We are ready to let the people decide Are you, Mr Blair?

Michael Ancram

In a rousing speech aimed at rallying party members at the start of the Tory party conference, Mr Ancram said: "This is the conference which I believe with all my heart can set us on the road to victory at the general election."

He told representatives: "This conference will be about winning. We know we can win because over this last year we have won time and time again."

And he asked the prime minister "We are ready to let the people decide. Are you, Mr Blair?"

Mr Ancram listed a host of policy areas on which he said Tories understood the people, but Labour did not.

And he won some of his greatest applause when he accused the government of not caring about the countryside and being incapable of being trusted on the countryside.

At the next election, the countryside would take its revenge by kicking Labour out, he predicted.