Star comment: Economy is at heart of election
There are fewer than 200 days to go until the General Election. This ought to be a time of successful opinion polls and a sense of momentum that will carry the Prime Minister to success.
And yet David Cameron began the Tory Party Conference mired in difficulty. Its launch was tumultuous and uncomfortable.
The resignation of Brooks Newmark as minister for civil society, coupled with the defection of Mark Reckless to Ukip, gave him the sort of headache he could do without.
It's been a difficult few weeks. The Scottish referendum was too close for Mr Cameron's comfort and his gaffe in describing the Queen as "purring" over the result did his reputation no good.
See also:
I'm not defecting to Ukip, insists Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard
Former Johnson aide joins Ukip
You'd be nuts to join Ukip - Boris
All of that will be forgotten, however, if George Osborne can convince us that he can deliver economic growth. Since 2008, we have endured six torrid years before an upturn in fortunes in more recent times. Make no mistake, for all of the Foreign Policy issues that dominate the headlines, people will vote for the party that they believe will bring prosperity to our nation.
The economy will be at the heart of the 2015 election and the plans of George Osborne are of critical importance.
Osborne delivered his speech to an adoring Tory Party faithful, giving the public at large the opportunity to compare his vision with that of his rival, Ed Balls. The Shadow Chancellor had outlined his plans at the Labour Party Conference. And while he vowed that he would be unafraid to make tough decisions, he is wrestling with the legacy of the last Labour administration which was at the helm when the financial crisis hit.
Osborne's speech focused on responsible governance. He eschewed the usual pre-election freebies, instead concentrating on balancing the books and not being distracted from his long-term vision.
He warned us that we are not yet out of the woods and that our economy faces enormous challenges.
Whether or not the wider public buys into his vision, however, is another matter entirely.
As we move closer to the election, interesting times lie ahead. We can be sure that Ukip will throw spanners in the works for both the Labour and Conservative parties. There is still everything to play for.
