"But we must also learn from Blair’s mistakes - and that’s where long-term thinking comes in. Before the 1997 election, new Labour failed to put in the serious policy work demanded by many of the big challenges of the day, notably public service reform. As a result, Labour wasted time, goodwill - and billions of pounds - going round in circles on issues such as education, the National Health Service and policing.

We will be different."

Oh I´m sorry; but how are you going to be different, again? By not going round to education, the NHS, and policing? Or by spending less on education, the NHS, or policing?

And of course you can talk about 'long-term' plans, because the short-term plans had already been taken care of by the current Govt. And what else is new?

Kong Kek Kuat, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

"My children were educated in the International School where they could mix with children from an International background and similar culture to their own, paid for privately.

jeannie Spinner, Pitlochry, Scotland"

And not studying in an Indonesian school does not help integrating and understanding the culture of the host country as you were so keen to do in Indonesia...

daniel Fernandes, Middle England,

I left that green and pleasant land when Maggie was goose-stepping around No 10. Since then, I've witnessed another Tory take power, whilst pretending to be a socialist under New Labour, and now there's another Tory pretending to be a socialist. (New Conservative?)
Perhaps both sides should stop pretending and join the Liberal Democrats, unless of course they're also pretending to be something else.
I think that I'll stay put until I'm no longer confused.

E J Murray, Kerry, Ireland

Due to the role of Colonies in Great Britain, now United Kingdom identity we are all immigrants of some form. Just as the Royal Family is and those from the potato famine that spurred the Kennedy Dynasty. What I say to the Conservatives is stop using this as a CV to get a job. It is not about the errors one party makes but of the sleeze and back handers in decisions. That is what led to the fall of the Conservatives and the 'right to buy' of council houses fiasco where interest rates shot up to 15% and homes were repossed. The cruel way they applauded Margaret Thatcher and then got rid of her tells how ruthless to win they are.

Our society has been cohesive for over a thousand years, nothing has changed except capitalism, and now 'back office' call centres which no one addresses as taking bread from the NHS by less contributions as the 80/20 of low paid workers who loose out and who are in multicultural societies.

A good orator as I expect an Oxford man to be, but not a wise one

Paula Badger , Kendal,

to bob of liverpool
no need to be a totalitarian state. Just don't bend over backwards to promote multiculturalism. English is the main language, and therefore all signs, pamphlets should be in English. It is, after all the world's foremost second language.
Secondly, allow them to build mosques and such expressions of their religion, but don't give them the money to do so.
Thirdly, carry on with allowing the faith schools we always had, ie protestant and catholic. No need to actively promote non-English schools, but at the same time, let them have weekend schools concentrating on these faiths if necessary.

Alice, Brighton,

Modernity ! Give me old fashioned values any day of the week.A world not so long ago within my living memory,where most children left school able to read and write and were taught right from wrong by their parents.Hospitals where cleanliness was considered a priority,a prison population a fraction of what it is today.A world where having "done time" was not something to boast about,but carried a stigma..Housing being affordable for newly- weds,yes albeit after a struggle.Workers retiring on a reasonable pension,Sundays, as a day of rest,spent visiting relatives or relaxing.A day where people dressed up and took a pride in their appearance .Nobody walked around like
they've just come out of prison,( shaven heads, tattoos.and scruffy trainers and jeans)
But above all else a feeling of genuine optimism and happiness.This is not "rose coloured glasses" nonsense,we really were like that 50 years ago.Cameron should ponder that modern Britain needs to be pulled up by its bootlaces .

Mike, Dunstable, England

I totally agree with David Cameron, I believe it divides us and does not unite us. In Britain I think we have lost what it means to have a British identity, having little pockets of culture of different cultures is all well and dandy but this does not lead integretion it does quite the opposite segreagation look at Oldham, Birmingham and some areas of London.

Joshua Anukem, London, England

"We will be different".

"Our policy development process is neither a shallow aping of new Labour nor an abandonment of Conservative beliefs".

About this sort of statements, my ancestors used to say "excvsatio non petita, accvsatio manifesta".

Marco, Venice, Italy

"We instinctively reject the doctrine of multiculturalism..... By concentrating on defining the various cultures that have come to call Britain home, we have forgotten to define the most important one: our own."

