Mr William Hague's main political task at the Conservative Party conference in Bournemouth this week was to broaden its appeal beyond core supporters and to demonstrate that it is a credible alternative government. His speech yesterday certainly asserted both of these objectives. In doing so, he struck a definite chord with the delegates by emphasising a message for ordinary people and dismissing the Labour government as "divided, arrogant and out of touch". Promising to cut taxes, match the government's health spending, crack down on crime and welfare fraud and preserve the pound sterling in a more flexible Europe, he rounded off a week in which the Conservatives began to look more coherent in terms of policy and somewhat more of a political team.
Such an approach should begin to show up in post-conference opinion polls if Tory planners are to see their strategy confirmed. The immense volatility shown in support for the Labour Party through the recent fuel price protests demonstrates that there is room for a Conservative recovery; it was dramatic indeed to see them eight points ahead in one of the polls, a sharp reminder of Labour's potential vulnerability. Mr Hague himself has suffered from a credibility problem as Conservative leader. Yesterday's speech strove to address that defect and may indeed have succeeded in broadening his appeal.
But for that to be consolidated, it will be necessary to demonstrate that he can assemble a coalition of voters sufficient to overturn Labour's formidable lead. That will require a set of policies capable of appealing beyond the hard-core right-wing supporters Mr Hague has up to now relied upon. There were some signals from this conference that he understands the need to extend his appeal. One of them he may welcome only ambiguously - the speech made by Mr Michael Portillo, a possible alternative party leader, calling for a much more ethnically inclusive society in Britain. Mr Hague has added commitments to inner-city reforms and privatised health services. He has stressed common-sense values, and commitments that those who can work will do so, appealing to more traditional Conservative values.
Only time will tell whether Mr Hague has genuinely turned his party around this week. He is up against a Labour government which has been warned over the summer that it cannot assume an easy victory at the next election. Mr Blair also had an effective conference and is fully alive to the importance of delivering on his government's policies. Mr Hague's assertion that Labour is arrogant and out of touch has been heard from that party's own supporters. There is plenty of evidence that Mr Blair is indeed listening and hearing, as he promised to do in his conference speech.
This Conservative conference therefore sets up the political season to come as an interesting and lively conflict of values and policies. But much will depend on how the Labour government handles itself in the months to come.