Duncan Smith: told it as it was

Rank-and-file Tories have given a cautious welcome to the week's developments in Bournemouth.

As the party's conference drew to a close, there was support for efforts by Iain Duncan Smith to modernise the party from a group of local councillors and party activists.

A group from Bedfordshire, a typical Conservative area, urged the leadership to set a clear direction.

"We need clear objectives, a clear strategy to achieve those objectives and the will to do it," said party member Maureen Shorter.

But there was a warning that his leadership would remain under scrutiny by grassroots supporters.

"If you were a multi-national company you would support your chief executive for at least two years. In the first year it might all go pear-shaped but you could blame it on the previous team. But the second year is then the new man's responsibility," she said.

Duncan Smith's strategy since becoming leader was given the thumbs up.

"There is nothing he has done that I personally wouldn't have done," said former ward chairman David Fletcher Rogers.

"The media has criticised him because he hasn't wandered off with Edwina. Maybe he should wear fancy shoes like Theresa May."

There was also some sympathy for the task IDS faces.

"It's been very difficult for him. How do you follow Maggie? That's been the problem ever since 1990," said district councillor Marion Mustoe.

The lack of a credible challengers also seems to be assisting Duncan Smith.

But the foot soldiers identify future challengers as David Davis, Liam Fox, Theresa May, Oliver Letwin and Andrew Lansley.

"There are about half a dozen in the middle ranking in terms of maturity and public appeal," said county councillor Peter Hollick.

"They haven't quite got to the top. Perhaps in five years they might be potential leaders but at the moment the party doesn't seem to have a great choice."

Policy announcements from the frontbench also got the rank-and-file's seal of approval.

"People are homing on the nuisance youths and criminal activity. Oliver Letwin made a good speech on that," said Hollick.

"The present government has done things which we ought to have done a long time ago such as Blunkett and Straw on asylum seekers.

"We would have been castigated but they have been applauded."

There was also near unanimous support for Theresa May's tough talking.

"I like the fact that they have started to acknowledge mistakes," said Mustoe.

Claims that factions of the party were at war with Duncan Smith were dismissed as part of the media frenzy.

"It said in one of the papers that IDS was being attacked from both sides. I haven't seen any of that," said Hollick.

But there is more to do, say the party's core supporters.

Whilst they support the message coming from the shadow cabinet, they say there is a bit of polishing to do.

"Apart from Tim Collins I've not come across any characters. They're all very able people but there hasn't been much pizzazz," said party member Graham Shorter.

The absence of the "Big E" - Europe -from the conference debates was greeted with relief.

"Europe doesn't need to be on the agenda. It's only the media that brings it up to divide the party," said Maureen Shorter.

Grumbles, though, were not absent altogether.

The new format for the event, moving the main speeches to the afternoon and early evening came in for some criticism.

"Having all the speeches in the afternoon was a waste," said Ann Sparrow.

"Could we have the Young Conservatives back please? They're not a separate species; they're still members of the party."

Pledges by the Liberal Democrats to replace the Conservatives as the party of effective opposition were swiftly rejected by the group.

"They hold no fear for us. They've been the third party since 1919 and I don't see anything that will change that," said Fletcher Rogers.