He obviously cannot empathise with Britons who have pride and respect for their own, and others', family heritage.

Cameron's unpricipled politics, lacking in depth or understanding as to why we do not have race riots on the street in 2007, and the great developmental history of cultural awareness in post colonial times, exposes him as a simple racist in a suit.

A R, London, UK

A few decades ago England (and some other european colonial powers) decided they needed lots of cheap labor and they weren't too fussy about the culture of these workers, because it didn't seem to matter. It's unlikely that the old colonial nitwits sitting around St. James actually thought that making a new multicultural country would be such a wheeze any more than they thought the end of empire would be such a nice gesture. The joke being that within a few years of these people's arrival English manufacturing disappeared to Asia. Given that Dave is from the same part of ye olde English culture as the original nitwits, is it probable his thinking will be strikingly different? Or is he waiting to see how Nick Sarkozy does first?

nick black, Berkeley, USA

Multicultutalism is a non starter - one man's practice is another man's offense - and so will it always be and there is nothing wrong with it. These days it seems that to offend is an offense - but this it too precious for the real world. Sure we should celebrate our differences and respect each others right to chose - discussion, reason and conviction of conscience should be celebrated. And this means that robust speaking of the mind without fear of criminal prosecution should also be celebrated. Let no-one ever be offended that another disagrees and choses to practice what they believe in openly and frankly. Let us not accept for one moment the notion that acceptance of what someone may call wise practice means that it should not be challenged. The challenge and acceptance of challenge is a heathy part of the modern world.

Julian Clarke, Bicester,

"New areas such as "the environment and wellbeing"? Cameron's rhetoric sure sounds like both "a shallow aping of new Labour" and "an abandonment of Conservative beliefs." Why otherwise would Cameron feel compelled to deny both? Maggie Thatcher was a conservative. Cameron isn't. I trust British voters can tell the difference. There are liberal principles. There are conservative principles. And then there's Cameron.

Michael Grable, Silver Spring, MD/USA

Correct me if I'm wrong, but does Cameron not persist in metamorphosing between the plate-spinner (are old enough to remember him) and the horseman attempting to ride two horses... Desperate for the last vote he is continually trying to appease the muslims, in parallel with the persistent soundbites thrown to the rest of us as per this article (monoculturalism etc). The one thing he should remember is that, the evil terrorist campaign we have witnessed in recent years has revealed the existence of a murderous ideology which distorts islam and plays on a range of grievances to turn a small number of young men into revolutionaries. Can he give us any guarantee that the remainder of the islamic peoples within our shores would not fall on the side of those ‘evil’ individuals, rather than the indiginous peoples. I’m no betting man BUT I have NO confidence that theso-called ‘moderate muslims’ would back the Infidel, Kuffar 'call it what you will' in preference to one of their own kind,

D Tunnag, Edinburgh, UK

I am not a Racist, but, I am a Culturalist.
I was a Migrant to Australia in 1969 and very happily adotpted the way of life in that lovely Country.
I lived for over 10 years in the Republic of Indonesia, a Muslim Country, and I abided by the laws and respected the culture of the indigenous people.
My children were educated in the International School where they could mix with children from an International background and similar culture to their own, paid for privately.
I resent Migrants coming to my Country and wanting to inflict their way of life upon me. I resent the money spent by Government Departments, on issuing pamphlets in heaven alone knows how many languages instead of encouraging people to learn English when here.
I welcome any Migrant who wishes to work and abide by the Laws and Culture, of this, their adopted Country.
I live a very ordinary, non academic, poorly paid (NHS) life. I have yet to meet anyone who approves of our native Culture becoming multicultural.

jeannie Spinner, Pitlochry, Scotland

The search for identity is the origin of all species'... problems.
When 2 Belgian female tennis-players (1 french-speaking and 1 dutch-speaking) played the Roland Garroz finals, we became and behaved like Flemish and Walloons.
When we have only 1 such finalist, like today, we are... proud to be Belgian...
When mostly Balcan male tennis-players challange Federer, I start feelin a bit "West-European"....
When Martian tennis players will be allowed , we will hopefully become "world citizens".

