One year in the spotlight

He turned 40, was voted the world's sexiest politician by readers of New Woman magazine, became a father for the third time and, oh yes, took over as opposition leader.

The honeymoon is over, that's for sure.

DC or Dave, as he has become better known, has made the Tories interesting - the number of column inches is testimony to that - but is there any substance beneath the numerous policy reviews his party has published?

You will remember most of them - 'hug a hoodie' and 'whack a wind turbine on your roof'.

But will that be enough?

The latest Mori opinion poll shows that, of those certain to vote, 35 per cent would back the Tories, 33 per cent would vote Labour and 20 per cent Lib Dem.

However, the satisfaction ratings, although generally good news for Mr Cameron and the Conservatives, show the hard work starts now.

The Government is -47 per cent down, Tony Blair -38 per cent, David Cameron -6 per cent and Menzies Campbell -3 per cent.

West Oxfordshire Conservative Association vice president Martin Cornish said: "I am, in general terms, happy with the way things have gone over the last year. It seems to me the party is as united as it has ever been and is daily becoming more electable at national level.

"There is clearly a very able team in place - although not yet tested in power - and a feeling of being in touch with many peoples' ideals.

"My only real negative is the 'A' list candidate selection.

"I think this is retrograde, centrist and will in the end prove to be a waste of time and effort.

"However, on a positive note, I'm pleased with the way the emphasis on thinking has moved to more compassionate and people-orientated policy ideas.

"A telling moment for me was when David said 'No-one could have prepared me for this' on seeing the situation in Darfur.

"It is refreshing to hear someone shocked by a crisis rather than mouthing the normal platitudes about enquiries and action plans.

"The younger end of the party and the public seem to have warmed to David, which is an area we have been anxious about for years.

"All we have to do now is maintain the momentum."

There have been U-turns aplenty.

Mr Cameron said he is in favour of cutting taxes, but has refused to give details on specific pledges on tax reduction.

Then there was the controversial patient passport policy' plucked straight out of the 2005 election manifesto (which Mr Cameron wrote) and which would have subsidised patients seeking private treatment away from the NHS. But it has been ditched.

And what about university tuition fees? A Cameron government would not reverse the controversial fees introduced by Labour - a reversal of previous Conservative policy.

Oxford City Labour councillor Tony Gray, who stood against Mr Cameron at last year's general election, said: "There is certainly no doubt he has charmed the nation over the last year in the same way that his charismatic appeal won over the people of west Oxfordshire in the past.

"We have seen a wide range of statements, unusual for a Conservative political figure, but still not yet the policy substance.

"David was certainly warming to this approach in the hustings at the last election when he would ooze reassurance about supporting the Make Poverty History campaign.

"When asked to explain what this meant to him David was clear to him it was neither about increasing aid, nor cancelling debt but fair trade, which meant free trade.

"It appears we are seeing the same approach on the environment and poverty. For Witney the new leadership of the party has meant its geographical expansion to Notting Hill where the local MP now resides.

"Fewer sightings in West Oxfordshire have sparked a new game of spot Dave the Chameleon locally."

Cameron's key dates

DECEMBER 2005 * 6 Elected Tory leader aged 39.

* 28 Announced a Globalisation and Global Poverty Policy Group, with Sir Bob Geldof as an adviser.

JANUARY 2006 * 1 New Year message describes fighting global poverty as "our moral obligation".

* 6 After one month as leader, more than 16,000 people had joined the party.

* 29 Announced that economic stability must take precedence over tax cuts.

FEBRUARY * 6 Launched the Democracy Task Force.

MARCH * 14 Published a Charter for Inner City Schools.

APRIL * 4 Outlined his broad support for the Government's Education Bill.

* 20 Visited a glacier in Norway to see the impacts of global warming.

MAY * 5 In local elections, Conservatives achieve highest vote share since 1992.

JUNE * 6 Addresses National Consumer Council on what the private sector can learn from the public sector.

* 26 Advocates a modern British Bill of Rights.

JULY * 7 Delivered speech to Local Government Association saying there should be no commitment to nuclear power.

* 13 Announced with Czech Prime Minister designate, Mirek Topolanek, withdrawal from the right wing European People's Party and formation of Movement for European Reform.

* 25 Visited British troops in Afghanistan.

AUGUST * 17 Put forward proposals to extend home ownership via shared ownership schemes.

SEPTEMBER * 1 Called for a Climate Change Bill.

* 15 Speech in Glasgow on future of the party in Scotland, saying: "I will never take Scotland for granted."

* 29 Proposed plans to reduce the number of MPs, impose limits on number of special advisers, and moves to ensure independence of the Civil Service Act.

OCTOBER * 1 - 4: Conservative conference in Bournemouth at which he reinforced the message of change.

NOVEMBER * 15 Responds to the Queen's Speech, claiming the Government had failed to deliver on its pledges.

* 23 Launched first instalment of Sort-it, in which he branded youngsters who fell into debt as "tossers".

* 27 Visited troops in Basra.

DECEMBER * 2 Gave newspaper interview in which he warned the party: Back me or we will lose again.

In his own words

Some of David Cameron's more memorable quotes: "I am fed up with the Punch and Judy politics of Westminster" - Soon after his election as leader.

"Fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists, mostly" - His description of Ukip in April 2006.

"Vote blue, go green" - His message to Tories at the local government elections in May, 2006, shortly before the new oak-tree logo was launched.

"Substance is not about producing a ten-point plan. It is about deeper things than that. It is about knowing what you believe. It is about a clear idea of the Britain you want to see" - Party conference speech, October, 2006.

"Everyone knows that we will only tackle crime if we tackle family breakdown, if we tackle drug addiction, if we mend broken lives" - Party conference speech, October, 2006.

"If the police stand for sanctions and penalties, you stand for love" - In his so-called hug-a-hoodie speech to the Centre for Social Justice, July, 2006.

"You are the roadblock to reform" - His often-repeated criticism of the Chancellor Gordon Brown.

"Blair is easier to talk to than Brown, but I would not want to waste an evening with either, frankly, if that is all right" - December 1 in an interview.

"I suppose you could spend the next few years as leader of the Conservative Party, just telling people what they wanted to hear and jolly them along and everyone would be happy - and then you would lose another election. Well, I don't see the point of that" - In a newspaper interview, December 3, 2006.