In his leader’s speech at the close of the Conservative party conference Mr Cameron said the Tories would "move society forward" and "rebuild responsibility" in Britain.

In an at times deeply-personal address Mr Cameron accepted that an incoming Tory government would face a tough test, including "painful" cutbacks in public spending.

But he insisted there were "reasons to believe". "Yes it will be a steep climb," he said. "But the view from the summit will be worth it."

Mr Cameron’s voice briefly caught as he discussed the past year, which saw the death of his six-year-old son Ivan.

"When such a big part of your life suddenly ends nothing else – nothing outside – matters," he said. "It’s like the world has stopped turning and the clocks have stopped ticking. And as they slowly start again, weeks later, you ask yourself all over again: do I really want to do this? You think about what you really believe and what sustains you.

"I know what sustains me the most. She is sitting right there and I’m incredibly proud to call her my wife."

In a mission statement-like speech that saw Mr Cameron explain why he wanted to be prime minister, he linked his own family experiences to several commitments, notably to the NHS.

"My family owes so much to the National Health Service," he said. "No, it is not perfect. But I tell you, when you’re carrying a child in your arms to accident and emergency in the middle of the night and don’t have to reach for your wallet it’s a lot better than the alternative."

Mr Cameron made several announcements about the makeup of an eventual Tory government, confirming an elevation for outspoken former chief of the general staff General Sir Richard Dannatt to become a defence adviser, and former leader Iain Duncan Smith becoming "responsible in government for bringing together all our work to help mend the broken society".

The Tory leader, whose voice rarely rose above a normal level throughout and did not attempt to provoke a laugh from the audience once, began by praising the role of British troops in Afghanistan, pledging to deliver the equipment they need for the conflict.

A major theme of the speech was cutting back on Labour’s big government approach.

"Labour say that to solve the country’s problems, we need more government," he told delegates.

"Don’t they see? It is more government that got us into this mess," he added, linking an expansion of government to broken politics, economy and society.

On benefits he said: "In welfare, big government has failed people in a big way. There are two million children in Britain growing up in homes where no-one works. Two million.

"That is the highest in Europe. It is one in six children in our country. We have to break this cycle of welfare dependency."

The other major themes of the 56-minute speech were family, community and country, as well as the need to cut the public spending deficit created by Labour.

"Next year, Gordon Brown will spend more money on the interest on our debt than on schools," Mr Cameron said. "More than on law and order, more than on child poverty.

"So I say to the Labour party and the trades unions just tell me what is compassionate, what is progressive about spending more on debt interest than on helping the poorest children in our country?"

He pledged to re-establish the link between earnings and the state pension, abolished by Margaret Thatcher, and combat the high tax rates on the lowest earners.

On society Mr Cameron said: "Why aren’t we building homes with enough room for a family to sit round a table and actually eat a meal together?

"It’s about our culture. Why do so many magazines and websites and music videos make children insecure about the way they look or the experiences they haven’t even had?

"And it’s about our society. We give our children more and more rights, and we trust our teachers less and less. We’ve got to stop treating children like adults and adults like children."

Unveiling his vision of Britain under a Tory government, Mr Cameron concluded: "If you put in the effort to bring in a wage, you will be better off. If you save money your whole life, you’ll be rewarded. If you start your own business, we’ll be right behind you. If you want to raise a family, we’ll support you. If you’re frightened, we’ll protect you.If you risk your safety to stop a crime, we’ll stand by you. If you risk your life to fight for your country, we will honour you."

Prince Charles and Camilla will spend 11 days in the county, visiting some 12 different cities, from November 2nd onwards.

Commenting on the royal visit, Canada’s prime minister Stephen Harper said: "The visit by their royal highnesses is a great honour for Canadians.

"It will allow all of us, particularly young people, an opportunity to learn more about the heritage and traditions of which we are all proud."

The announcement of the visit by the Prince of Wales and his wife follows the earlier confirmation that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will travel to Canada next year.

The trip will be Camilla’s first official trip to the country.

The shadow children’s secretary said science teaching and exams had felt the brunt of dumbing down.

"In GCSE science we ask students if nurses leave the room during X-ray sessions in hospital for health reasons, or because their mobile phone might melt, or they might get a tan," he told the Tory party conference in Manchester.

"We ask students which is a better argument for nuclear power – creating jobs or creating toxic waste.

"We ask students which is healthier – a battered sausage or grilled fish."