Jan Voorspoels, Antwerp, Belgium

Just once, I'd like to see the sort of people who whine on about the evils of multiculturalism explain how their alternative vision would work.

What religions should the state ban ? What schools should it close ? Which minister should be in charge of deciding what we can wear ?

C'mom, monoculturalists. Don't be all Dave about it.

Tell us how you'd turn England into a totalitarian state.

Bob, Liverpool, UK

Clearly the aim should be the melting-pot, which is a cultural mix of all cultures within an area or a nation. Currently we have adpoted a multi-cultural social policy which implies that there are many different cultures within an area. This, historically, has proven difficult to manage at best, and a cause of social and national conflict at worse. People need something to unite them rather than define their differences at at time when we are being told that we are all the same.

Alex, Montreal, Canada

Multiculturalism has not worked, it has an effect of creating barriers between the indigenous population and the newcommers by extentuating their differences. It is therefore dangerous and could be instrumental in fracturing our society. The influx of the large numbers of immigrants, who because of their ethnic difference and religion, have great difficulty in integrating should have been forseen and controlls put in place to allow only those to settle here who were needed by our industry and the service sector. This New Labour Government has much to answer for, which will become more evident as time goes on, for failing to have effective border controlls in place. Even a simpleton would have told them that with the rewards and qality of life on offer in this country the whole of the third world would love to come here!

E G Martin, Salibury, Wiltshire

Good, perhaps, that Cameron has said something more Tory-esque...
As long as we have a nice big policy of monoculturalism in the next Tory Manifesto, I'll be further swayed into reconsidering a vote for him at the next election.

Joe, Kent, UK

Cameron rejects multiculturalism but immigrations levels now are the highest they've ever been. Even if immigration were totally stopped immediately, assimilation of the assertive self-confident fast breeding ethnic minorities who are already here is utterly unrealistic. For the most part have no wish to give up their own culture and in some cases, are actively hostile to the native people of Britain.

Dougie, Edinburgh,

The Lebanon tries to be multi-cultural, so did Kosovo. It does not work. Unfortunately the tories when last in power prematurely retired the Bradford teacher (Ray Honeyford) in the early 1980s when he said it did not work. They were not too "instinctive" about it then.

Those who claim multiculturalism does work usually do not live with it on a day-to-day basis. They go home to their own ghetto, which is what our children have to look forward to. No wonder so many of those from the once dominant culture leave the UK.

Tony G, Harrogate,

yet another example of cameron's incredible levels of condascension and snobbery. as a 15 year old teenager reading this, all i can see is the self-proclamation of an oxford boy who is out of touch with ordinary people.

matthew, belfast,

Multiculturalism does not mean giving up your own culture. Politicians in Europe especially in UK have been guilty of suppressing own culture to be more politically correct. Why be ashamed in your own european culture? its those who are coming from outside europe must join the mainstream and not the other way around. Sure we should respect differnt cultures and faiths but none has the right to be aloof from the mainstream culture and not absorb its salient features.

ASHWINDER BAKHSHI, MUMBAI, INDIA

Good for Cameron for saying this. The UK is a multi-culturalied society and this is one of the most appealing aspects of the nation. It is naturally so, due to the broad spectrum of peoples welcomed into the country. However, New Labour's strive for "multi-culturalism" in itself has stripped the country of any pride in, or willingness to promote, it's own traditions and identity.

Tristan Roper, London, UK

As an American in a multicultural city, I can attest to the value of multiculturalism. Any collaborative effort, whether it be in the workplace, in politics, in education, or in an artistic endeavour, begins with a multiplicity of ideas and points of view working towards a common goal. When you have a group of people all from the same walk of life, you tend to get the same ideas over and over, and this stifles creative solutions to problems. Multiculturalism provides group settings with points of view that the average white male would never have conceived. Not all ideas are used in a collaborative setting, but a broad pool of ideas allows the group to select the best of the bunch. Diversity in the workplace and in politics benefits everyone by increasing productivity and fostering better problem solving. Barriers to multiculturalism, such as glass ceilings and racism, hurt society as a whole. Europe is in a great position to take advantage of its mix of cultures and immigrants.

