Star comment: Now it's time for Tories to deliver
It's all over bar the shouting. Prime Minister David Cameron exceeded his own expectation in winning the General Election and has now appointed a new Conservative-only cabinet.
Against the odds, he secured a mandate from the general public, who were frightened by the prospect of a Labour-SNP coalition and anxious to see through the economic recovery.
Mr Cameron was thrilled with his victory, as were the Conservative MPs who made Shropshire and Mid-Wales a True Blue region. But their success comes with responsibility. The public has invested hope in the new Government and it is duty-bound to deliver.
None of us will miss the political tit-for-tat that was a feature of the recent election campaign. We won't miss headlines about who's said what, who's called who an unpleasant name and who's planning to cosy up to who.
The result was clear cut and emphatic. It is now up to the Conservatives to make good their pre-election promises. Mr Cameron has spoken warmly about making sure his Government delivers for ordinary working people. He has expressed a clear and unequivocal wish to give everyone the chance to lead a good life.
His victory has exposed him to greater levels of scrutiny than ever before. He faces questions over Europe, welfare cuts and, of course, the issue of a dis-United Kingdom riven by nationalism and Scottish desire to break away.
He has to ensure economic stability in testing circumstances that could rapidly take a turn for the worse. He also has to rebuild public trust in politics and make people believe that Britain is once again Great.
Finally, he has to balance the books. There are huge cuts to be made and Mr Cameron's honeymoon period may be short-lived as he tries to reduce the deficit. The low-hanging fruit has already gone.
He must prune public expenditure in the knowledge that deep cuts will hurt.
He will no longer be able to blame Nick Clegg or the Liberal Democrats. Nor will he be able to blame past Labour Governments if things go wrong. The responsibility is fairly and squarely on his shoulders.
Mr Cameron's responsibilities are vast. His election victory suggests he is at his best when facing the greatest pressures. If things go well, Conservatives will take the credit. But if things do not, there will be only one party to blame.