Mr Gove said the "terrifying evidence" had led him to the conclusion that a "comprehensive decline in examination standards was being witnessed.

"What should we do with people who think that this country can become a scientific leader by asking about sausages in batter? They’ve just got to go," he said.

"And under a Conservative government the people who’ve been responsible for dumbing down our examination system will go."

Mr Gove also pledged to replace the country’s worst performing schools with academies run by proven sponsors.

Under his plans any schools shown to have been in special measures for over a year would have their leaders replaced by the end of the next school year and reopened as academies by September 2011.

All schools would be able to apply for academy status, he continued, with schools ranked as outstanding by Ofted automatically qualifying.

"That is the way to give parents what they want – smaller schools with smaller classes, good behaviour, great teachers and restored confidence in the curriculum," he added.

Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said the UK drinking culture had "gone too far".

He told the party’s conference in Manchester the Tories wanted to "tear up" the government’s licensing regime, while supermarkets would be banned from selling alcohol below cost price.

"We’ll start with the problem of 14-year-olds hanging around with bottles of super-strength beers or ciders," Mr Grayling told delegates.

"It’s much too easy for them to get very drunk quickly and cheaply."

Pledging "big increases" in the tax on drinks with high alcohol content but available cheaply he added: "We will increase the price of a four pack of super strength lager by £1.33.

"We will more than double tax on super strength cider.

"And our planned increase on alcopops will raise the price of a large bottle by £1.50."

Mr Grayling added that the tax changes would not affect responsible drinkers.

"The ordinary pint in the pub will not be affected, and there’ll be exemptions for some local traditional products," he said.

The poll, which was carried out the weekend before the start of the Conservative conference in Manchester, show a large amount of support for the party is negative and based on disaffection with Labour.

The findings show a lack of genuine enthusiasm for the Tories, despite Mr Cameron’s assertion on Monday that the party had changed. It also suggests the Conservative leader is better liked than the party he is in charge of.

The Times, which commissioned the poll, says the results suggest it is a ‘Yes, but’ conference, far less positive than the Conservative party might have hoped for and hint at a much tighter race come the election when it takes place, most likely May.

Only 28 per cent of voters think the Conservatives have really changed under Mr Cameron unchanged from a year ago when Populus carried out the same poll.

In contrast, 68 per cent believe the party does not seem to have changed at all under Mr Cameron and is doing better "mainly just because the Labour government has become so unpopular". This is down only two points on last year.

That also tallies with an earlier Populus poll indicating about 30 per cent of the Tory vote is made up of people who are voting for them simply as a vote against Labour.

Only 30 per cent are would consider voting Tory as a positive vote for the party. Forty per cent of the respondents to the poll said it was a bit of both.

While a Conservative victory at the general election still appears to be the most likely outcome there are doubts about the real extent of Conservative party support among the electorate. The results also indicate why Labour is attacking the Conservatives on the grounds of not having changed at all.

The problem for the government appears to stem from a genuine level of disaffection among voters, only 19 per cent are satisfied with the Labour government, down from 25 per cent last December. At the other end of the scale 42 per cent say they are now dissatisfied with Labour and would rather have a Conservative government, up from 35 per cent.

Labour is still seen as minimising public sector job losses however, by 47 to 31 per cent over the Tories, but mentioning Mr Cameron narrows the gap to 48 to 37 per cent.

The poll, which was carried out the weekend before the start of the Conservative conference in Manchester, show a large amount of support for the party is negative and based on disaffection with Labour.

The findings show a lack of genuine enthusiasm for the Tories, despite Mr Cameron’s assertion on Monday that the party had changed. It also suggests the Conservative leader is better liked than the party he is in charge of.

The Times, which commissioned the poll, says the results suggest it is a ‘Yes, but’ conference, far less positive than the Conservative party might have hoped for and hint at a much tighter race come the election when it takes place, most likely May.

Only 28 per cent of voters think the Conservatives have really changed under Mr Cameron unchanged from a year ago when Populus carried out the same poll.

In contrast, 68 per cent believe the party does not seem to have changed at all under Mr Cameron and is doing better "mainly just because the Labour government has become so unpopular". This is down only two points on last year.

That also tallies with an earlier Populus poll indicating about 30 per cent of the Tory vote is made up of people who are voting for them simply as a vote against Labour.

Only 30 per cent are would consider voting Tory as a positive vote for the party. Forty per cent of the respondents to the poll said it was a bit of both.