Ivanhoe, Seattle, USA

Politicians are increasingly confused as to what it is to be a citizen of a country or of the world. If we value our own culture there is an underlying implication that what we have is better than other peoples have. If there is to be no discrimination and all foreigners merit equal treatment, then we need to consider whether we should be aspiring to an international culture and nationality. Should we be planning to do away with national sovereignty! One problem is that increasingly the international sphere has no semblance of democracy and is milked by top national politicians without reference to national parliaments. My guess is that the world will become increasingly cosmopolitan and multinational, and leave national democracies behind. Our politicians are singularly unprepared and uneducated in the new global realities, and confused as to what to do!

Brian Lewis, Manila, Philippines

A lot of people are writing in with the opinion of the jihadic message in the koran or that they think all muslims are supporting murderous terroe attacks. This is clearly not the case.
All I can say is that people see what they want to see.
No amount of debate/discussion works for them.
There aim is to elevate their moral superiority.
Additionally, I can also state with a high degree of certainty that what people perceive in a text is a reflection of their own minds.
Violent people will see violence. Kind/tolerant people will see kindness and tolerance.

R. Ince, Istanbul, Turkey

i feel mr. cameron is going to take his own time to announce the policy of the conservative party on issues like education, tax, health etc.,..i guess right now what he is doing he touching all the classes/ segements of a society and trying to study the challenges the british society is facing right now..i guess 'The grammar school' issue might be his first skid mark..but i feel he is still a baby in learning process of how to walk..we shud realise that a baby never walks directly..it crawls and falls.. atleast it will start walking by the end..

Aj, cardiff, UK

"...a murderous ideology which distorts Islam..."

Is David Cameron an Islamic scholar? If not, how does he know about Islam? Would any Christian accept instruction from a Mullah as to the interpretation of the Bible, I wonder?

For me, Islam is as Islam does. While I do not see howls of protest, demonstrations etc by "moderate" Muslims against the outrages and atrocities of their co-religionists, I will infer that these outrages etc are tacitly sanctioned by the mainstream, which shares their guilt.

Charles, Charlottesville,

Dear Manraj,

Please read what I wrote in full! I said nothing about lower and upper classes and the other misrepresentations. My point was clear that to lump POOR bright kids together with the feral thugs who infest most inner city schools will lead to a lot of children not making the best of themselves! The Grammer school system has given a leg up in the world to may people who came from poor backgrounds and to say that the grammer schools only benefit the middle classes only shows up your political bias! The socialist hatred of the middle class and meritocracy will be my nations undoing. It is clear that the socialist/leftist way of doing things is to incite jelousy,class envy and class and race division as your post clearly shows.

stephanie clague, Larnaca, cyprus

I don't like terrorism any more than Mr Brown (Brown gets tough on terror) but are we talking about the same thing? I'd call a suicide bomber a terrorist but what about a pilot who drops his bombs from 30 000 feet? I don't support torture and including half drowning people which the Americans seem to find acceptable. Words seem to lose their meaning when Government uses them,

Bill Foster, Crewkerne, Somerset

"The best answer by far is to rescue the bright kids as early as possible and educate them in a place of real learning, THE GRAMMER SCHOOL! "

A system that splits the population into intelligent and unintelligent at the age of 11 does not aid social integration.
If Grammer Schools were introduced they will be a creation of the underclass yet again. We would find ourselves in a vicous circle as was evident in the 60's. Leave the menial and tedious jobs to the lower classes hey? It is only to provide a top education system for middle class children. Western meritocracy system maybe? I think so.

Manraj, Coventry,

Sounds like a high school debater with some hastily thrown together ideas that have only been given shallow thought. With leaders like this we don't need to worry about Al Qaeda and Putin! We'll bring ourselves down!

Chie, Tokyo, Japan

Here is a general fighting the previous war. Modernity is passé already. We
understand, he wants the libertine vote. But libertines are on the way out, if I read correctly the latest news bulletins in THE TIMES.

Hermann Burchard, Stillwater, OK , U.S.A.

With the restoration of true Conservatism (as opposed to the failed policies of the Neocons), I hope the UK leads the way towards an even handed policy in the middle east. The failures of the Bush administration to address the just grievances of the Palestinian people has contributed to the anti western attitiude in most if not all muslim countries. Former President Carter addressed some of the issues in his book Palestine: Peace, Not Apartheid. Pat Buchanan addressed this in his article Whose War. If Conservatives truly want peace they need to stop co-operating with Israel's failed policies in regard to Islam and the Palestinians.

