Conservatives back?

I have noticed a certain sniffiness in libertarian circles over last week's Conservative Conference. As I was away, I missed the coverage so it's difficult to pass comment but my prejudice was that nothing much was going to happen. Indeed, I left the party earlier this year after I came to the conclusion that IDS's leadership was going nowhere.

But, this is not a universal opinion. Indeed, good friend Paul Gray of Connect (the man who first put me in the direction of libertarianism, no less) was very upbeat. Paul, a man who is as optimistic as I am pessimistic, thinks that this was the conference where the party turned the corner.

On a vast range of policy areas the party is turning in a more liberal/libertarian direction. He points to proposals to create a voucher scheme for schools, allowing people to opt out of the NHS and the decision to end the war on motorists. He accepts that it is early days and that the party has only made tentative steps in a liberal direction but he feels these are significant.

Also significant is the way that the media are starting to be less cool to Conservatives. This is in part, he feels, because of new policies and in part because the party has started to face up to the mistakes of the past.

He also feels that IDS's apparently tepid leadership style may in fact be an advantage. The presidential style of Blair is beginning to wane and voters may eventually warm to a quieter, more thoughtful approach.

As with all things time will tell. I am still very much a sceptic. My view is that you know a leader within the first 100 days and frankly, IDS was found wanting, but it is interesting that there are other views out there. We shall see.