The party has removed the archive from its public website, erasing records of speeches and press releases from 2000 until May 2010. The effect will be to remove any speeches and articles during the Tories' modernisation period, including its commitment to spend the same as a Labour government.

So 2010 is Year Zero now then?

errrr - so party does some housekeeping on its web site - this is hardly re-writing history

Well, no, but they have effectively removed the prime source for any major speeches made by those in power. Come the next election, those speeches (especially those making pre election promises) should be scrutinised and those making them brought to book on any premise not kept, or reneged on.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/nov/15/tory-speeches-internet-archive

The Conservatives did not respond to calls for comment on Friday night.

i wonder why, but also labour have been doing the same ...

People have been making such a noise about this, and will no doubt go to greater measures to seek out speeches, find the bits that were reneged on and will have two attack vectors: 1) You said this but did that, and b) You tried to hide what you said.

This is a stupid story, anyone who would spend more time shouting about what a massive assault it is against democracy rather than simply googling for alternative archives is obviously not qualified to have an opinion on subjects relating to basic research.

It would be better to quote the primary source (so-and-so’s speech, text here on the Conservative web site)

"But Mr Dent, the plans have been available in the local planning office for the last nine months."

"Oh yes, well as soon as I heard I went straight round to see them, yesterday afternoon. You hadn't exactly gone out of your way to call attention to them, had you? I mean, like actually telling anybody or anything."

"But the plans were on display ..."

"On display? I eventually had to go down to the cellar to find them."

"That's the display department."

"With a flashlight."

"Ah, well the lights had probably gone."

"So had the stairs."

"But look, you found the notice didn't you?"

"Yes," said Arthur, "yes I did. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the Leopard'."