Isaiah, Dallas, TX

Dear Dave,

You talk about streaming in schools as though it is some kind of panacia but you forget one thing, The poorest but brightest in a poor area are often the target of the yob bullys and the feral street gangs that infest the areas schools! If you make bright kids and yobbos and bullys learn in the same building then you are going to make life HELL for the minority of poor bright kids who want nothing more than to get as far away as possible from the feral gangs that haunt the comprehensives of today!
You are making a basic socialist ERROR of "one size fits all" ! The best answer by far is to rescue the bright kids as early as possible and educate them in a place of real learning, THE GRAMMER SCHOOL!
I will NOT be voting Conservative again if you carry on with your current idea.

stephanie clague, Larnaca, cyprus

Dear Sir,

I attended Didcot Girls School in Oxfordshire from 1977 to 1980, the school was previously a Grammar School, and the standard of schooling or education was exceptional and the school still has the highest exam grade results in the United Kingdom.

Of late, I am not terribly happy with David Cameron's total spin talk, he is not listening to his Politicians nor the rest of the country and should he continue at this point he will not be gaining my vote.

Daniela Pani, Reading, Berkshire

I have written twice to Mr. Cameron asking that he intervene on a planning permission granted by Tory-run Westminster Council that a High Court judge has quashed as unlawful; the Council's Planning committee has decided to ignore the latter. My concern regards a PROTECTED tree right in front of my balcony that stops office occupiers opposite to stare into my flat, but will be felled because of the planning permission. Being disabled and spending plenty of time in my flat, the tree constitutes much more than an aesthetic feature. Clearly, Mr. Cameron is so concerned about local participation and 'power to the people' that he delegated twice to his staff to reply that it was for my MP (Mr. Frank Dobson) to deal with it. Not even my request that he write to the Leader of the Conservative Councillors in Westminster City Council to review the decision was considered. What does that say about his credentials regarding the disabled, local participation and his respect for legal opinions?

PS Dasgupta, London W1,

Well said, but once in office, will you be prepared to stand up against vociferous minorities, people and businesses that paid money to your election campaign, and bad publicity, to ensure that your policies truly benefit the majority of British people - irrespective of their status or political persuasion? So many before you have failed on these counts. And finally, unlike Blair, who has had similar grand ideals, can you deliver?

Peter Hunter, Lincoln,

By 1997 Thatcherism had become a dirty word and Labour had become new. Ten years later in its quest to accommodate everyones religious and cultural beliefs Labour has succeeded in creating a Britain that is fragmented, xenophobic and deeply cynical of its Government. Britain does'nt need big Government, it needs delivery and at national level thats about defining, constructing and ensuring that the right policies are implemented at local government level for if local government exists as the instrument of service delivery then its about time it was properly empowered to do so and held accountable for its actions. Empower teachers to take back control of the classroom, parents control of the home a police control of the streets. Doing so will maybe arrest the moral decline amongst Britains youth and restore faith in the state health and education systems which are the pillars of a caring and flourshing society. Cameron should'nt try to appease everyone, that 's the mistake Labout made

Rob Hicks, Johannesburg, South Africa

Still a deafening silence about Europe which, whether David Cameron likes us banging on about it or not is still the number one political issue of the day.

Nicholas Lee, Windsor, UK

I quite understand why Cameron should want to write about the big picture, but the time has come for a person somewhere lower in the pecking order start filling in the details. If I were directing the show, I'd cast the part with someone tough and plain speaking, and working class to act as a foil to all the old Etonian flak that DC attracts. I guess what I'm saying is that if DC want to be the heir to Blair he's going to need a Prescott. I wouldn't cast Willets in the role, or indeed let him out from under the stairs for a few months.

