Cameron's political problem: Blue or Green or both?

The Climate Clinic has rolled into Blackpool for the Conservative Party conference. It is the last event of conference season and usually has the worst weather. I have been to conferences here when the wind blows so hard you can barely stand up: but not this week. Instead of rain and sleet we've got white clouds, a gentle breeze and even some sunshine. Not bad for October 1^st.

The politics is - of course - fascinating. David Cameron is under intense pressure from every side: the right wing want tax cuts, the press want party splits, and the green movement want him to sign up to the results of the Quality of Life policy group report. Cameron, on the other hand, is desperately trying to improve his rating in the opinion polls to try and stop an autumn general election.

It looks to me like he will do anything to ensure the headlines stay positive, even if that means sating traditional Tories with tough talk on crime and immigration. From a Greenpeace point of view I worry about some of the positions being taken on environmental issues. For example, messages about allowing the expansion of airports will do little to enhance his green credentials. In fact, he is keeping his options open (he has said it is a planning matter - he can still express an opinion later).

The challenge is about choice: does Cameron need to make tough choices or can he root himself firmly in the sustainability agenda and still win an election? We will see this week how he plays it and - critically - what he says in his speech on Wednesday.

Today, however, he did come into the Climate Clinic to look around, and spent some time talking to me and others NGO partners. I honestly believe he is committed to the environmental agenda, and can certainly talk about it in some detail; but right now is forced to respond to short-term political pressures.

If he manages to avoid an election, then he will still have to pass more environmental tests, as the government will introduce their Climate Change, Energy and Planning Bills. All three pieces of legislation, and the way they interrelate, are critical for the environment and will all be debated in the next parliamentary session. That will give us a real opportunity to judge his environmental credentials.