Annabel Goldie

David Cameron, leader of the UK Conservative Party:

“2011 is going to be a difficult year, as we take hard but necessary steps to sort things out.

“But the actions we are taking are essential, because they are putting our economy and our country on the right path.

“Together, we can make 2011 the year that Britain gets back on its feet.”

Annabel Goldie, leader of the Scottish Conservative Party:

"Our manifesto for May will be bursting with new ideas to deliver for Scotland by empowering people and communities, getting the government out of people's hair and setting our public services free from overburdening state control. We will unveil these plans over the coming weeks. But I give this pledge to Scotland. We will tell it like it is. We will get to grips with the challenges facing Scotland and we will take our country forward.

"May's election gives us the chance to say to the voters: Look at what we have done. Judge us on our record because we have delivered for Scotland."

Nick Bourne, leader of the Welsh Conservative Party:

“The Assembly elections represent an opportunity for a historic break with the past and a chance to shape a new Wales based on power in local communities, a fully funded NHS and a vibrant private sector led by strong indigenous Welsh businesses.

“Our policies of protecting the Health budget, providing budgets directly to schools and offering business rate relief will be central to our appeal to the Welsh people in May.”

Stirring stuff, unless you happen to be English. As usual England goes unmentioned, left unimagined.

David Cameron's first speech to conference as prime minister left me in no doubt that he intends to stand by his statement that he does not want to be prime minister of England. While Annabel Goldie urged action in "Scotland's national interest" and David Mundell wanted to "take Scotland forward", David Cameron could only mention England in the context of football and unionism.

He can speak of England but not for England. England is left unaddressed, without a vision of an English future - unimagined.

NATION

When I walked into Downing Street as Prime Minister, that evening I was deeply conscious that I was taking over the heaviest of responsibilities, not least for the future of our United Kingdom.

Tony Blair, Gordon Brown - and John Major before them - worked incredibly hard to bring lasting peace to Northern Ireland and I will continue their work.

And as the threat of dissident republican terrorism increases, I want to make it clear that we will protect our people with every means at our disposal.

And I want to make something else clear.

When I say I am Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, I really mean it.

England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland - we're weaker apart, we are stronger together, and together is how we must remain.

But there is another side to life as Prime Minister.

Like being made to watch the England football team lose, 4-1to Germany, in the company of the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.

It's a form of torture and I wouldn't wish on anyone.

I have to say, she is one of the politest people I have ever met, every time their players scored another goal, she would turn to me and say, 'I really am very, very sorry.'

It's brought a whole new meaning to the concept of Anglo-German relations: whatever you do, don't mention the score.

The aspirations of the English nation, English identity, England's future and England's democracy, disregarded in favour of a glib and insincere anecdote about watching football with a German, from a man who doesn't even like football (and possibly England).

In contrast Cameron mentioned 'Britain' 9 times, 'British' 6 times and the 'United Kingdom' 3 times. He has no problem imagining and speaking for and to the British nation; he even refers to it as "the country I love" and "our country", something that he would never say about England.

It is strange that 'English Conservatives' should be this way when Scottish Tories (for all their other failings) have no trouble at all speaking of, for and to Scotland, with an evident sense of Scottish pride.

As David McCrone remarked, "In an important sense, Scotland’s politicians are all Nationalists". The Scottish nationalists began to control the the political debate and the language of that debate in Scotland to such an extent that the Scottish Tories realised that they had to speak the language of Scotland and distance themselves from the Status-Quoism of the Westminster Tories; and many have also reached the conclusion that the Scottish Tories need 'independence' from the Conservative and Unionist Party in order to complete their rehabilitation.

English nationalists have a hell of a lot of work to do before the likes of David Cameron are forced to confront England in the same way that the Scottish Tories have come to terms with the fact that they must be Scottish first and British second. Unbelievably the Labour Party in England may be ahead of the Tories in that respect.

Further reading:
The Flaming Sword: Cameron, ‘the Country’ and England
BritologyWatch: David Cameron: Big society, not English government

David Cameron, the man who famously said "I do not want to be prime minister of England", will presumably expect to represent England's interests in the 'annual council of the nations'.

In her speech at the Tory conference in Manchester, Miss Goldie promised a relationship of “mutual respect” between Mr Cameron and the SNP administration.

“If he is elected Prime Minister he would host an annual council of nations with all the devolved First Ministers,” the Scottish Tory leader told delegates.

“Far from damaging Scotland, David Cameron as Prime Minister would help to secure Scotland from the SNP threat.” - Telegraph, 5th Oct 2009

Let's just hope that the "quite a lot of Scottish blood" flowing through his veins permits him to be objective.