting Conservative. For example, I am a committed pro-European, but I too want to see a referendum on whether the prosposed EU Constitution Treaty should be ratified by the UK - I do have a strong belief in democracy and would accept the verdict of the electorate to a fairly presented referendum question, whatever it is. Our Prime Minister, Tony Blair, seems to have decidedly equivocal views on this and many other matters.

I want to study the text of Iain Duncan Smith's speech more closely before I make any further comment about his prospects of remaining Leader.