Coherent and clear, but a bit flat |

Thursday 8th October 2009 | 17:35

Coherent and clear, but a bit flat

A Phi100 rapid reaction poll assesses Cameron's speech. The family theme and attacks on Labour's poverty record were the strongest elements, while the sections on financial reform and cleaning up politics were weak.

Coherent and clear, well argued; but surprisingly flat. Good on the family and attacking Labour’s record on poverty; weak on financial reform and restoring faith in politics. The verdict is in from the PoliticsHome Phi100 panel on David Cameron's performance this afternoon.

The panel is comprised of MPs and peers across the political spectrum as well as journalists, strategists and thought leaders from think tanks and universities. Results are weighted so as to represent a politically balanced judgement.

They were asked to say which themes from Cameron’s speech struck them as particularly impressive, and which were disappointing. The negative totals were then subtracted from the positive totals to create an overall score.

Top of the list were Cameron’s emphasis on the family and his attack’s on Labour’s record on poverty. His comments on restoring faith in politics and on financial reform were thought to be the worst sections, achieving overall negative assessments.

Coherent but flat

The panel were also provided with a list of reactions to the speech and asked to say which they agreed with.

The reactions that most panellists agreed with were the view that it was coherent and well argued, and that it had a clear message. A majority of the panel, however, also agreed that the speech had been surprisingly low key and a bit flat.

Leave a comment...

Silent Hunter

18:12 |
08 Oct 2009
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4

<i>The panel is comprised of MPs and peers across the political spectrum as well as journalists, strategists and thought leaders from think tanks and universities. Results are weighted so as to represent a politically balanced judgement.</i>

The fact that you feel you have to include this statement in your narrative rather dispels the feeling that the PH100 are indeed "politically balanced".

I think it's clear by now that the PH100 are biased towards Labour.

Thankfully, their views only reflect the "Westminster Village" view rather than the countrys view, which will be made clear at the General Election.

Johnny Norfolk

07:12 |
09 Oct 2009
0

Spot on. and what do they know anyway. A big comand economy has failed again. You cannot have the left running a free market economy they just do not understand that way of thinking. Brown changed the banking rules forcing the USA to do the same and that was the main cause of the disaster.

Steve Foley

19:35 |
08 Oct 2009
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2

Yes, that is my own impression of Cameron's Speech today. Not the sort of thing to set the heather blazing nor to inspire the Party Worker to hit the streets canvassing and leafleting. Compared to some of Maggie's great Conference Speeches this was two dimensional or as you say FLAT. I almost thought it was a speech written by a committee.

johnny Norfolk

08:17 |
09 Oct 2009
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1

Its called leading a team. We have had enough of the big i am's.

A J Scott

19:38 |
08 Oct 2009
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1

For Heaven's sake! you mean all these worthy people stayed awake long enough to answer these mind-dumbing questions?

They certainly earn their fees.

Dorothy Wilson

19:46 |
08 Oct 2009
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4

What did they expect. Cameron to be jumping up and down with glee because of the mess Brown has made? Get real.

Steve Foley

19:57 |
08 Oct 2009
Recommended
1

No Dorothy, but perhaps if he had some of the fire in his belly that Maggie Thatcher had in many of her Conference Speeches they may have been more positive in their response. I watched it on the TV and was underwhelmed. Indeed this whole Conference was flat as far as I was concerned, and I have been to a few in my time. To think of the greats and the speeches they gave in times past, Heseltine, Tebbit, Thatcher herself. Proper speeches, not this low key armchair chat with too many videos that passes for a modern Conference.

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