Speech by David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party, at a rally in Bristol, one day before the elections, in May 05, 2010


We don“t have to put up with a Government that has racked up the debt, put up the taxes, harmed the thrifty, not looked after the vulnerable, treated people like fools, lied about its opponents. We can do better than this. We will if elected do better than this. 

We can start Friday with a new Government that deals with the difficult decisions but takes people with us. We can be a Government that doesn“t duck tough choices but always remembers we“re all in this together. We can be a Government that always remembers we serve the people, we“re the servants of the people we are never their masters and this if we are elected we will never, ever forget. 

I want a Government that acts in the national interest, we“ve had so much of partisan political interest under this Government. I want us to be different. I want a Government that makes us feel good about Britain again, all that we are, all that we“ve done, all that we can do in the future. That is the Government we should aspire to lead and be part of, a Government that“s about hope and optimism and change in our country not the doom and the gloom and the depression of the Brown years which we can tomorrow put behind us forever. Let“s get out there and do it. 

And don“t anyone in this election allow fear to triumph over hope. That is what Labour“s campaign has been all about; nothing positive to say, no defence of their record, nothing positive for the future to offer just untruth after untruth about what the Conservatives plan. And I want people to know about me that yes we will have to take difficult decisions but as we do that we take the country through to better times ahead we will always look after the needy, the disadvantaged, the elderly, the frail and the poorest of our country. That is the sort of person I am, that is the sort of Prime Minister I would be, that is the sort of party this party is today and we“re never going back, that“s how we“d take our country forward, let“s make that argument in the closing hours of this campaign. 

And I want in these closing hours for us to inspire people about what this country could be. Imagine a country where the teachers are back in charge of our classrooms and there“s discipline in our schools again. Imagine a country where we really back families and we“re the most family friendly country in Europe. Imagine a country where couples are helped to get on, get ahead and own their own home. Imagine a country where we set free the charities and the social enterprises to solve our deepest social problems. Imagine a country where we get behind the businesses and the entrepreneurs that are going to provide the jobs of the future rather than taxing and penalising. Imagine a country where pensioners don“t have to sell their homes any more to pay for their care, they can pass them on to their future family. Imagine that sort of country. 

Imagine a country where we always properly equip our soldiers and we properly respect the role that they play and what they do to defend us. And imagine, and to all those who work in public service I want to say this; we value what you do, we want you to go on doing what you do and imagine a country in which doctors, nurses, teachers, police officers, probation officers could get on with the job that they love not being covered in the red tape, the processes, the targets, the bureaucracy but to do the job they love. Imagine that country. But we don“t just have to imagine this country we can together if we win this election tomorrow start to build that country together on Friday. 

Now none of this is going to happen without change. We need change tomorrow because if we don“t we“ve got five more years of Gordon Brown. We need change tomorrow because if we don“t get change we“re stuck with more of the same. We need change tomorrow to get our economy moving, to mend our broken society, to clean up our messy politics. So let“s tell everyone in our country what do we need tomorrow, change. That“s what we need. 

When there are a million people, young people, unemployed, and our economy“s stuck in a rut what do we need? Change. 

When the NHS and schools and are drowning in bureaucracy and red tape what do we need? Change. 

When debt“s through the roof, when the economy“s through the floor what do we need? Change. 

When crime“s too high, when school standards are too low what do we need? Change. 

When Gordon Brown is in Number 10 Downing Street and will do any deal he possibly can to stay there what do we need? Change. 

So let“s say to the whole of the country we know what we need, it“s the change we need, are you going to vote for change? Are you going to do it? Don“t stay at home and let the old guard in, don“t vote for the Liberal Democrats and let Gordon Brown back in get out tomorrow vote for change, vote Conservative, vote to give this country the hope, the optimism and the change we need. Together we can build a stronger, better country. 

So my friends let“s get out there in these last few hours and let“s do it, let“s win it for Britain.  