Redcliffe, London,

The Grammar School Saga
In the sixties the great Labour hammer blow, the coming of the 'Comprehensives', dismantled or economically destroyed the by then universal system of Grammar Schools throughout England and Wales.
Those Schools with high academic reputations could and did survive by becoming fee-paying and leaving the State system. Others now represented by Buckinghamshire et al survived to this day. The Grammar Schools in deprived areas and those dominated by Labour controlled education authorities became emasculated into Comprehensives.
The great 'irony' and the hypocrisy of it all was that the 'Wreakers' of the Grammar School system continued to send their children to the top Public Schools who then as now have financial benefit from their charitable status.
Is there a modern parallel here ?
It does seem that the 'New Wreakers' are the Public School Conservatives following in the footsteps of the Public School Socialists whose kids like theirs dont go to State Schools.

John Brian Morgan, Seaton, Devon

David is treading a very dangerous path. He has to engage with the middle-class floating voter and commend himself to Blair's 'social justice', but by doing so he runs the risk of Labour being voted in again by default. It is a good strategy to give the people what they seem to want but to stick another leader at the head of affairs that can deliver; propose yourself as more determined and able, the head of a machine that is effective and not so divisive, so eternally internally riven as Labour. But some only see a toff leading a bunch of toffs, a man that can reject Grammar Schools because he has never had to bother with his progression through life, never had to pull himself up through effort. These conviction Tories left the housing estates and became professionals. They are the strata that Labour wants to be eternally working class but knowledgeable, ciphers of the state who know where the largesse came from. Tories need to be free-thinkers without the blather of 'social justice'.

Malcolm Turner, Alsager, England

This is spot-on. It's so refreshing to have a Tory leader who is finally engaging in a proper debate about how to take the country forward - and not just drag it back into a halcyonic past. Most of the country shares your views - keep up the good work!

John Woodcock, London,

Sorry Dave, you're wrong - plain wrong.

Arguing for modernity is like arguing for acceptability for acceptability's sake! Voters want to know what the objective is and to see policies that are based on logically argued principles. Principles that come from a foundation of fact, logic and can be explained and argued in a clear and concise way. Instead, in "out-Blairing Blair" you have thrown away principle and substituted what you think the populace wants to hear.
David Willets took one fact (the proportion of free school meal pupils) and argued that grammar schools do not enable social mobility. But this is wrong - where are the remaining grammar schools? Most are in areas with fewer poor people. Such faulty analysis and logic is either incompetent or just a poor attempt to support a statement that is seen to be "modern" and "popular". Similarly with this article. Stop seeking popularity Dave and lead, not follow, the argument and trends.

Until you do, I'm withholding my party subs!

Richard Painter, Herts., UK

Bravo! Good speech. Addresses all the sensitive subjects sensitively and strategically, and will no doubt gain votes.

But there arepeople like me who treat this subject with cynicism and scorn: politics, shmolitics. Say great stuff, get elected. Doesn't turn out the way you said it would, get slagged off, lose power. And so it goes on, and ever will. Thus Labour are no worse than anyone else for "spin" - that's just gossippy fashion to say that....check out Cameron. If he gets elected, I wager £1000 that within a few years everyone will be saying "bah! but you said this! you said that!"

One thing though Cameron: "The evil terrorist campaign we have witnessed in recent years has revealed the existence of a murderous ideology which distorts Islam"

Fine. You want the Moslem vote. We understand that. But what do you have to say about the war campaigns of Mohammed, and the ensuing Jihadic ideology which is scribed in the Koran? - the basis for terrorism.

Joe, Manchester,

This could have been written by someone from the Labour party!
Oh dear! Any chance of another leadership contest? Unfortunately not and we Conservatives are damned to another election defeat soon.
I'm getting to the stage of voting for anyone BUT Dave. UKIP or, perish the thought, maybe a Brown victory could get us back to our core values next time?
Makes me shudder to think of the future for the Conservative party.

MB, Nottingham,

I, for one, still do not know, despite the fine words in David Cameron's article, exactly what Conservative values are because over the last 6 months and more all I read is spin and little substance. With respect to the debacle over Grammar schools I still do not know what the Conservative policy is on education in Britain save to note that fee-paying public schools will continue and with a charitable status. I have not heard Mr Cameron make a statement on the pathetic state of our Armed Forces that have been decimated over the last 2 decades because of an abject failure to purchase new platforms, equipment and maintain manpower levels. Apart from the possibility of income tax reductions I am unclear what Conservative policy is on economic issues but, I should prefer the personal allowance be raised to at least £10,000 a year rather than have tax reductions. What about crime and dealing with perpetrators? Giving someone the benefit of the doubt is one thing, but for how long?

