Also: the Scottish Conservatives were one of the few genuinely chipper groups at conference; they seem widely to expect to pick up several seats from the SNP next year.
His three big preoccupations are a bit remote from the public. But his new approach has one unmissable virtue to it – namely, that he really believes in it.
The elephant in the room is that, unless something significant changes, it is unlikely that the Prime Minister will be able to see through any these plans.
We also need to accept that boroughs have different needs. Outer London is poorly served by public transport.
I travelled up to Manchester on the morning work train from Euston to get to Manchester at 8.45am after just two hours and fifteen minutes of travel. The train was practically empty. Where is the case based on capacity for this new train line?
The effect of the train strikes on attendance, the trauma of recent years, and the change in the nature of the Tory Conference itself leave the question hanging.
The national humiliation, The out-of-control budgets. The broken political promises. What most drives one to despair is the opportunity cost.
Sunak adds that “it is right to focus on levelling up across the country, with a long term plan for our towns.”
Voters clearly want it – and the recent past suggests he’s a more credible agent of it than Sir Keir.
In Havering there is more interest on the doorstep in parking charges, Council Tax, and bin collections, than on immigration.
In terms of party management, the Prime Minister seems to have pulled it off – at least for the time being and as far as Tory MPs are concerned.
Next year, we have all-out elections due to local boundary changes. We’re preparing for some very interesting results.
Scoring generously, we can say the Prime Minister has saved the nation from two policies of his own government. The other three seem only to have been internal proposals.
On education, high speed rail and smoking, he will allow our country to pursue an ambitious and optimistic future for people, whoever they are and wherever they come from.