The following article was written by Edward McMillan-Scott and published yesterday on the Liberal Democrat Voice Website.

It was a poignant watching the Tory Conference at Birmingham’s ICC on TV. After all, it was there at our Spring Conference in March 2010 that I became a Liberal Democrat, only to find my new party in coalition with the Tories two months later!

I described that as the happiest day in my political life: ‘the Lib Dems have tamed the Tory extremists’ I wrote as the Coalition Agreement was published, especially on the EU and human rights.

My impression is that the Conservative Party has made absolutely no progress in the direction of involvement, democracy, outreach – all the watchwords of the Cameroons in their early days.

Instead, the conference is still a completely top-down affair, with the insiders talking down to the outsiders, as it always was. In fact the only real reform was the introduction by William Hague while leader (and why has he decided to stand down just now?) of OMOV in the selection of party leader.

On Europe, the Tories have moved right decisively, not only on ramping up expectations of the Brussels reform agenda (there is much to be done, but I do not think the Tory Party Conference is the weapon with which to threaten other EU leaders, as Cameron did) but also on the future administration of human rights. How I look forward to hearing more from Ken Clarke, Dominic Grieve and others who really understand that agenda!

Of the speeches Boris Johnson probably had the most cut-through (to use the old Central Office jargon – and I bet that hasn’t changed) with his ‘brick’ analogy. But his speech was remarkably on-message. We may yet see, dreadful thought, this lazy, languid Europhobe taking over from Cameron, another Old Etonian of similar, if more thoughtful and disciplined, demeanour.

Now that the Tories have reverted to using the autocue it exposed George Osborne mercilessly. He started a sentence looking at the audience, then rooted back to the text on the screen in from of him trying to pick up his thread. It made for a very uneasy performance.

One year, while I was leader of the 36 Tory MEPs, the party abandoned the autocue to save money (£11,000 as I recall) and it taught all of us platform speakers to learn our lines, as William Hague – polished as ever – and Cameron clearly had today.

That year, I sat chatting amiably on the platform next to Michael (Lord) Aschcroft. This is the only tape the BBC seem to have of the former Treasurer – and how we Conservative Board members needed him, in the days when we had a £14 million overdraft! However, Michael is now the UK’s most assiduous pollster and yesterday The Times ranked him as 10th in ‘The Right Power List 2014’, up two places. However topping the list for the first time is Nigel Farage, pushing Cameron into second place.

One interesting finding in Ashcroft’s latest poll is that Liberal Democrats would prefer a renewed coalition with the Tories 42 – 36 per cent. But how many Tories would now prefer a coalition with UKIP? Most, by a large majority, I believe. That’s how far Cameron and his predecessors have taken their party from the moderate, pro-European centre.

It is a national tragedy, as I said at the opening of our Spring Conference in York. The most successful party of government in history is now contemplating – even relishing, to judge by the applause – leaving the EU. There is much to do.

Edward McMillan-Scott was MEP for Yorkshire & Humber 1984 – 2014, Conservative then Liberal Democrat since 2010. He was Vice-President of the European Parliament for Democracy & Human Rights 2004 – 2014