Kenneth Armitage, Suffolk, England

Yes, I believe this is right. Many people instinctively trust Labour because they see the party as acting for the many not th few, and most people don't see themselves as the provileged few. Tories in the past have been seen to put national strength before the wellbeing of the many in a way that has favoured the few. In a deferential society, people assumed the Tories knew best and voted for them. But we no longer live in a deferential society- indeed parts of that society almost verge on the brink of uncontrol - eg young binge drinkers. If the new Tories are to appeal to that broad electorate, they must be shown to have the interests of the many and not just the few at heart. They have a unique chance to do so now that things have gone full circle and Labour cronyism has replaced Tory sleaze. It is perhaps their last chance.

MDA, London,

The Petulant Prince does not understand the voters and is far too self-absorbed and moneyed elite for Northern voters especially. He models himself on Edward Heath - stubborn in the face of contrary evidence only to crumble and undertake a volte-face.

This is the man who will bury the Conservative Party at the polls. I wonder what will survive the train wreck up ahead ? Cameron will be fine, his ancestry promises a gilded glide through life as with his schoolboy chums.....but he has lost The North just as much as Scotland is now foreign territory to Conservatives. The only policy that had any hope of attracting voters in cities like Bradford is marked "delusional" by a man who is practised in self-deceit

Bradford, Bradford, UK

You say 'the Rehmans do not separate themselves from the wider neighbourhood — they are actively involved through the Balsall Heath Forum, a great example of community empowerment'.

I used to live in Balsall Heath and now understand it is majority Musilm - perhaps as high as 70 percent. If that figure is right, being involved in the local community is hardly an act of great multiculturalism. That said, I appreciate the point about the sense of family and community. Pity nobody was prepared to stand-up and encourage working class white communities to retain the same values over the last three decades...

J Horrell, London, UK

I have written twice to Mr. Cameron asking that he intervene in a planning permission granted by Tory-run Westminster Council that a High Court judge has quashed as unlawful; the Council's Planning committee has decided to ignore the latter. My concern regards a PROTECTED tree right in front of my balcony that stops the office occupiers opposite to stare into my flat, but will be felled because of the planning permission. Being disabled and spending plenty of time in my flat, the tree constitutes much more than an aesthetic feature. Clearly, Mr. Cameron is so concerned about local participation and 'power to the people' that he delegated twice to his staff to reply that it was for my MP (Mr. Frank Dobson) to deal with it. Not even my request that he write to the Leader of the Conservative Councillors in Westminster City Council to review the decision was considered. What does that say about his credentials regarding the disabled, local participation and his respect for legal opinions?

PS Dasgupta, Central London,

"to bring the benefits of Conservative values to all of the people all of the time, not just some of the people some of the time".
Oh dear, the vacuity of this comment shows that he is, alas, the "heir to Blair" (although at least he generally constructs sentences with verbs). Doesn't he know that politics is about choices of options and taking decisions which won't benefit "all of the people all of the time"?Sometimes choices will, rightly, be detrimental to some or to many. If he doesn't know this what is he doing in politics? Or is the thought so subtly constructed that "benefits" will be brought whether "all of the people" want them or not !!

Nicholas, London,

The rejection of multiculturalism is very important, and so is a realization that the terror-fight is an ideological war, NOT a military one (primarily).
Combined with the issue of education one thing Mr Cameron should therefore do, is to committ himself to a general ban on all faith schools.
Schools should teach children to be proud of the great British tradition of philosophy, rational thinking and moderate religion.

William Hagerup, London,

"...a distinctive aim: to bring the benefits of Conservative values to all of the people all of the time, not just some of the people some of the time. "

Since when have Conservatives had inclusive all-of-the -people values? The essence of Conservatism was and is exclusive values.

