Wednesday 7 October 2015

A Greater Britain - reframing David Cameron's speech to the Conservative conference.

I was looking at David Cameron's speech to the Conservative conference, and his out-of-context attacks on Jeremy Corbyn. Then I thought just how easy it is to misrepresent someone when you take their words out of context.

So here, for the first time, is David Cameron's Greater Britain speech. Shocking, I'm sure you'll agree.



“I am so proud to be standing here in front of you today – back in government...

…and not just any government – a majority Conservative Government. 

To the people in this hall, I want to say thank you.

When you put your cross in the Conservative box, you were putting your faith in us.

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What happened that night?

The Conservatives, winning across Wales; on the march in the Midlands. Bolton West, Derby North, Berwick, Wells – Conservative once more… …Gower for the first time ever.

The North, more Tory; the South, the East, almost a clean sweep… …and Cornwall – that wonderful county – 100 per cent Conservative.

They didn’t understand the people who make up our country.

For me, that has a very literal meaning. I am not going to fight another election as your leader. We cannot let that man inflict his security-threatening, terrorist-sympathising, Britain-hating ideology on the country we love.

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In all the challenges we face, we will be guided by our Conservative values.

  • The scourge of poverty.
  • The brick wall of blocked opportunity.
  • The shadow of extremism

Delivering this social reform is entirely fitting with the great history of the Conservative Party

To save Britain from the danger of … A Greater Britain – that is our goal

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Thousands of words have been written about the new Labour leader.

But you only really need to know one thing: he thinks the death of Osama bin Laden was a “tragedy”.

In the coming years, we’ll be launching the biggest aircraft carriers in our history…

…a new class of Hunter Killer submarines…

…new Joint Strike Fighter jets; improved Apache helicopters; a new fleet of drones…

We will never be safe here in Britain until we eradicate that death cult.

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Believe me, I have no romantic attachment to the European Union and its institutions.

I’m only interested in two things

America and China

We still need to

Print more money

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You know what makes me most angry about Labour?

No – not the rich…

…it’s poor people, working people.

If you want something done about it, come to us, the Conservatives.

But for me, there’s one big piece of unfinished business in our economy

A more prosperous Britain.

that means entering those no-go zones, where politicians often don’t dare to venture.

Why?

Homes where no-one works; children growing up in chaos; addiction, mental health problems, abuse, family breakdown

Nearly two-thirds of children in poverty have parents who are in jobs. For them, work hasn’t worked.

So let the message go out: if you work hard, want to get on, want more money at the end of the month

“Improve or be taken over”

When it’s serious enough, that punishment must mean prison.

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The system is still not working.

Britain has the lowest social mobility in the developed world.
Here, the salary you earn is more linked to what your father got paid than in any other major country.

Our reforms are already working.

This movement is sweeping across our country. 

For too many people, even a good education isn’t enough.

When I read what some young people born and brought up in this country are doing, it makes me feel sick to my stomach.

More children studying maths and science. More learning coding and engineering. More doing the extra-curricular activities that teach confidence and build character.

That is why I’m so passionate about academies and free schools.

We have to stop it at the start

So I can announce this today:

If an institution is teaching children intensively, then whatever its religion, we will, like any other school, make it register so it can be inspected.

This is passive tolerance. And I’ll tell you where it leads

Freedom. Democracy. Equality.

We shouldn’t just be saying what’s wrong with these practices; we should be saying what’s right with Britain. 

Our way, the Conservative way, the only way to greater days.

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So big battles. Big arguments.  A Greater Britain.

So I have a message for those who voted for us and those who never have.

We can be that Greater Britain.

Because we know this: nothing is written.

We’ve proved it in schools across our country…

A Greater Britain…