These were the highlights of David Cameron's first annual conference speech as Conservative leader.

ON THE CONFERENCE WEEK:- "It's been a great week. This week we've shown we are back in the centre ground of British politics.

"A stable economy, fighting crime, backing the NHS and our state schools, childcare and flexible working, improving our environment and quality of life.

"Those are the people's priorities - those are our priorities today.

"We are united and rejuvenated and as this conference has shown, we are the party that is open to new ideas and fresh thinking."

ON THE ISSUE OF SUBSTANCE:- "Substance is not about producing a 10 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.

"For us, Britain is based on the idea of social responsibility. That means a Britain where instead of always turning to the state for the answers - we turn to each other and ask: what more can we do together to solve this problem.

"So I don't think announcing policies in a rush amounts to substance.

"Real substance is about taking time to think things through, not trotting out easy answers that people might want to hear.

"It's about sticking to your guns. It's about character, judgment and consistency. It's about policy - yes. But it's about getting it right for the long term."

ON RESPONSIBILITY: "When I spend time in a school or a hospital, I now think of the ultimate responsibility a Prime Minister has to make to make sure our public services are properly funded."

"But there is no greater responsibility for a Prime Minister than protecting the security of our country and sending our armed forces into action."

ON TROOPS: "Our mission in Afghanistan is not just a moral responsibility. It is vital to keep Britain safe."

"Let the message go out from this conference, to the best armed forces in the world. You are fighting in our name and we are proud of what you do."

"Our forces and their families do so much for us. And we should do more - a lot more - for them."

ON THE THREAT OF TERRORISM: "There are some who still believe that the threat we face today is no different from ones that we have faced before, such as the IRA. They are profoundly mistaken."

"This threat cannot be negotiated away or appeased - it has to be confronted and overcome."

ON TAX:- "Everyone in this hall, me included, knows that a low tax economy is a strong economy.

"But some people want me to flash up some pie in the sky tax cuts to show what we stand for.

"Let me tell you straight. That is not substance and that is not what we stand for.

"I think that when some people talk about substance, what they mean is they want the old policies back.

"Well they're not coming back. We're not going back. We've laid it out clearly at this conference. We will not take risks with the economy. We will not make promises we can't keep.

"As George Osborne said in that brilliant speech yesterday - we believe in sound money and stability always comes first."

ON THE ECONOMY:- "We need a broad based economic policy - not just a tax policy. We need to strengthen our pensions system, deregulate our employers and wealth-creators, invest in education, skills, the potential of our people.

"And we need to promote British trade and investment. We cannot afford to sit back. We have to fly the flag for British business.

ON SECURITY: "I will never play politics with this issue. What I will do is my duty."

"People who threaten our security should be arrested, charged, put in front of a court, tried and imprisoned. That is the British way."

"I believe that yes, the British people need a clear definition of their rights in this complex world.

"But I also believe we need a legal framework for those rights that does not hamper the fight against terrorism.

"That is why we will abolish the Human Rights Act and put a new British Bill of Rights in its place."

ON CRIME: "Last week Tony Blair attacked me for what I said about hoodies.

"In that one cheap joke, he gave up on one of the best things he ever said - that we need to be tough on the causes of crime."

"With David Davis as Home Secretary, this party, the Conservative Party is the only party in Britain that will be tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime."

ON FOREIGN POLICY: "We will be tough when it comes to promoting the country's interests abroad."

"William Hague and I have said we must be steadfast not slavish in how we approach the special relationship with America."

"I'm not a neo-conservative. I'm a liberal Conservative."

"We need more patience, more humility in the way we engage with the world."