IF THEY'RE SO MODERN HOW COME IT'S SO HARD TO FIND THE TEXT OF THE SPEECH?:

Cameron uses Gandhi's rallying call (Brendan Carlin, 31/12/2005, Daily Telegraph)

Mr Cameron, who at 39 aims to embody the transformation of his party, said: "I want every single member and supporter of the Conservative Party to remember that personal commitment is the most powerful way to bring about change.

"As Gandhi said, 'We must be the change we want to see in the world'."

He added that he wanted to usher in a new type of "constructive, thoughtful and open-minded" politics.

A spokesman said Mr Cameron also believed that much could be achieved through voluntary work and that the Tory leader was a politician who focused on "much more than just elections".

Mr Cameron has presided over an extraordinary transformation in the Tories' fortunes, pulling them ahead of Labour in the polls.

Last night, he summed up the new spirit, saying: "This is an exciting time to be a Conservative."