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High speed trains like this one could be heading north, according to the Conservatives

Their savage cuts, they say, will devastate the economy once more.

This time though it'll be public sector workers and not miners or steelmakers that will be put on the scrapheap.

The Tories say that's nonsense.

But unlike Margaret Thatcher, who dismissed her critics as "moaning minnies", there is some real sensitivity to the North's concerns here at the .

Take just one of the sessions today.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond announced plans for a North-South high speed rail link.

But whereas previous announcements had only initially talked about a line from London to Birmingham, this time they were determined to include the North.

So Philip Hammond also talked about extending the line in a second phase to both Manchester and Leeds.

But he went further (even if the line won't).

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond announced plans for High Speed rail

In a question and answer session after the announcement the Transport Secretary also said the line would help the North East too.

That's because the high speed track to Leeds will link up with the existing East Coast Main Line just south of York.

That means travellers from York northwards will still benefit from reduced journey times.

The first stage of the journey from Newcastle to the link near York might take an hour.

But the second stage from Leeds to London might only take 80 minutes raising the possibility of reaching London in considerably less than two-and-a-half hours.

Philip Hammond told the Conference he believed that could deliver an unprecendented boost to the North East economy.

He said it would effectively shrink the country.

That would in turn make it much easier to attract new businesses to the region.

Companies would no longer see the North East's distance from London as such a problem.

The same could well be true in Cumbria as the Manchester high speed branch will also link up to the existing West Coast Main Line.

Mind you, don't expect to travel on it too soon.

A consultation on the plans will only begin next year, no route has been mapped out, and building work on the first London-to-Birmingham phase won't start until at least 2015.

The extensions north might not be completed for decades then.

But I think it's interesting that the Conservatives do at least want to be seen to be offering the North something other than cuts.

Indeed, the party's leadership want the Conservatives to be seen as a national force, and not one confined to the South and Midlands.

In the Conference Guide, David Cameron goes out of his way to talk about winning Carlisle away from Labour at the General Election for the first time since 1964.

And at a gathering of northern Tories last night, William Hague was keen to tell delegates that the party was determined to be a force in the North as well as the South.

David Cameron also came to the event, but unfortunately I can't tell you what he said as oddly I and other journalists were kept out of the meeting till he'd gone! We weren't given any reason.

Of course, Labour will say all this talk of "One Nation" Conservatism is mere window dressing.

They believe the cuts which are about to hit the north reflect the real Tory attitude.

But after Nick Clegg's speech in Liverpoool, it shows the Coalition is at least determined to meet northern fears head-on.

Of course, words though will have to continue to be matched with deeds.

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