Here is my address to the AGM. Unusually I stuck to over 75% of it when I was speaking. :}

Mr President,

Thank you for letting me say a few words. Firstly, I would like to congratulate Linda on her three year term in office.

She has run a tight ship, the finances look in order, Shapour was elected, as a Cambridge City Councillor and our under Linda’s leadership our conservative family has stayed together and fought together, and so it must continue.

Lord Balfe of Dulwich and I have joined your team to put our shoulder to the wheel. A wheel that is moving and but needs a jolly good shove. I hope you will find me full of energy, enthusiasm and positive. Never mind cups being half full, mine is always full and is there to fill others.

Together we can make inroads into returning this fine city into Conservative hands. Together we can get more councillors elected. Together we can build the vote for the European elections and together we can press for a Conservative MP in Cambridge.

We have much to do but key to everything is to set a vision and a plan to get there. We must all understand this journey and how we can play a part. We must put together a plan for the next 6 years and always turn towards that plan never away.

I would like to involve all of you and the many that are not in this room, those quietly waiting in the wings, waiting to stand up and be counted as proud Conservatives.

It is time to raise our profile. It is time to be seen and heard, not just in are target wards but right across the city.

We must exploit the media and the internet and become experts at communicating. We must pop up wherever and when ever we can. People must believe in us and believe that we are there for them.

We must understand our key principles and make sure we tell others about them.
Let me remind us all about some of them:

Conservatives must help people fulfill their potential. People are not all equal, never have been and never will be but they can be treated fairly. They can be encouraged to achieve more. Even the person who can only speak one word can be encouraged to speak two.

We believe in people.

We must encourage our young to strive, to achieve everything that they possibly can, not holding back, not compromising.

Ambition must be encouraged not flattened by the damp blanket of socialism.

We must not be frightened of success. We must encourage it.

Conservatives have long been the leaders, the catalyst for change, the dynamic force that brings success.

People often care more today for feelings rather than thoughts and actions. It is thoughts and actions that will improve this country.

We must refocused on what we Conservatives believe in, what differentiates us from the socialists, the Lib Dems and the rag tag and bob tails.

We must galvanize the people of Cambridge with the promise of opportunity, not regulation. We must trust them to spend their own money where ever it is possible, not taking it off them for the state to spend.

We must promote personal responsibility and personal choice rather than dictating to our citizens.

Self pride, strength and courage are good attributes that we promote to give us the energy to support the weak and infirm. Right will prevail over wrong.

Those who have worked hard, worked themselves up, achieved, must not be let down.

We are proud to be Conservatives. We are proud to be British. We want others to be proud as well.

So those of you who are on the executive get those sleeves rolled up, those of you that want to join let me know.

I look forward to a busy year.