The last week has been an overwhelmingly good one for the Conservative Party.

It all started with the outstanding local election results last Friday, which saw the Conservatives winning right across the country. But the icing on the cake was, of course, Boris Johnson's victory over Ken Livingstone in the race to be the next London Mayor.

We did not have elections in North Norfolk, but to be wining in places like Bury and Southampton shows that the Conservatives really are back and that people can see that it is the Conservatives who offer a positive and optimistic vision for the future of our country.

In North Norfolk the need for a Conservative Government could not be clearer. The closure of Post Offices, the plans to flood six villages and the abolition of the 10p tax rate have all hit local people hard. People have realised that Labour are not listening to us in North Norfolk and that the Lib Dems cannot bring about the change in Government policy that we so desperately need, but they also like what the Conservative Party offers. Action on climate change, support for post offices, real reform of the NHS to get politicians out of the running of our hospitals and GP surgeries and a criminal justice system that focuses on the priorities of local people, not politicians in Whitehall.

So now attention turns to the by-election in Crewe and Nantwich. The seat, which was held by Gwyneth Dunwoody until her recent death, will be a tough challenge. What ever Gordon Brown's troubles, Mrs Dunwoody was a remarkable woman whose independence and determination appealed to people from across the political spectrum and the people of Crewe and Nantwich will miss her. Such a safe Labour seat would have been an unthinkable prospect just a few months ago, but if Boris can beat Ken - there is nothing that we cannot do.