While a Conservative victory at the general election still appears to be the most likely outcome there are doubts about the real extent of Conservative party support among the electorate. The results also indicate why Labour is attacking the Conservatives on the grounds of not having changed at all.

The problem for the government appears to stem from a genuine level of disaffection among voters, only 19 per cent are satisfied with the Labour government, down from 25 per cent last December. At the other end of the scale 42 per cent say they are now dissatisfied with Labour and would rather have a Conservative government, up from 35 per cent.

Labour is still seen as minimising public sector job losses however, by 47 to 31 per cent over the Tories, but mentioning Mr Cameron narrows the gap to 48 to 37 per cent.

The shadow chancellor George Osborne announced that any new business created in first two years of a Conservative government would receive a tax break for the first ten people it employed.

H said he believed such incentives would create 60,000 new jobs.

Mr Osborne said: "Our message will be clear, invest here, come up and set up your business here.

"We will say come and set up your enterprise here and we will support you.

"We will send a message that this country is open for business."

The announcement came in the first day of the Tory conference on Monday, as David Cameron, the Conservative leader, was facing calls to hold referendum on the Lisbon Treaty whether it is ratified across the rest of Europe or not.

Mr Cameron is desperately trying to ensure Europe doesn’t dominate his conference as he tries to focus electorate on the economy.

He is pitching a Conservative party as a party of jobs, manufacturing and industry and with a clear message that the Tory are "ready to serve" and the Conservative party have truly changed.

Mr Cameron said: "We have heard today the biggest, boldest programme to get Britain working again."

The Tories have also announced plans to scrap the New Deal, get those people who are fit to work off incapacity benefit and onto Jobseekers allowance as well as reintroducing technology colleges, last seen in the UK in the 1950s.

The Conservatives said the savings made through getting people off benefits would help to pay for other schemes such as the tax incentives for new business and vocational places for young people.

Mr Brown will be meeting with Ireland’s political leaders in a bid to resolve the issue, with relations between Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionists deteriorating over recent weeks.

At the heart of the row is the issue of when policing justice powers should be devolved from Westminster. It is hoped the visit from the PM will resolve the issue, when the leaders meet at Stormont castle today.

Sinn Fein deputy-leader first minister Martin McGuinness wants the devolved policing powers to come into effect immediately, while DUP first minister Peter Robinson is more cautious.

As a consequence, while both support the transfer of law and order responsibilities from Westminster, they are at loggerheads over the timing.

Mr McGuinness claims the move should have happened months ago but the DUP says funding – thought to be around £600 million – must be in place first.

The amount of cash provided by the UK government is likely to top the agenda at the talks in Stormont castle.

Mr Brown will also receive a briefing on the current threat posed by dissident republicans from Northern Ireland’s new chief constable Matt Baggott.

In a public letter to Labour party members, Mr Brown said he believes "it is right" to hold debates through a variety of medium in order for Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats to present their cases for the upcoming 2010 poll.

The proposed debates would see Mr Brown go up against David Cameron and Nick Clegg on TV to spar over a range of issues.

And the Labour leader said during the weekend: "It is right that the parties debate the issues not just in parliament but in every arena where the public will join in the discussion.

"It is right that we set the issues before the British people.

"Others can work out the details but what’s important for the country is that there is a wide ranging series of television and radio debates with party leaders that are also able to devote attention to the central issues that matter to families: the economy, public services, how we strengthen our communities, and how we work with the rest of the world."

Mr Brown also called on ministers and opposition ministers to indulge in similar debates, although he admitted there should be a "strong focus" on the leaders’ contests.

"I relish the opportunity of making our case directly to the people of this country," the prime minister added.

In a public letter to Labour party members, Mr Brown said he believes "it is right" to hold debates through a variety of medium in order for Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats to present their cases for the upcoming 2010 poll.

The proposed debates would see Mr Brown go up against David Cameron and Nick Clegg on TV to spar over a range of issues.

And the Labour leader said during the weekend: "It is right that the parties debate the issues not just in parliament but in every arena where the public will join in the discussion.

"It is right that we set the issues before the British people.

"Others can work out the details but what’s important for the country is that there is a wide ranging series of television and radio debates with party leaders that are also able to devote attention to the central issues that matter to families: the economy, public services, how we strengthen our communities, and how we work with the rest of the world."

Mr Brown also called on ministers and opposition ministers to indulge in similar debates, although he admitted there should be a "strong focus" on the leaders’ contests.

"I relish the opportunity of making our case directly to the people of this country," the prime minister added.