Summer is always a difficult time in politics. Rumours spread, gossip mongers gossip, and the press, desperate for a story to light up their newsless pages, crawl around to unearth non-stories that make headlines from sources with little relevance or context.

In juxtaposition to that I was delighted to read an article by my friend Peter Luff in which he explains the changes that David Cameron is making to the Conservative Party and to politics in Britain.

Peter summarises so clearly what the Conservatives stand for:

"David Cameron believes in the virtue of people taking control of their lives, in families, in communities and in voluntary organisations. Unlike Gordon Brown, he does not believe the state knows best. This means, for example, that taxes will be lower, power exercised more locally and marriage properly protected only under a Conservative government."

"Second, he believes in the old words that we should be in Europe but not run by Europe. He is holding the government to its promise of a referendum on the new European treaty – or constitution to give it its more accurate name. Gordon Brown is seeking to sell Britain down the river and break his manifesto promise."

"Third, he believes in protecting the liberties of the British people, so brutally trampled under foot by this government. On a range of issues, from giving parliament an opportunity to repeal the hunting ban to opposition to identity cards, he has demonstrated his opposition to Labour’s authoritarian state."

"Fourth, he respects the institutions of this nation. His instinct is to stand up for the organisations and structures that have served us well, and not, like Gordon Brown, to cast them heedlessly to one side. We will protect parliament, the legal system and all those other manifestations of our liberties and traditions that support and nurture the country of which we are so proud, but which Labour does not begin to understand."
"Put simply, he is leading the kind of Conservative party that is in tune with the hopes and aspirations of the British people. That’s the only way we will win. More importantly, it’s the kind of government this country wants and needs."