Howard's speech at a glance

In his speech to the Conservative conference in Bournemouth today, party leader Michael Howard gave an outline of the changes a Tory administration would introduce in its first weeks in office.

Among them were:

• A "war on crime" based on the zero-tolerance tactics of former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and Middlesbrough's "Robocop" Ray Mallon.
• Immediate scrapping of forms police officers have to fill in each time they stop a suspect.
• An end to the early release scheme for prisoners.
• Recruitment of an extra 5,000 police a year.
• Building more prisons.
• Tenfold increase in drug rehabilitation places from 2,000 to 20,000.
• Review of the Human Rights Act, which will be scrapped if it cannot be reformed.
• Headteachers to be given control over classrooms and final say on expulsions.
• Scrapping of Whitehall-imposed health and education targets.
• Introduction of right to go to the hospital or school of your choice.
• Immediate freeze on civil service recruitment.
• Immediate closure of Downing Street Delivery Unit.
• Restoration of link between basic state pension and earnings, worth £7 a week for single pensioners and £11 for couples.
• The prospect of tax cuts "when I can" - but no promise to reduce any specific taxes.
• Date for referendum on EU constitution to be set on first day in office, with poll held within months.
• Renegotiation of European treaties, including withdrawal from Social Chapter and Common Fisheries Policy.
• Announcement of Britain's intention to withdraw from the 1951 UN Refugee Convention.
• Annual limit on number of immigrants.