Jack Amelanchier, London,

Mr Cameron keeps banging on about the need to improve discipline in state schools. It would be helpful if he could spell out precisely how he intends to achieve this laudable objective. What does "head teachers' control over discipline" actually mean? What kind of punishments will heads (and their staff) be allowed to inflict? Will the first and last word on exclusion rest with the head or will there still be an external appeals panel? What will happen to excluded pupils? Will they merely be sent to another school to make a nuisance of themselves there, which is what usually happens now? Or will special schools be set up for them? If so, how will they be staffed and how much will they cost? And what, if anything, will be done about uncooperative parents? I, for one, can't be bothered to turn out and vote unless politicians stop uttering pious platitudes - who, after all, is in favour of *less* discipline in schools? - and come up with some concrete proposals.

Geoffrey Warner, Didcot,

Education is the blight on our horizon not tomorrow but here and now. Ignore the carping from the side-lines from the likes of Portillo, be decisive - here's your check-list. This is not a 'wish-list' but an 'Action Plan'
1. Reduce Class sizes down to 25 maximum
2. (How) Stop all Govt building projects (not civil) but everything else - give the money to the 'Shires' but with a specific DEMAND - to build Schools.
3. Appoint one Minister for every County Council to drive through the reform in the next five years. Do not allow that Minister back into Parliament unless he/she's achieved what the DEMAND was for the Shire under their control.
4. In that time bring back 'the caring dedicated Professional'
whose vision for life is to teach. Go abroad if you have to but resolve the expansion in numbers fast and KEEP THEM.
5. Use a policy of NO MORE WARS to help with the funding.

Russell Fanaken, Melksham, Wilts

"Power to the people"... except when they make the 'wrong' decision. You want academic selection on merit? No, you must choose pupils on the colour of their skin. We'll also keep on TELLING YOU how to micromanage your local services: "more setting in schools, head teachers’ control over discipline and a big expansion in opportunities for new schools to open," as Cameron says above.

We'll not talk about giving any more power to local councils, which scandalously have discretion over only 10% of their budgets, prefering instead to go over their heads.

Then of course we'll say we're commited to localism.

Scary, Windsor, Berks

Grammars within comprehensives. Clever and probably the best solution given a return to the grammar/secondary model of the fifties is a non starter.

This was in fact my experience in 1963 when I passed my 11 plus and ended up in a grammar just turned comprehensive in the Potteries. During my seven years I was very much a grammar school boy. Selection even extended to registration class in the morning. There wasn't much interaction across the academic divide.

Interestingly, selection resulted in a just a handful of pupils moving across the secondary / grammar school divide and these would probably have been picked up at 13 plus.

Selection by ability, discipline in the classroom and teacher assessment are Key to driving up standards. The less political interference the better.

Ron Fallows, St Helier, Jersey

What exactly does Cameron mean by writing: "... high standards and firm discipline throughout the state education system, rather than going back to the 11-plus and some mythical policy of “a grammar school in every town”. "?

Is he trying to give the impression that "a grammar school in every town" would somehow be incompatible with, or would be implemented instead of, "high standard standards and firm discipline throughout the state education system"?

Some would argue that we need both - high standards and firm discipline in all schools, PLUS a grammar school in every town - and they may well be right. Hague thought so, in those "mythical" days when he was Tory leader.

Denis Cooper, Maidenhead, England

What on earth does he mean by 'mythical policy of having a grammar school in every town'. It wasn't a mythical policy it was a fact. And David know-nothing, it worked! Get rid of grammar schools, get rid of Eton then! Why should you and your lot have this massively privileged and special education when you want to deny clever children FROM ALL CLASSES the best education that they can get.

Judith Chisholm, London,

Well David, I,m as confused as ever in trying to understand what you believe in. Lots of nice generalisations, people power, policies to benifit all the people, improving the health service and education, etc. Who could disagree? But there,s nothing concrete,and you are still using focus group words such as "insights".
Its still all very wooly. Nothing to inspire. Nothing that seems to come from personal conviction. Do you have any deep convictions? If so you need to communicate them.

JAMES GALLAGHER, LONDON, U K

Muslims may blow up a few trains or buildings, the NHS may waste billions, but the collapse in education might take down the economy. That's where you must focus.

My first policy would be to simply spin off the two Church systems. Give the Anglicans and Catholics a block per capita sum of money, and simpy say "we trust you to spend this wisely on education". They can go for whatever management structure they want, set any examinations they want, set the curriculum they want.

Malcolm McLean, Bradford , UK