William Hague reclaims Disraeli for the Tories in partisan day one speech

After WIlliam Hague delivers the key speech on day one of the Conservative Party Conference, the Telegraph's Senior Political Correspondent Christopher Hope reviews his unusually partisan performance.

In what Christopher Hope called an unusually political speech from the Foreign Secretary, William Hague tried to seize back Benjamin Disraeli for the Tories after Ed Miliband last week claimed the One Nation mantle for Labour.

Mr Miliband adopted the mantra as the theme for his keynote speech to delegates in Manchester, mentioning the phrase 46 times in 65 minutes.

But on the first day of the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham, the Foreign Secretary said : "Ed Miliband, you are no Disraeli."

Mr Hague said: "Last week he (Mr Miliband) made claim to be Disraeli.

"We know a little more about Benjamin Disraeli, a great Conservative Prime Minister, than he does.

"Disraeli was defined by changing his party for the late 19th Century while Ed Miliband will be defined by refusing to change his Party for the 21st century."

The Foreign Secretary added: "Disraeli believed in fiscal discipline, in self-reliance, in building on historic strengths, in this country paying its way and in taxes being kept down.

"He was no deficit spender, but was careful to budget for a surplus.

"To borrow a turn of phrase, we were led by Disraeli, our predecessors knew Disraeli, Disraeli's beliefs were Conservative through and through, and, Ed Miliband, you are no Disraeli."