Tired soundbites and failed policies.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am sick of hearing of "the new Tory party" when all I hear whenever they speak is the same old garbage:

The backdrop to the speaker's podium might have been high-tech, but the message that "prison works" was scarcely any different from the philosophy outlined by Michael Howard 15 years ago.

The Shadow Justice Secretary, Dominic Grieve, rose to pledge that a future Tory government would create more prison places. The shadow Home Secretary, Chris Grayling, was next proposing that those who caught carrying a knife should face an automatic jail sentence. This followed on from their leader's pledge last week to double magistrates' sentencing powers.

The Tories still seem to believe, despite the mountain of evidence to the contrary, that the only sensible way to deal with crime and antisocial behaviour is to throw as many people as possible into jail.

Cameron is preparing to take to the podium today and, in an act of spin worthy of Blair, tell us that, "Yes, there is a steep climb ahead. But I tell you this: the view from the summit will be worth it."

Pass the sick bag... This PR garbage is now officially replacing policy.

Cameron continues to speak of what he intends to do when he gets into office only in the vaguest catch all terms:

"If you put in the effort to bring in a wage, you will be better off. If you save money your whole life, you'll be rewarded. If you start your own business, we'll be right behind you. If you want to raise a family, we'll support you. If you're frightened, we'll protect you. If you risk your safety to stop a crime, we'll stand by you. If you risk your life to fight for your country, we will honour you."

He will add: "Ask me what a Conservative government stands for and the answer is this: we will reward those who take responsibility, and care for those who can't."

You simply can't say that we need to address the deficit and then say, "If you put in the effort to bring in a wage, you will be better off." Cameron will either have to raise taxation and/or VAT or he won't. In either eventuality, putting in the effort to bring in a wage will not make you better off. You will be worse off.

But he's not going to tell us any of that today. He is going to give us more of the squeaky clean rubbish which has so far served him so well. He is going to tell us what is wrong with Labour rather than what is right about the Conservatives.

At least when Blair employed spin it was to fool his own supporters into thinking that he was more left wing than he actually was.

With Cameron I fear the opposite is true. He is avoiding telling us who he is because he is much more right wing than he wants us to believe. A cursory glance at his bedfellows in Europe might be all we have to go on at the moment, but I fear that this is a worrying sign of what's in store.

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Tags: Cameron, Tory Party Conference, soundbites