David Cameron could probably have done without holding a conference at all this year.

There are two options open to this government – to continue with a policy of reducing Britain’s deficit or to carry on spending, whether by pumping money into public services or by cutting taxes.

Labour would argue there is a third option, which is to cut spending but to do so more slowly than the Conservatives.

This does seem, to misquote London mayor Boris Johnson, a little like being pro having your cake and pro eating it at the same time.

The idea of cutting spending while avoiding public sector job losses or cuts in frontline services does sound attractive, but rather implausible.

Certainly, if the Tories believed such an option was possible then they would be pursuing it. Critics will claim they have an ideological hatred of the public sector but even if this were true, it would no doubt be trumped by their ideological love of winning elections.

The fact is that no party can offer a panacea to get Britain painlessly through the current economic crisis.

Even if the Government got everything right, it would find the UK was affected by events in Greece, Italy, the USA and other parts of the world.

Mr Cameron summoned all his eloquence and charisma as he spoke to the Conservative Party conference.

But he had very little to say, except “trust me – it will get better”.

We must all hope that he is right. But, as he admitted, it seems to be taking a long time.

Gordon Brown boasted that he had abolished boom and bust, a claim which seems risible today.