I know it sounds a bit fauning – but I really did think David Cameron’s final speech was superb. Well, I would say that, wouldn’t I?

These are not easy times to make serious political speeches. The circumstances seem to change every 24 hours, and all of us are left bewildered by the turbulent turn of events. But that doesn’t mean that the underlying issues change. David Cameron’s speech blended the two, and reminded us that even when the financial seas are calmer, our underlying ‘broken society’ will be in as much need of fixing as ever.

Paul speaks about tourism and regeneration in Blackpool with Mark Simmonds MP

I had an excellent conference, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was one of the guest speakers at the launch of the Conservative Seaside Towns coastal group. Along with other candidates, I was able to make the point that the regeneration of our seaside towns has to be not only about tourism but about the wide range of issues such as health, education, poverty and so on. The social problems in seaside towns tend to be much more profound, and can contrast with great affluence just a few miles away. If we are to deliver a meaningful and coherent set of policies, then we need to address this disparity.

I also met a number of other interesting people, and had discussions ranging from a South African brewery’s corporate social responsibility work with AIDS prevention in South African townships, to the plans of the University of Central Lancashire, to BAE Systems views on the future of the defence industry. On top of that, I got to catch up with old friends - and make some new ones – as well as learning a few more hard truths about politics.